The Ohio Attorney General’s 20th annual Two Days in May Conference on Victim Assistance attracted 1,065 attendees to take part in 35 workshops and several general sessions in mid-May.
Held in Columbus, the annual gathering gives victim advocates an opportunity to interact with their peers across the state, gain new information, and learn about resources and best practices. Among the highlights this year was an Elder Abuse Research Symposium, which drew 70 participants to discuss the scope of the problem and help set Ohio’s elder abuse research agenda.
On the conference’s second day, Attorney General Mike DeWine singled out an outstanding advocate and program:
- Lora Beese, who along with family members founded the Hope in Heels Foundation in Greater Cincinnati in 2005, received the 2011 Special Achievement Award. Beese’s group provides comfort packages with blankets, storybooks, and other items for children entering emergency foster care.
- Genesis House Teen Street Team earned the conference’s 2011 Promising Practice Award. In 2010, Genesis House — which assists abused women and their children in Lorain County — formed the team in response to alarming statistics about dating violence among teenagers. The group consists of teens from seven high schools who participate in intense training sessions on family and dating violence and share information with their peers.
Next year’s conference is set for May 10–11 at the Hyatt Regency Columbus.
To view a video shown at the opening of the 2011 Two Days in May, visit www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/2011TDIMOpening.