Eliminating DVA through Education
SAVVE! Vision
Educate communities about Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) to end all domestic violence, abuse and sexual assault throughout the world, and to help victims and families heal.
Mission Statement
To make a positive difference concerning domestic violence and abuse in all communities through increasing knowledge. To help all concerned parties that DVA represents Psychological, Physical, Sexual, Child, Verbal, Emotional, and Financial. To help eliminate all abuses.
Values and Principles
SAVVE is dedicated to educating others about DVA. It is our belief that knowledge propels change.
1. Educate victims, families of victims, advocates and community leaders on domestic violence, abuse and sexual assault to assist in healing.
2. Transform communities through collaboration and knowledge.
3. Improve communication between community leaders, DVA groups, and advocates.
4. Prevent DVA through education in all communities.
5. Support and assist all DVA groups.
6. Be humble.
7. Integrity in all dealings.
8. Bring Peace and Joy to all who suffer from DVA needlessly, either directly or indirectly to strengthen the healing process.
Shareene Rice
Shareene is a survivor of Domestic Violence. She is the Founder and Executive Director of the S.A.V.V.E. organization (Saving Abuse and Violence Victims through Education). Shareene's vision for her non-profit organization S.A.V.V.E., is to educate; victims and survivors, those who work with victims and survivors, and those who have family members of victims and survivors, as well anyone impacted in the community in any way. She feels the best way to heal is through education and closeness to the Savior Jesus Christ and teaches that during her classes. She holds an annual DVA conference. This conference is the first and only Southern Utah Domestic Violence Conference – where she acquires speakers she has met along the way of her own journey toward healing.
She is an Author, Educator, Public Speaker, Life Coach, Blogger, Advocate, Facilitator, Community Activist and Radio Show Host on Domestic Violence. Her mantra in life is to dream, believe, achieve and inspire. She believes despite where any person has been in their abuse, through education of their situation and beyond they can dream of a better life, (whatever that looks like for them), as long as they believe in themselves, their future and their higher power, work towards achieving that dream (by organizing, prioritizing, setting goals and doing it) and, lastly she feels those who have been there need to help others through inspiring others to dream, believe and achieve.
Shareene has an AA in Liberal Arts from Allan Hancock College, BA, Liberal Arts, Senior Thesis, Behavior is genetic and environmental, from BYU, M Ed in Curriculum and instruction design (Action Research on Teaching writing to special education students) from University of Phoenix and ABD, PhD candidate at Grand Canyon University, dissertation is healing and empowerment from domestic abuse, through the use of social media. Areas of research encompasses, personality, personality disorders, victimization, cyber abuse, healing from domestic violence, empowerment using social media, importance of Social Support while healing, utilizing social media as therapeutic social support, and How law enforcement and judicial officials victimize abuse victims.
Shareene is an educator by profession and has worked in treatment facilities as well as the public school system for over 22 years. She currently is a principal at a local private school. She enjoys working with youth and feels they are our future for tomorrow, and inspiring them to be the best and learn to see the way clearly ahead of them is her ultimate goal. Her belief is if you teach youth to love life, love to learn, accept the good and the bad in life. use failure as a stepping stone, and be persistent. Then they will accomplish anything.
After enduring intimate terrorism perpetrated by her spouse, she left the relationship never to return. A few months after her assault, she started studying and taking classes on recovery. It was at that time she realized what psychological, verbal, emotional, and financial abuse entailed. What she found disconcerting is: she was also abused by law enforcement, the ADA and two judges. She later completed an oral qualitative assessment among victims of domestic violence and abuse and found 100% of those she spoke to also experienced law enforcement and judicial abuse. It was at this time she realized many working with DVA survivors did not understand what abuse looked like and how to help DVA victims and survivors.
Because of these gaps, Shareene wanted to do more than help. She started her PhD program, while writing her book on her experiences, and how to identify abuse, titled, “A shoutout to women healing from abuse.” She also facilitates Classes on healing and empowerment from Domestic Violence.
She has always desired to open up the subject of DVA, so people will not fear to discuss it. Too many victims and survivors hide because the world is not a safe place to discuss this subject. As DVA has been swept under the rug for too long. Hence the importance of all service providers of DVA victims and survivors, learn from the experience of others and professionals to help them perfect their performance, glean new ideas and to help strengthen the community. She is excited to hold this conference every year with new voices, faces, and experiences that illuminate, educate, and enlighten the many faces and victims of DVA.
Karalyn Johnson
Karalyn is a co-founder and serves as President of SAVVE. She has obtained a Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences/Government. She became attuned to domestic violence when she was thrown into a whirlwind from hell orchestrated by the person who claimed to love her the most. The ripping experience was indescribable. Criticism, condemnation, hostility and fear were the bully tactics employed by one claiming love and provision for his family, but in reality cloaked selfish ambition and twisted inability to love. Verbal, financial, psychological and sexual abuse of children, was so completely unacceptable that when Karalyn became aware she "departed from evil" to rebuild their her and her children's lives. However, the legal whirlwind that ensued has given Karalyn experience in family law in two states that she never dreamed would have been her reality. Now she is prepared to come along-side you in those moments of overwhelming fear. She works whole-heartedly to buoy dv victims to solid and safe ground.
Karalyn believes the best ways to overcome fear is preparation and knowledge. As preparedness and knowledge increases fear decreases. These annual conferences hold a dear spot in her heart to truly decrease fear by increasing knowledge. Furthermore, her ambitions would be to 1) decrease legal abuse by exposing attempts to manipulate government officials to believe false and twisted narratives alleged by the perpetrators themselves, who orchestrate grand schemes to cloak their own criminal behaviors. 2) illuminate true healing that is only obtained through surrender to God's higher power and exercise faith unto deliverance by Him. 3) lift and support those experiencing suffering by facilitating a personalized preparation plan. 4) serve the community through preparation and education.