Since 2012, we have felt called to do something about bullying in our community as it has greatly impacted our families. In 2015, we formed Yuba-Sutter Stand for the Silent (YS-SFTS), a local chapter of a nationwide nonprofit 501(c)(3) program (Stand for the Silent) that offers preventative bullying education, empathetic practices, helpful resources, realistic solutions and personal support to the Yuba-Sutter community. YS-SFTS aims to bring victims of bullying, families, bystanders and bullying offenders hope and assistance to end this damaging behavior and to heal from resentment and hurt.

The support we provide to our community is intended to enhance what our schools, agencies and the police can offer. We are partnering with local school districts, elected officials, law enforcement, medical and psychiatric professionals, court personnel, community non-profits, county resource organizations, businesses, teachers, school counselors and administrators, churches, youth groups, parents, kids and victims of bullying, as well as those who bully and their families. Our message is “everybody is somebody”, and we want to help them all.

Here are some of the things we do:

• Helping schools and other interested parties to start FREE chapters of Stand for the Silent, hosting SFTS presentations and offering anti-bullying guidance, suggestions and assistance
• Organizing school and other bullying prevention, education and support demonstrations and workshops
• Encouraging educators and/or school administrators to host campus bully-free “Safe Rooms”
• Forming peer support groups for victims of bullying, witnesses and bullying offenders
• Partnering with local businesses and agencies to offer discounted services, such as Martial Arts training, animal therapy and interactive play and activities
• Providing resources to help bullying victims, offenders, witnesses and families (counseling, court-related support, athletic program scholarships, play therapy, reporting guidance, interpreting assistance, etc.)
• Bringing creative anti-bullying ideas and preventative measures into classrooms and our community
• Hosting local anti-bullying discussions, presentations, events, forums, rallies, fundraisers and training

Our dream is that the Yuba-Sutter Stand for the Silent mission and example of prevention, results and assistance through our outreach programs will expand to our neighboring communities and therefore, wipe out bullying altogether. We provide aid for all types of bullying: school-aged, adult, senior, family and workplace.

Because of our help, members of our community were able to carry a hopeless suicidal teenager back to a loving and purposeful existence. This unconditional care prevented another young person from becoming an all-too-familiar “suicide-by-bullying” statistic. Yuba-Sutter Stand for the Silent wishes to help our community, and we are growing our outreach programs to do just that. Our organization needs the support of our student body, school educators, administration, parents, caregivers, adult children, friends and all others who have been affected by bullying. If we all stand for the silent, we can make a difference. (See back side to learn more about SFTS).

Sincerely,

Susie M. Cauchi

President

“Standing together against bullying to provide education, resources and support within the Yuba-Sutter community”