Firesteel Blog

Mad Men, ACEs and Child Homelessness – Escaping the Past Is Not So Easy

Don Draper giving his most famous new business pitch, just before revealing a shocking secret from his past about a Hershey bar. Photo from AMC.
Don Draper giving his most famous new business pitch, just before revealing a shocking secret from his past about a Hershey bar. Photo from AMC.
"You can’t write about Don Draper without addressing his terrible childhood, which crops up throughout the series." In the week leading up to Mad Men's finale, Catherine Hinrichsen and Perry Firth examine the traumatic events that shaped Don through the lens of recent psychological research. Catherine also has a little bit of fun speculating on how the series will end.

“There Was Always a Helping Hand”: Reflecting on Success Stories Heard at The Moth’s Community Showcase

The Moth helped 18 Seattle-area storytellers craft narratives about how family homelessness affected their lives. Nine people told their stories to a live audience on April 28. Image credit: Catherine Hinrichsen of the Seattle University Project on Family Homelessness.
The Moth helped 18 Seattle-area storytellers craft narratives about how family homelessness affected their lives. Nine people told their stories to a live audience on April 28. Image credit: Catherine Hinrichsen of the Seattle University Project on Family Homelessness.
Last week, nine storytellers bravely stood before a live audience and shared how homelessness has affected their lives. Firesteel's new volunteer advocacy assistant, Jenn Martinis, contemplates a theme that emerged from the evening: The storytellers were all amazing people who eventually found their home, but having access to a support system was critical to their success.

Stand Against Racism: Stereotypes Put Domestic Violence Survivors in Danger

Doris O'Neal manages the domestic violence program at the YWCA of Seattle | King | Snohomish. Her team offered a powerful presentation about the intersection of racism and domestic violence as part of the YWCA Stand Against Racism.
Doris O'Neal manages the domestic violence program at the YWCA of Seattle | King | Snohomish. Her team offered a powerful presentation about the intersection of racism and domestic violence as part of the YWCA Stand Against Racism.
At a weekly support group for African-American survivors of domestic violence, the facilitator once asked the women why they were reluctant to report domestic violence to police. Among the many reasons was that the women feared being blamed for the domestic violence situation. As the case of Marissa Alexander shows, they have good reason to be afraid.
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