Tesserae
{ˈte-​sə-​rē, plural noun, the small pieces used to build a mosaic }
Mosaic Georgia Newsletter | April 2023

During Sexual Assault Awareness Month we focus on the 67% of our clients who are children under the age of 18 requiring support services due to abuse.

Mosaic Georgia is planting “Pinwheel Gardens” at various childcare centers in Gwinnett County during the month of April, and creating a Virtual Pinwheel Garden online.

Prevent Child Abuse America’s 15-year-old national campaign brings awareness to child abuse and encourages prevention to help eliminate the origins of abuse. The shiny pinwheels create a visual reminder that all children deserve a bright future and that we each play a role in creating safe communities that ensure their health and happiness. 

Please donate today and support our work providing safety to the young people affected by abuse.

IN THIS ISSUE
The Big Picture
Someone's Gotta Say It
Connecting the Pieces
Mosaic in Action
Faces of Mosaic
April Open House
Sharing our Services
Upcoming Events
Join the Team
The Big Picture
This April Mosaic Georgia is taking action by centering survivors and generating awareness around Gwinnett County. Learn more about what our dedicated outreach team has put together in various corners of the county to shine the light on abuse and offer space for a ‘mosaic of healing’:

Follow us on social media to stay up to date.


by Kendall Wolz, Mental Health & Wellness
"Ambivalence kept me quiet for a long time. And it keeps a lot of kids quiet."

No one really likes ambivalent feelings. If you’re like me (as an adult), I just want to know things. I don’t enjoy being caught in the middle. I didn’t know what I felt as a kid had a name, and I certainly didn’t know how to navigate the complex and confusing feelings I held. Many adults struggle to navigate ambivalence. It can leave us feeling paralyzed. As a kid, it was incapacitating... Read more
Special Feature: Someone's Gotta Say It
A Word from our Executive Director Marina Sampanes Peed
by Marina Sampanes Peed, Executive Director
A friend used to be a kid who went to the same school or lived down the block. Today, friends are met online with few, if any, community supports. This is a predator’s playground. Read More
Connecting the Pieces
By Ashia Gallo, Wholeness Collective Coordinator
Meet Amy Lewis, the Wholeness Collective's newest trauma-informed yoga instructor. “It’s a privilege to listen to people’s stories,” Amy says. “Being in spaces where people are grieving, and having the honor of walking alongside them as they figure out how to continue to live with loss sparked my passion.” Read more as Amy shares openly and honestly about her own personal transformation.
Mosaic in Action
The What Were You Wearing? exhibit at Georgia Gwinnett College, designed to combat myths about clothing and sexual assault, is one of our many awareness initiatives throughout the county this Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Faces of Mosaic
This month we recognize the whole of our amazing team. The skilled medical team and forensic interviewers, supportive advocates and counselors, talented legal team, and various administrative roles all overlap and intersect to create an intricate mosaic of services we are proud to offer.

This April, Mosaic Georgia is having an Open House at our Resilience Center building to introduce the community to our services.
Please email Danna Downs with inquiries.
Upcoming Events
Mosaic in the Community
Clothesline Project
April 14-27 • Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center Lobby

Sat 5/13/23 • 10am-2pm • Gwinnett Place Mall

Medical Trainings for Sexual Assault Nurse/Forensic Examiners (SANEs/SAFEs) 
SANE moderated peer reviews to foster shared learning and skill building. These virtual sessions are held the third Wednesdays of each month at 12:30PM ET.

SANE Community Support Network
A private, supportive online gathering place for SANEs, medical professionals and leaders of agencies that offer forensic medical services. Request to join

Wholeness Collective Class Offerings
Join a Finding Hope support group, yoga class, or sound healing, offered as part of our new trauma-informed wellness program. View our class series and other events.

Retreats for Survivors
Saprea's ongoing Haven Retreats are a free, clinically informed four-day experience followed by a self-guided online course for adult women who were sexually abused at or before age 18 for survivors in North Georgia. Learn more

Keep up with our ongoing calendar of community events here at the Mosaic Georgia!
Join the Mosaic Georgia Team:
Bilingual Forensic Interviewer/Advocate Position
Read the full job description and apply here.
How You Can Help

Your donation is the most powerful way you can help Mosaic Georgia to empower those who have been impacted by sexual violence and abuse. Our services are always free of charge to those we help, but we can only do that with your help.
Mosaic Georgia, Inc. is a private, nonprofit corporation that is a Children’s Advocacy Center and Sexual
Assault Center that strives for and demands safety, health and justice for children and adults victimized by
sexual abuse, assault and trafficking. Donations are tax-deductible EIN: 58-1762829.

Find us online at MosaicGa.org