Home Alive
Encyclopedia
Home Alive was a non-profit organization
based in Seattle which promotes anti-violence. The organization offered self-defense classes and public education and awareness in order to reduce and prevent violence. The Home Alive group trained its own instructors. They held a range of courses including basic physical self-defense, boundary setting, and advanced multi-week courses.
, in 1993, a number of artists and musicians within Seattle began to meet and discuss the problems of violence within the community, and the lack of available resources such as self-defense classes, which were considered impractical and somewhat unaffordable.
A group of women, now recognized as the founders of the organization, pooled resources such as arts and music benefits in order to raise funds and study self-defense. Classes were provided to the community on a sliding scale basis, where no-one was turned away due to lack of funds. The group continues this work, providing classes to individuals, as before; but expanding to also educate establishments such as schools and businesses. With primary support still coming from the arts community, Home Alive continues to ground its self-defense education in a movement for social justice.
6/14/2010: The members of Home Alive’s Board of Directors, together with the instructor collective, decided in June, 2010 to close as a 501(c)(3) organization and to lay the Home Alive program dormant after 17 years in the community.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
based in Seattle which promotes anti-violence. The organization offered self-defense classes and public education and awareness in order to reduce and prevent violence. The Home Alive group trained its own instructors. They held a range of courses including basic physical self-defense, boundary setting, and advanced multi-week courses.
History
Following the rape and murder of a local singer, Mia ZapataMia Zapata
Mia Katherine Zapata was the lead singer for the Seattle punk band The Gits.-Life and career:Zapata was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky...
, in 1993, a number of artists and musicians within Seattle began to meet and discuss the problems of violence within the community, and the lack of available resources such as self-defense classes, which were considered impractical and somewhat unaffordable.
A group of women, now recognized as the founders of the organization, pooled resources such as arts and music benefits in order to raise funds and study self-defense. Classes were provided to the community on a sliding scale basis, where no-one was turned away due to lack of funds. The group continues this work, providing classes to individuals, as before; but expanding to also educate establishments such as schools and businesses. With primary support still coming from the arts community, Home Alive continues to ground its self-defense education in a movement for social justice.
6/14/2010: The members of Home Alive’s Board of Directors, together with the instructor collective, decided in June, 2010 to close as a 501(c)(3) organization and to lay the Home Alive program dormant after 17 years in the community.
Founders
The nine women considered responsible for founding the organization were:- Valerie Agnew
- Zoe Bermet
- Gretta Harley
- Julie Hasse
- Lara Kidoguchi
- Jessica Lawless
- Mich Levy
- Cristien Storm
- Stacey Wescott