Becky Callaham is the executive director of Safe Harbor, a domestic violence organization that serves the upstate of South Carolina. Safe Harbor’s mission is to provide a continuum of services for victims of domestic violence and their children, as well as to eliminate the cultural acceptance of domestic violence through prevention, education and a coordinated community response.

I met Becky early 2011 as Safe Harbor began embarking on a new journey; to tell their story and the many stories of domestic violence survivors. In that same year of 2011, South Carolina had the highest rate of women murdered by men in the US, more than double the national average. In 2012, it had the second highest rate of women murdered by men; 71% of women killed by men in South Carolina were killed with a gun. On a single day in 2014, South Carolina domestic violence programs served 390 victims and domestic violence hotlines receive approximately 21,000 calls, an average of close to 15 calls every minute.

It was time to tell Safe Harbor’s story; not only survivor stories but also stories showcasing how Safe Harbor is truly impacting their community. There were interesting intersection emerging time and time again. What are the ethics associated with leveraging stories of domestic violence survivors as a means to fundraise; specifically in-order to expand services in the upstate of South Carolina. A conversation we continually examined and discussed during our time working together, a conversation that encouraged us to continue capturing and telling more and more stories.

Check Out Links Below

Safe Harbor’s Website

ManUPstate

Safe Harbor’s YouTube

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rep. Gary Clary was first elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives House District 3 seat in 2014. After practicing law in the private sector for 17 years Rep. Clary was elected as a Circuit Judge by the South Carolina General Assembly in 1992 and re-elected in 1997. He retired in September 2002 and re-entered the private sector to work as Assistant General Counsel of Extended Stay America, a Fortune 500 hotel company.

I first met Rep. Clary in 2013 where we both served on the Fort Hill Clemson Club Board. From that point on, he asked me to just call him Gary. We are both Clemson graduates and regardless of our age gap, we share a passion for our alma mater and public policy topics like domestic violence and even issue to move our state forward like the confederate flag.

Gary’s story has many intersections, but one I find most intriguing is his passion to listen. In the world of politics, this unique trait has served him well...a trait even us storytellers could learn to adopt as part of our own cultural DNA. This trait took him door to door, listening to his constituents, town halls, and even to the state house to co-author a bill removing the confederate flag from the South Carolina statehouse grounds.

Check Out Links Below:

Rep. Gary Clary Website

Rep. Gary Clary Twitter

District 3 - SC House of Representatives Webpage

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rozalynn “Roz” Goodwin is vice president for engagement and a lobbyist for the South Carolina Hospital Association (SCHA). Passionate about improving the well-being of populations through health and human services, Rozalynn serves as the primary link with many private and public sector stakeholders, including policy-makers, community and advocacy groups, insurers and employers.

In 2008, I met Roz when South Carolina Hospital Association hired me to craft a series of stories to demystify the stigmas of medicaid in South Carolina. Our journey together continued as I worked alongside Roz capturing and telling stories of the uninsured across South Carolina. Her passion and commitment to the underserved population comes from her childhood in rural South Carolina.

Roz’s commitment and compassion to every patient having access to quality healthcare provides a unique intersection, where her faith, passion, and her amazing ability to speak up and tell her own story build broader bridges across the state she diligently serves and calls home.

Check Out Links Below:

Roz's Bio

Many Faces of Medicaid

Medicaid Expansion: What it means for South Carolina

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices