First Congregational Church of Darien’s Women’s Association and Board of Outreach are hosting a Spring Luncheon and discussion of the #Me Too movement. Gayle Weinstein, president of the Board of Directors of The Center for Sexual Assault Crisis Counseling and Education, will lead the talk.

The event will be held at 12 noon, Tuesday, May 22 in the Parish Hall of the Church at 14 Brookside Road, Darien.  The luncheon will begin at noon. All members of the Church and the community are invited.  Contact the Church Office (203-655-0491 or office@uccdarien.org) to make a reservation.

Following lunch, Ms. Weinstein will discuss the #Me Too movement—which was actually started in 2006 to help women to heal from attacks of sexual violence. #Me Too became part of the national zeitgeist in the Fall 2017, after the public revelations of alleged sexual misconduct by movie producer Harvey Weinstein.

The movement grew virally on social media under the hashtag #MeToo.  Weinstein says that The Center has seen a significant increase in the number of counseling clients seen and the number of education programs given in the months since the Harvey Weinstein story broke.

The Center for Sexual Assault Crisis Counseling and Education serves the eight towns of lower Fairfield County providing free, 24-hour confidential help to men, women and children who have experienced sexual assault.

Their mission is to provide counseling and support services to victims of sexual assault and to eliminate sexual violence through community-wide education programs. The Center currently provides educational programs to all K-12 classes in Darien.

The Center has been a long-time recipient of donations from the Church’s Outreach Committee, and the church decided to host this luncheon because sexual misconduct affects everyone.