About Empower and Heal

As you know my name is Sophia Derrig-Palumbo and this is my Gold Award. For the past few years, I have been working with domestic violence, specifically with Haven Hills Domestic Violence Shelter. Because of my passion, I wanted my Gold Award to expand on this issue. In short, I have met with professionals, researched, compiled information, and presented material to teens throughout my community. I have raised money and collected donations or my local shelter, and even was interviewed by Spectrum News. This interview expanded my audience and opened up a window for even more opportunities to speak about domestic violence. Haven Hills nominated me for Purple Ribbon Award, and I was selected Volunteer of the Year, receiving part of a 30,000 dollar grant that goes directly to Haven Hills. Through my work I spread awareness and made a difference. You can too!