We have four new chapters that are in the process of forming: one in South Bend, IN (starting in mid August), one in Johnson City, TN, one in Bournemouth, Dorset, England and one in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. That brings our total to 59 chapters in nine countries. Join the army.  Start a Lamplighter chapter of your own.  See details on the “Start Your Own Chapter” page of this blog.

An exciting new event regarding the Lamplighters!

We have recently been trying to get the Lamplighter Chapters started in women’s prisons.  Statistics show that nearly 50% of women in prison were sexually abused as a child.  Nearly 93% of women who are in prison for murdering their spouse were sexually abused as children.  We currently have our first chapter in the California Institute for Women in Chino, Ca. At the moment they have 25 women in their chapter and are working the REPAIR program together.

The Lamplighter Movement now has 55 chapters in nine countries, 45 chapters in 26 US states.  Hooray for us!  Keep them coming!

We have now a chapter in Mundri, Sudan, Africa. Our facilitator is May Kelemeko. We have also added Shelley Knowles from Castle Douglas, Scotland  -hooray, Tom and I were married in Melrose, Scotland in 2000 so I’ve been hoping we’d get one there.  And…..Susan from Cedar Rapids, Iowa is also starting a new chapter.

We no longer have a chapter in Huntersville, North Carolina.  Our new facilitator for Cincinnati, OH is Robin Osborne. Robin is home based in Ft. Michell, KY but is close to the Ohio border so could accommodate anyone that wants to come from Cincinnati.  We now have 51 chapters in seven countries.

We now have our first chapter in England, in Hayes, Middlesex, London.  The facilitator is Sharon Nuro.  This makes 52 chapters in seven countries.  I am so very excited.  A new chapter starting up to me is like Christmas.  I am so proud of all of my facilitators and so very grateful to them for what they are doing. If you know anyone who would like to join us send her to my email address at margie@thelamplighters.org.

Welcome to our 51st chapter in Burbank, CA.  The facilitator is Michelle Martinez.

We have another new chapter in Lagos, Nigeria.  The facilitator’s name is Adeola Essien.  This brings the total number of Lamplighter chapters to 50.

Keasha LeClear from Pinckney, MI has decided to be a Stand Alone Facilitator. This brings our Stand Alone number to five.

Angie Wantz, formerly facilitator of the Wooster, Ohio chapter has moved and is forming a new chapter in Union Bridge, Maryland.  She couldn’t find anyone to take over the Wooster chapter so it is closed.

Bismark, ND is the location of our most recent Lamplighter chapter.  The facilitator is Joel Melarvie (Toni Schneider) and their email address is dorothytherese@hotmail.com.

We have a new Stand Alone facilitator.  Her name is Mac Cunningham and her area is Waco, TX.  She can be reached at cunninghammercedes@yahoo.com.  She can also be found on Facebook.

And…….Scott Hardy and Christine are now our facilitators for Austin, TX and they can be reached at scott.hardy@sbcglobal.net.

We have a new chapter forming in St. Cloud, MN. at the Central MN Sexual Assault Center. Their first meeting will be on Monday, January 25th. The facilitator’s name is Tamara Hennes-Vix and her email address, for further information, is thennesvix@cmsac.org.

We have a new Individual Lamplighter, Kellyne Cleek of West Fork, AR. Her email address is Kelly_1029@windstream.net.

Chaplain Bonnie Leopold has now initiated Lamplighter meetings at the California Institute for Women in Chino, CA. This will make our 45th chapter (with 4 of them being Individual Lamplighters).

We have a new chapter starting up in the Muncie, IN area. It will include Albany and surrounding areas, Muncie, Dunkirk, Eaton, Redkey, and Portland. The meeting will be organized by Mary Ann Wells, Shane Wells and Pastor Tim Ailes. The contact information is fightingbackthelongroadhome@hotmail.com or magtbw@yahoo.com. Their meeting location is at the Albany Bethel United Methodist Church at 14501 Co. Rd. 800 E (take water street north out of Albany 1.5 miles on the left at the curve next the cemetary) Muncie, IN. The meetings will be held on the 3rd Thursday of each month. Meeting times are: Women’s meetings at 7:00 pm and Men’s meetings at 8:00 pm.

Our Virginia Beach, VA chapter meets on the Third Week of Every Month from 6:30 pm to 8:pm at the Fellowship of the Inner Light at 620, 14th Street, Virginia Beach, VA 23451. Contact Names: Sylvia at 757-486-0456 email sylvialouise@cox.net or Tami at 757-831-7650 email healingsoftheheart@yahoo.com.

Marjorie was voted in as a board member for the foundation Let Go, Let Peace Come In. If you haven’t seen their website please go to www.letgoletpeacecomein.org. They are asking for survivors to email them their photo and a caption or just their story. Part of their mission statement is “we will raise money for a non profit fund to provide the financial assistance necessary to start survivors of childhood sexual abuse on the path to recovery, ‘one’ survivor at a time.”

We now have a chapter in the Los Angeles area. The largest percentage of requests for a chapter is from there. Our new facilitator is Bonnie Leopold whose chapter is in Torrance, CA. Her email address is ChaplainBonnieL@aol.com.

In addition to facilitating our Los Angeles Chapter, Bonnie is bringing Lamplighters to the California Institute for Women in Chino, CA. We are hoping one day to have Lamplighter chapters in all of the women’s prisons.

Our latest additions to the Lamplighter Movement are: St. Cloud, MN. The facilitator’s name is Janice Farber and her email address is jfarber09@aol.com and … Nashville, TN, Pastor Connie Malone at ibelievenmiracles@msn.com and … facilitator, Kellie Fairchild in Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia who can be reached at kelliefairchild@hiptop.com.au.

Another new chapter!! This one is from Fresno, CA. The facilitator’s name is Michelle Neufer and her email address is mneuferlcsw@sbcglobal.net.

We have another new chapter in Kenya, Africa. The facilitator is Joan Ngunnzi at mwendekiema@yahoo.com

And another new chapter starting up in Cincinnati, OH. The facilitator is Reverend Kanatka Drake. For information on this new chapter, please contact margie@thelamplighters.org.

We have a new chapter from Lagos, Nigeria. Our facilitator is Olutosin Oladosu Adebowale and her email address is ruthtosin_oladosu@yahoo.com.

In the last few weeks of 2008 the following chapter locations were started: Summersville, W. Virginia, St. Cloud, MN, Buffalo, NY, Evansville, IN, Pittsfield, Maine, Fort Worth-Dallas, (the facilitator of this chapter is a male … the first male we’ve had. His name is Rizwan Massani), Texas and Kichner, Ontario, Canada

Our Ann Arbor, MI Chapter is facilitated by Keasha and she can be reached for information on the chapter at keasha63@charter.net.

For information on exact locations and contact person, please email Marjorie at: margie@thelamplighters.org

When I was in incest recovery, living in a women’s shelter, married to my third abuser, suicidal, fumbling my way in the dark. I thought, ‘If only I had a Lamplighter, someone who would show me the way.’

The dream of the
Lamplighters was born.

Excerpt from my book

REPAIR Your Life:
A Program for Recovery from
Incest & Childhood Sexual Abuse

My program, REPAIR, is the result of several years of note-taking, journalizing, meditation, and piecing together parts of my own life, as well as conversations with other incest survivors across the country. As I worked my way through recovery, I kept notes in anticipation that someday what I was learning might help others. When I began this book, I re-read my own first-person account, Let Me Hurt You and Don’t Cry Out, to re-walk the path I had taken. I never realized at the time how blessed I was, for that path, although rugged, was straight, and in retrospect provided me with invaluable help to create this program. Read the rest of this entry »

Every victim of childhood sexual abuse deserves the right to live a healthy and joyful life. Repair is an educational program designed to provide tools to achieve that goal in a sensitive, non-judgmental and caring environment.

Work the REPAIR Program! It will change your life!

R.E.P.A.I.R. is an acronym that stands for the stages of the program…

Recognition – Recognizing and accepting that your adult problems stem from childhood sexual abuse.

Entry – Entering a program of commitment to change your life for the better.

Process – Learning tools and techniques that will enable you to become healthy.

Awareness – The coming together of reality as you gather the pieces of the broken puzzle your life became, and begin assembling them to see the complete picture.

Insight – Seeing the complete picture and beginning to return to that which you were prior to being sexually violated.

Rhythm – Developing the natural rhythm you had before the abuse happened, the blueprint that is the essence of your true nature, becoming who you really are.

For questions, email Marjorie at: margie@thelamplighters.org

We promise…

1.  To tell our story.

You can choose who you tell it to, preferably in the safety and privacy of a Lamplighter Chapter.

2. To uncover and validate the truth of family secrets.

This may take awhile but you can do it at your own speed, when you’re ready and feel comfortable. You may never be able to get at the truth of everything but just working towards finding out what you can, helps.

3. To understand and accept what has happened.

This too will take time. Working a REPAIR program will help. Read the rest of this entry »