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Graduate’s Non-profit Named a ‘Point of Light’
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| Jade Rubick: creating a ‘SAFE’ place. |
Jade Rubick, ’97, turned a desire to help those who are victims of domestic violence into a grassroots organization while a student at the University of Oregon. His group, Stop Abuse for Everyone, today is a major non-profit agency serving thousands of individuals every month and, most recently, earning praise from both the White House and the Points of Light Foundation.
“I started SAFE because I had come out of an abusive relationship and was trying to understand what I had been through. I spent a lot of time reading research papers on the topic in the UO library to gain insight into this,” he explains. Through SAFE, he promoted a new model of dealing with domestic violence, treating victims “regardless of what type of person they are, their gender and sexual orientation.”
Today, SAFE provides professional training, a speakers bureau, court advocacy, support groups, hotlines, and community resources. And Rubick’s success in confronting domestic abuse recently earned him the “spotlight” on the Points of Light Foundation web site, as well as letters of recognition from former President Bush, who initially helped promote his efforts, and President George W. Bush.
SAFE has received extensive media attention and was chosen by the National Crime Prevention Council as one of the most promising programs in the United States for combating domestic violence.
“We look for those who typically fall between the cracks,” Rubick adds, “and are receiving the least amount of help—people for whom few services are available. Our approach is to view domestic violence as a human issue. We often say it this way: ‘It doesn’t matter what type of person you are, if you’re in an abusive relationship, it is the type of experience you’re having that is important. The services you receive should be based on what you need, rather than who you are.’ That’s the goal we work toward.”
Rubick emphasizes that SAFE wants to end violence against women, “but also violence against men, and gay and lesbian couples.”
A holder of degrees from UO in computer science, Asian studies, and Japanese, Rubick lives in Portland with his wife and cat. He works four days a week as a web developer and one day a week on SAFE-related activities.
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1245 University of Oregon • Eugene, OR • 97403-1245
(541) 346.3950 • FAX (541) 346.3282 • alumnidev@cas.uoregon.edu
Copyright © 2004 University of Oregon
Updated June 1, 2004
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