Local childhood sexual abuse victim launches support group
A Windsor woman who was the victim of childhood sexual abuse at the hands of a Catholic priest in the late 1970s is set to open a local chapter of a global organization dedicated to helping others who suffered the same fate.
Brenda Brunelle, who alleged she was abused by Rev. Michael Fallona, sued the church for $3 million three years ago and settled out of court in July.
Now she wants to offer a venue for others to find support and heal.
Brunelle has been given approval to open a Windsor chapter of the Survivours Network of those Abused by Priests — a Chicago-based organization founded in 1988. It has 60 chapters worldwide, mostly in the U.S.
“I feel with my matter resolved, I wanted to give back in some way for all the support I received over the years,” she said. “There really is no place for survivors to gather and support one another despite the high number of complaints and allegations made against the church.
“It would have been nice for me to have a support group to attend. I often wished there was such a group. As loving and supportive as my family and friends have been, it would have been nice to be with pe...
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director