Mexico--SNAP has not changed its position on working with the Church
For immediate release June 13, 2018
Statement by Tim Lennon, Volunteer President of the Board of Directors of SNAP, the Survivors Network (415-312-5820, [email protected])
There has been some recent media coverage regarding a new alliance between “SNAPMexico” and the Catholic Church in that country.
SNAP has traditionally declined to partner with the Church hierarchy due to its historic and systematic cover up of clergy sexual abuse. We have not changed that position, and this press announcement never came through our organization headquarters in St. Louis.
There was a connection between Joaquin Aguilar and SNAP in the past. In fact, at one time he was listed on our website as a SNAP leader in Mexico. However, SNAP Mexico was removed from our online contact list some time ago. Until the articles began to appear this week, we were unaware that there was any group operating under that name.
We welcome all efforts of those who are working to help and support victims of clergy sexual abuse, and wish Mr. Aguilar well in his endeavors to make things better for Mexican survivors. But we need to clarify that no one should anticipate that we will be following suit. We plan to continue as we have for the past thirty years.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, is the world's oldest and largest support group for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 25,000 supporters. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact - Tim Lennon (415-312-5820,[email protected]), Becky Ianni (703-801-6044,[email protected]), Melanie Sakoda (925-708-6175, [email protected])
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
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