In accordance with Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (SAAPM), Team Tobyhanna recently welcomed author and motivational speaker Clark Fredericks to Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) on Tuesday, April 2, for a presentation on trauma and redemption. He is the latest in an annual series of SAAPM speakers, reaffirming the depot’s commitment toward maintaining a safe and healthy working environment in which all members of Team Tobyhanna can thrive.
Fredericks’ presentation, titled “A Male Perspective,” is one of tragedy, overcoming abuse, healing, and inspiration. Whilst growing up in the quiet town of Stillwater, New Jersey, a sexual predator began grooming him at age seven for what became five years of mental and sexual abuse. After many years he sought revenge on his abuser, so he hunted him down and took his life.
Fredericks would go on to serve time in state prison where he entered a pilot therapy program and began to turn his life around. Through his use of speech, social media, and writing books, he has used his story of overcoming childhood molestation as a vehicle to encourage victims of sexual assault to end their silence, move out of the darkness of abuse and into the light of healing.
Ricardo Horn, who serves as Chief of the Employee Wellness Center (EWC), said that it was important to build upon the strong base his team set when they brought in a speaker for last year’s SAAPM.
“With a commitment to excellence we challenged ourselves to build on that high bar we set for ourselves last SAAPM,” said Horn. “From sexual assault to substance use to suicide, Clark’s story captures every element of our Employee Wellness Center’s prevention efforts.”
Jaime Shields, who serves as a Community Support Advocate within the EWC, echoed Horn’s sentiment.
“A mentor once told me to always have courage in your convictions and to have the confidence to do what is right even when other people may not agree or approve. We wanted to find a speaker whose story would leave an impact on the organization and push the envelope on how we have tried to raise awareness about the Sexual Harassment/Assault Response Program (SHARP), Army Substance Abuse Program, and Suicide Prevention,” said Shields. “Clark’s powerful message about surviving trauma, recovering from darkness, and emerging into light resonates with our mission to take care of our people and community.”
In the years following his release, Fredericks helped spearhead a movement to change the Statute of Limitations Laws in the state of New Jersey, which now allows victims of sexual abuse civil to seek recourse beyond the previous two-year window. He says he has no plans to end his crusade for victims and hopes to start conversations about this epidemic, which effects children across the country.
Horn added that he believes hearing stories such as the one detailed in “A Male Perspective” will help end some of the stigma associated with it and hopes it inspires members of Team Tobyhanna to come forward with any issues they may be facing.
“Clark’s authenticity is captivating and helps us connect with topics that are all too often ignored or dismissed due to the stigma and shame they are associated with,” said Horn. “We hope that in hearing Clark’s message of recovery and redemption, Tobyhanna employees reach out for help knowing that change is possible.”
TYAD employees in need of assistance with challenges they may be struggling with can contact the EWC at 570-615-8873 or AMC-CECOM-TYAD-EWC@army.mil to schedule a confidential appointment. Employees can also fill out this appointment request form https://forms.osi.apps.mil/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=D9fm-kuVEUiStgUw1vhMQyM3PGjIID9JvWTrV5xHm1RUMTM2MzRQR0RNNFUxWFpYMzNaU0gyRUhORyQlQCN0PWcu.
Clark Fredericks’ presentation and the SHARP program are TOBY2035 initiatives aligned with the Invest in Our People and Shape the Future lines of effort. The plan, which has two additional focus areas, strives to position Tobyhanna for success in the coming years as the Department of Defense's premier worldwide C5ISR readiness provider.
Tobyhanna Army Depot is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C5ISR) systems across the Department of Defense. Tobyhanna’s Corporate Philosophy, dedicated work force and electronics expertise ensure the depot is the Joint C5ISR provider of choice for all branches of the Armed Forces and industry partners.
Tobyhanna’s unparalleled capabilities include full-spectrum logistics support for sustainment, overhaul and repair, fabrication and manufacturing, engineering design and development, systems integration, post production software support, technology insertion, modification, foreign military sales and global field support to our joint warfighters.
About 3,100 personnel are employed at Tobyhanna, located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command. Headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, the command’s mission is to empower the Soldier with winning C5ISR capabilities.
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