- Q: What are Beauty for Ashes and Arrigah House?
- Q: What is the benefit of attending Beauty for Ashes and Arrigah House?
- Q: Why are Beauty for Ashes and Arrigah House important?
- Q: How can I become more involved?
- Q: How can I request a Beauty for Ashes or Arrigah House to come to my hometown/village?
- Q: What if I wanted to attend an event, but cannot afford to pay the $475 fee?
- Q: Do I still have to pay the $50 application fee if I am awarded a scholarship?
- Q: I want to attend but cannot pay for travel. Will a scholarship cover my travel to the event??
- Q: What does my $475 pay for?
- Q: I don’t feel like I have been a victim of abuse, but my friends and/or family have encouraged me to go. I thought you only dealt with issues of abuse?
- Q: What does a Beauty for Ashes or Arrigah House look like? What can I expect at the event?
- Q: I heard that FWWI was a faith-based program; can you explain that to me?
Q: What are Beauty for Ashes and Arrigah House?
A: Beauty for Ashes and Arrigah House are faith-based conferences designed to educate and train individuals on how to interact with, work with, and respond to those whose lives have been impacted by abuse, neglect, and / or domestic violence.
Q: What is the benefit of attending Beauty for Ashes and Arrigah House?
A: Those who attend Beauty for Ashes or Arrigah House:
- Are given tools to help understand how past harm plays into the current ways we relate to and interact with those around us
- Are taught how to walk alongside others who desire to resolve the pain and wounds of their past.
- Discover healthier ways of relating to and interacting with those they care about and / or come into contact with
- Learn new and improved coping skills to help manage stress, pain, disappointment, and hardships.
- Are taught how to safely enter conflict in such a way that invites healthier relationships and more meaningful and positive outcomes with others.
Q: Why are Beauty for Ashes and Arrigah House important?
A: As leaders in our homes, communities, and careers it is important that we understand the devastating and long-term impact that domestic violence, abuse, and neglect has on those who have experienced it or are currently experiencing it.
It is important that each person be aware of how these painful circumstances can negatively impact the way we currently relate to others and the way others relate to us.
When we are able to see each individual as a person of worth and dignity and treat them as such, then the result can have a profound impact that translates into healthier relationships at home, work, and throughout our communities.
Q: How can I become more involved?
A: FWWI has a series of training that begin with Beauty for Ashes and/or Arrigah House. For those interested in leading small groups, the process is as follows:
- Attend a minimum of two (2) Beauty for Ashes or Arrigah House events.
- Sign up for and attend Training the Trainers.
- Start a small group in your home community.
Q: How can I request a Beauty for Ashes or Arrigah House to come to my hometown/village?
A: There is a series of steps that can be taken if you are interested in requesting a Beauty for Ashes or Arrigah House in your area. These steps are important in preparing your community by setting up an existing network of trained leaders within your region. Download this pdf document for complete details. Steps to take when requesting FWWI to enter a village or community.
Q: What if I wanted to attend an event, but cannot afford to pay the $475 fee?
A: If you are interested in attending an event but cannot pay the $475 registration fee you can see if there are scholarships available by calling our main office at 729-5440 or the toll free line at 1-866-729-FWWI (3994). Upon your inquiry, we will send you a Financial Aid Request Form which you will have to complete and send to our office. Applications must be filled out completely and properly before making it to the review committee for consideration. According to the information you provide, you may be given a full scholarship, you may be given a partial scholarship, or you may not qualify for a scholarship. Also, it is not uncommon for churches, tribal organizations, or employers to sponsor an individuals the cost of the training. Please check with your local sources as a means of providing you a scholarship.
Q: Do I still have to pay the $50 application fee if I am awarded a scholarship?
A: All participants pay the $50 non-refundable application fee that cannot be covered by a scholarship.
Q: I want to attend but cannot pay for travel. Will a scholarship cover my travel to the event?
A: Scholarships are not intended to cover travel costs. If you cannot afford travel and would like to attend an event, please contact our office. There may be separate scholarships that can help pay for your travel.
Q: What does my $475 pay for?
A: The cost you pay for the event will go toward paying for:
- All Lodging
- All Catering
- All Training and Training Materials
This amount averages to less than half of the actual cost of the true per-person expense. FWWI will pay for the remaining fees on your behalf as a participant of our event.
Q: I don’t feel like I have been a victim of abuse, but my friends and/or family have encouraged me to go. I thought you only dealt with issues of abuse?
A: FWWI’s mission is to end domestic violence, abuse, and neglect in the State of Alaska and in doing so it provides a safe environment for those who have experienced any form of pain, disappointment, grief, or loss in their lives. Most lives have been impacted, in one way or another, by domestic violence, abuse, and neglect, whether indirectly or directly. Beauty for Ashes and Arrigah House events aim to educate the Alaskan Native community on the affects of abuse in their world, to enable communities to break the silence of abuse, and to teach people in the community how to respond in healthy ways to others who finally break the silence of their own stories. By connecting with your community in this way, and learning how to respond to those who are still healing from abuse, you will play a part in building healthier families and communities throughout our state.
Q: What does a Beauty for Ashes or Arrigah House look like? What can I expect at the event?
A: The following is information on the different events.
- Beauty for Ashes is 5 1/2 days long, Monday - Saturday.
- Arrigah House is 3 1/2 days long, Monday - Thursday
- Small Group Assignment: Each person will be assigned to a small group consisting of 6 – 8 people, two of whom will be your small group leaders.
- Event Kickoff – Eat with Small Group: At the start of the event, you will begin by eating lunch or dinner with your small group in order to meet your group and your group leaders. This will be the only time you are required to sit in a pre-designated place; all other meals have unassigned seating.
- Large Group Meetings: After you meet your small group, you will go into the large gathering room for the large group session. At the start of every large group session there is a short time of worship. In each large group you will hear several teaching topics in which the speaker will weave in personal stories that show how the topic has affected their lives and those in their community. There are approximately 4 large group meetings per day.
- Small Group Meetings: After the large group sessions you will then meet with your small group. At your first small group meeting you and your group will go over safety guidelines and confidentiality rules. These guidelines are necessary in creating a safe environment for you and your other group members. Small group is a place where you are encouraged to share your thoughts and experiences as they relate to the teaching topics. Your group leaders will be the first to share at the beginning of the week. There are approximately 4 small group meetings per day.
- Down time: There are breaks given throughout each day and, during a Beauty for Ashes, a 4 hour break given on Thursdays. We encourage participants to use the end of each day to relax, rejuvenate, exercise, and to get plenty of sleep. There will also be time in the schedule where you will be able to pick from a few organized activities like; beading, shopping, movie, etc. Or if you would like, you could take that time for your own personal relaxation.
- Celebration Dance: On the last night of each event there is a celebration dance where you can dance the night away. Everyone can join the fun and let their hair down – have you ever done the ‘funky chicken’, or ‘the electric slide’? This is a fun time to celebrate the end of the week and embrace ‘the kid in you’.
- Talking Circle: On the last day of the event, you will have a chance to share your experience of the event with the whole group that attended. It is a positive and powerful time of connecting and sharing the meaningful things that touched people’s hearts throughout the week.
Q: I heard that FWWI was a faith-based program; can you explain that to me?
A: Family Wellness Warriors Initiative is a faith-based initiative. What this means is that the curriculum that is taught during events uses biblical concepts and stories as a means of explaining and enhancing the teaching topics. FWWI is not a church and the program does not require a participant to practice any specific faith or to conform to any faith that they are not comfortable with. FWWI strongly believes that for a person to obtain a healthy balance in their life then a holistic healing approach that includes physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health must be pursued.