Annie Warmke (Candice Slaughter Warmke): Experience
- Jul 12
- 12 min read
(“I” denotes a focus on intersectionality with violence, poverty and bigotry/racism as an active part of the goal/process)
In the months following seeking shelter at My Sister's Place in Athens OH Annie started a support group for battered women because she recognized the importance of story sharing and that this was the key for her to not go back. She created a plan to save the shelter financially and garner new volunteers, and then served on the board to represent formerly battered women until she graduated from Ohio University and moved to FL where she founded two shelters. She was able to raise enough money with her story to keep My Sister's Place open.
Founding director of The Salvation Army Spouse Abuse Shelter, Port Richey FL
Founding director of Sunrise Spouse Abuse Shelter, Dade City FL (now called “Sunrise of Pasco County”) The first few years there was no physical shelter. Private homes served as safe houses and the project trained volunteers with policies and training as if there was a physical shelter. The office was the car or the basement of a church.
I Pioneer with FCADV by bringing attention to the need for rural battered women by finding the funding and working to organize rural communities to create 19 volunteer safe house programs
I Created a summit for rural domestic violence projects to organize to develop strategies to gain access to FL's marriage license funding (eventually creating a formula to establish equity in the distribution of monies)
Worked with Rita Smith to rescue FCADV by writing and winning their first grant to create rural battered women safe houses and training volunteers as if they were actually working in a shelter but working from their own homes
Organized a sympathetic judge and sexual assault survivors gaining enough political clout to bring the sexual assault exam to rural Pasco County, then worked to change the law so that nurses could testify in court to avoid the lengthy delay (or even no trial) because medical doctors were the only ones legally allowed to testify and unwilling to travel 50 miles from St. Petersburg FL.
Created the FCADV battered and formerly battered women's task force
I After receiving a letter from a woman in prison serving time for murder; founded the FCADV Women in Prison Committee to work towards preventing battered women from being indicted by developing a FL clemency project to win the release of women who had killed in self-defense and introduce the concept of the “battered woman's syndrome” as a defense.
I Used the Women in Prison Committee to organize formerly incarcerated and battered women by teaching them how to create and host a news conference to win the review of the women in prison's cases (created totally unique press conferences across all the major cities of FL to shake up the governor by convincing him there was great support for the issue)
I Showed up at the governor's mansion for a dinner of private foundation directors (just been appointed the director of the newly formed FL Women's Foundation) to publicly ask what he intended to do to review the wrongly incarcerated women (almost got fired before beginning work). This brought the issue to the attention of Robin Hassler, a public policy attorney for the governor and she helped push the topic the following Monday. That was the beginning of the effort to win the release of women who had killed in self-defense but were convicted of murder.
Organized hearings in Florida women's prisons, bringing together a variety of groups that had not worked together in the past, including the state junior league, the National Rifle Assoc. (They wrote a letter to the governor), many statewide women’s church groups, FL Junior League, and public policy people from the governor’s office. The public telling of their stories gave women a voice to share the atrocity of their lives since virtually 100% of them had plea bargained and did not have the right to appeal.
With help of generous wealthy donors brought women in prison's families to the cabinet hearings, and coached them with a dress rehearsal which gave them a voice to defend their loved one since there had been no day in court. (Raised money for transportation and housing for the families and volunteers to assist with the hearings and the news conferences.)
Brought Jerry Springer (before he lost credibility) to a women's prison with the women as the audience and key women telling their stories for the show. The prison warden was fired the next day but the show helped to “push” the governor and cabinet closer to considering our recommendations for a review committee to be established to look at cases.
I Governor gave free access to women's prisons to identify and assist women who wanted to apply for clemency review
I Created a Women in Prison Summit by convincing the secretary of prisons to address the many issues uncovered (i.e. Lack of job training, literacy, etc.) through organizing the formerly battered women seeking clemency. Brought Baptist Women, NRA, Women's Clubs, formerly battered women, formerly imprisoned women, and attorneys to participate issuing a final report at the end.
Worked with the FL Bar Assoc. to find pro bono attorneys to take on the cases. After four years they gave $1 million dollars to fund attorney fees for clemency for battered women.
Gained access to three law schools to teach a class on clemency (not taught in law school) and get students to volunteer to take on cases in teams of two or three. This turned out to be quite controversial but gained a lot of needed assistance and created some articles in the FL Law Journal.
Wrote the initial clemency petition, and co-authored the portion of the petition needed for the second hearing.
Created a process to circumvent the law (not an attorney applying on behalf of the women for clemency) that engaged video students to interview witnesses and family members that were involved in one of the 17 cases. The video was hand delivered to the secretaries of the cabinet and governor along with a six pack of Pepsi and a packet of microwave popcorn. This created a reciprocity situation where the secretaries felt compelled to look at the video and then they just couldn't help but talk about it. This brought a lot of awareness about the cases to the people making the decisions.
Through a sympathetic judge got invited to speak at the annual FL judge’s conference to the wives of the judges. Started the talk by saying that it was clear that none of the women's husbands could possibly have been so gender biased as to do the things that were about to be described. The stories of some of the 17 women applying for clemency were a part of the presentation and those stories brought a lot of bedroom conversation afterward.
Convinced Secretary of Agriculture and Secretary of Education (got her to visit, which was unheard of) to support clemency for the first woman that applied with the Women in Prison Committee's help – Kimberly Bliss Soubielle.
Gained clemency for Kimberly Soubielle and then for 16 more women.
Helped gain access to women's prisons by a dance group to help women heal through their art (eventually some women were allowed to participate in a professional dance company in Tampa FL).
Took WPPF major donors to visit women in prison's dance program at the high security prison and the women donors danced with the women.
I Resigned as head of the Women in Prison Committee (after 4 years of volunteering) to begin to focus on the whole picture of violence in the culture, exploring the realization that peace at home could not happen in isolation of the rest of the culture.
I Created and led the Working Woman's Think Tank to explore how family violence intersected in all aspects of society.
I brought college-age Muslim women to school after 9/11 to show what everyone had in common.
I Founded, with Diane McCabe Vaughan, the Women's Peacepower Foundation to support women in their efforts to create social change for women and their families – cash awards given at places of employment to acknowledge publicly women risking many aspects of their lives to make social change for women and their families plus media awards and small grants to non-profits.
I Organized women in battered women leadership in US to travel and learn from women in other countries with a goal to move away from the US model of build it and they will come to going to where women lived and worked – Costa Rica, China, Russia, Ireland, England.
I Wrote a column for Gannett Publications on Life in a Small Town (while living in Europe) to promote the concept that globally people want peace (during the second war in Iraq). The weekly column of 600 words eventually began to appear online and caused weekly letters to the editor arguing for and against what was written. There was no way to know what was happening until returning to the US and learning that the goal had been reached.
I Abused Woman French website, SOS FEMMES: translated with Nathalie Level prostitute's health and safety manual “The Little Blue Book” En particulier, les femmes sont victimes d'innombrables formes de violence. ... Nathalie Level et Annie Warmke, qui ont traduit en anglais le Petit Livret Bleu
I Created Blue Rock Station, a working farm (built the first Earthship east of the Mississippi) that sponsors workshops and events to promote ways to thrive through resiliency and sustainable practices. Have hosted over 80 interns to bring together a diverse group of young people to experience living in community with each other in a more sustainable way.
I Created Blue Rock Station LLC in 2003 (with husband Jay Warmke) as a way to promote resiliency and sustainable living
I Founded the Women's Information Network (now called “Women's Initiative Network) to continue working on building ways to help women learn to thrive. The group has given small grants and occasionally issues a “YOU INSPIRE US” certificate with a necklace and a small monetary check to a woman or girl who has taken risks to create social change.
I Created and got funding for RESPONSE Mental Health, Zanesville OH to bring rural abused women to Blue Rock Station to connect with formerly battered women through harvesting and preparing healthy food, and then eating it together at a table to talk about thriving.
I Annually create a Women's History Library Exhibit at local main library and their branches to address issues related to access to violence against women services (in a subtle way to avoid getting kicked out) and promoting ways women can thrive through services like job training, opportunities in the area for expanding confidence.
I Created Women Grow Ohio and Buffalo Gals Voices (with Carie Starr) to organize farm women to build confidence and learn how to make a living
I Returned to the Women's Peacepower Foundation as co-leader to create a project and book on Accidental Activism: Ways to say “Hell No” by showcasing how former WPPF award recipients have thrived.
I Founded the League of Extraordinary Girl Scientists (LEGS) at Philo Junior High School to provide opportunities for junior high school girls to learn about science and math from other women professionals - wrote grants and gathered resources to create a science lab for LEGS (there were no microscopes in the school until Blue Rock Station bought one for LEGS, and then AEP donated one from one of their labs)
I Founded, in partnership with other women, the Southeastern Ohio Women & Girls Funding Network to raise funds and awareness in the areas of leadership and opportunity. Held donor development and board trainings for women-run non-profits.
Founded, in partnership with other individuals, Ohio Green Living, an organization designed to bring together businesses and organizations to promote sustainable living in Ohio.
I Created Women's Leadership Series at Blue Rock Station: i.e.: Bodacious Woman, Women in Engineering, 12 Ways to Thrive After the Abuse
I Provided marketing and writing of the Miriam Vargas story plus providing various organizing strategies. She and her young daughters went into sanctuary to avoid being deported for being without papers. (She was able to go home February 23, 2021 after 1000 days in sanctuary)
I Created and produced women in farming and agriculture podcasts and webinars (with Carie Starr) that focused on making a living, building confidence, leadership, access to power etc.
Speaking Tours
Oregon Tour – Sponsored by University of Oregon, Eugene
Moscow Russia to Berlin Germany – Speaking on organizing to end family violence
Beijing China – UN Women’s Forum
Women’s Tour – International Women’s Congress and gatherings held in Costa Rica and Nicaragua
Learning to Lead - England
Women Grow Ohio Farm Tour – Setting the Course to Make a Living
Ten Ways to Thrive After Surviving – Facebook Live Muskingum County Library System
Keynote speaker (sampling)
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence – National Conference
Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence – Statewide Conference
New York Women in Prison Conference – Statewide Conference
Minnesota Conference on Batterer’s Intervention
Mansfield Chamber of Commerce Special Projects
Consultant to the organizing of the National Domestic Violence Hotline and introduced Pres. Bill Clinton at the unveiling of the service
Girls Inc. – National Conference
Tiger Bay Club – St. Petersburg, FL
Women as Activists – University of Oregon
Why We Are Called to Be Activists – Regional Unitarian Meeting, VT
Sustainable Communities Initiatives – Marketing – Fife, Scotland
Women’s International Congress – Costa Rica – Ending Family Violence
Women as Leaders – various locations around the US and Europe
Women Grow Ohio – Frugal Marketing/Learning to Leadership
Rural Action Annual Meal – Giving from our Hearts
New York Women in Prison – Clemency as a Tool to Social Change for Women
Women, Food and Agriculture Network – Self-Care as a Confidence Building Tool
Various locations: Learning to Thrive After Surviving
Simply Living Annual Meeting: Where I've Come From
Workshop Presenter (sampling)
Various locations – Marketing for Micro-tourism in Ohio
Various locations – Raising One Money One Donor at a Time
University of FL Law School – How Does Clemency Really Work?
Dade City FL Chamber of Commerce Annual Retreat
Women in Leadership Fall Workshops – Clearwater, FL
UN Women’s Forum – China – Social Change through ending Family Violence
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence – numerous conferences
Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence – numerous conferences
YWCA Clearwater FL Spring Conference
Ohio University – Bringing Women to the Agriculture Table
Women's Initiative Network/Muskingum County Community – Learning to Lead with Social Change
Muskingum County Community – Creating a Successful Non-profit Board
Various locations: Learning to Thrive After Surviving
Awards
Melitta Award for Business Woman of the Year for the development of non-profits that helped women and girls, but also because she “ran her non-profit foundation as if it were a business”.
JC Penney Award
The Giraffe Award for sticking her neck out for battered women (www.giraffe.org)
YWCA Woman of the Year
The Battered Women’s Coalition Everyday Woman Award – two years in a row
The first Florida Governor’s Peace at Home Award
Tiger Bay Club Award for impacting public policy
Annie's Award for work with battered women – (named after Annie Warmke) RESPONSE Mental Health Services Muskingum Co.
Sustainability Livelihood Award – Rural Action
First Carol Kuhre Award for Community Engagement
Publications
Authored the 1980's FL Supreme Court's Commission Gender Bias Commission's Domestic Violence portion of their report
Train the Trainers: An American Style Approach; Women's Peacepower Foundation. A workbook for non-profits co-authored with Diane McCabe Vaughan.
Batterer’s Project curriculum
AFTER THE PUMPKIN SHELL: STORIES OF HOW WOMEN THRIVE AFTER ABUSE
Articles for the FCADV and NCADV newsletters addressing survivor issues and intersectional issues related to violence against women
Women in Florida Prisons Summary Report – Parity with job training and other programs
SOS FEMMES Little Blue Book (French website): Health and Safety for Sex Workers with Nathalie Level
A workbook she co-authored for non-profits, “Train the Trainers: An American Style Approach”
WOMEN OF SPIRIT: a compilation of women's stories by Katherine Martin
JOURNEY TOWARD NOTHING: The story of Blue Rock Station and their Thanks for Nothing Season
NATURALLY HEALTHY GOAT REFERENCE GUIDE
THE BUSINESS OF GOAT HERDING (with Carie Starr)
Publications in Progress
ACCIDENTAL ACTIVISTS: WAYS FOR WOMEN TO SAY, “HELL NO! (with Diane McCabe Vaughan)
BUFFALO GALS VOICES: Learning to Take Life by the Horns (with Carie Starr)
Current Activities
Weekly podcast: When the Biomass Hits the Wind Turbine with Jay Warmke
Buffalo Gals Voices Face Book Live (Thursday at 9 ET with Carie Starr), spring and fall classes scheduled for teaching women in agriculture basic maintenance skills to build confidence. There is a hidden goal to discuss as women work to learn new skills, the issues of equity, violence against women, and ways to overcome some of the issues that surface. Working on the book BUFFALO GALS VOICES: Learning to Take Life by the Horns
Developing a women in solar project with Green Energy Ohio to provide information and learning opportunities on solar energy. There is a hidden goal to discuss as women work to learn new skills, the issues of equity, violence against women, and ways to overcome some of the issues that surface.
Women, Food and Agriculture Network SARE Grant Storytelling Project: Working with Carie Starr to tell the stories of five women in different states to demonstrate the obstacles, challenges and progress of each site. The stories will be used to help promote marketing tools for individual farms and for teaching how to use a story to market products and services.
Women's Peacepower Foundation (Co-leader); Facebook Live (Friday at 9 ET with Diane McCabe Vaughan) and working on the book ACCIDENTAL ACTIVISTS: WAYS FOR WOMEN TO SAY, “HELL NO!
Working with Green Energy Ohio to develop a project for women in the solar industry.
Early Career Media Sampling
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1993-03-11/news/9303100698_1_domestic-violence-hope-for-women-slaughter
http://www.naturallifemagazine.com/0712/Natural_Life_Interview_with_Annie_Warmke.htm
http://ruralaction.org/stories-and-news/zero-waste-champion-annie-warmke/http://steventurville.com/blue-rock-station
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0405/S00176/annie-warmke-longing-for-a-better-time-in-america.htm
http://www.cleveland.com/travel/index.ssf/2011/05/mud_trash_are_ohio_eco-homes_b.html
Updated Media Sampling
When the Biomass Hits the Wind Turbine podcast: Nationally syndicated through Pacifica Radio Network
When the Biomass Hits the Wind Turbine: Radio show originates through WOUB Radio
Bi-monthly newsletter: sent to 10,000 person mailing list to promote Blue Rock Station and Annie and Jay's activities
Buffalo Gals Voices Face Book Live: Thursdays 9:00 ET
Women's Peacepower Foundation Face Book Live: Thursdays 9:00 ET
Arriving at Blue Rock Station: WGRN Public Radio (live stream) or your favorite podcast app
Stories Annie Warmke wrote while living in Europe
Virtual Tour of Blue Rock Station and Interview with Annie and Jay Warmke; www.bluerockstation.com
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