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About Us

OUR MISSION


This foundation was started to raise awareness on the subject of abuse and anti-bullying, giving individuals the tools to recognize and eliminate the culture of abuse and bullying. We will create symposiums and workshops to inform parents and guardians, teachers, coaches, and group leaders, along with others, on the subject of recognizing abuse, bullying prevention and anti – bullying methods using sensitivity training and role play. We will use trained individuals and organizations to facilitate lessons while working with various locations locally, nationwide and eventually worldwide, that require such assistance.




WHO WE ARE


BILLY THE BULL ANTI-BULLYING FOUNDATION is a 2014, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit foundation. Our focus is raising awareness through symposiums and workshops directed at parents, guardians, teachers, coaches, caretakers, community groups and group leaders, on the local, state, national and eventually international levels. Our goal is the eradication of bullying and abuse wherever it occurs, by empowering individuals with the necessary interpersonal tools, and providing effective contact information with government agencies and outreach programs. The Billy the Bull mascot shall serve as an accessible and non-threatening spokesperson that will carry the message from the oldest of our elderly to the youngest of our children. Billy the Bull will travel to various locations and meet with parents, students and teachers to create the connective component for the children to better understand and recognize Billy” as a symbol of a safe and trusted friend.


HOW CAN WE HELP? Our mission is twofold. Our organization will travel to schools, clubs, and geriatric facilities that are in need of intervention and awareness. Bullying and abuse are learned behaviors. By identifying the source of these behaviors in the bullies, we will work to replace these behaviors through demonstrations of compassion and forgiveness, promotions of empathy and sympathy, and the development of self-esteem, as low-self-esteem of the bully is often a core issue. We are currently gathering information on grants and hope to work with other like minded organizations to create our symposiums to further our mission. We would appreciate any and all assistance on ways to develop and build financial support from the public.


Our secondary focus is the safe distribution of Billy the Bulls material to the right people. Displaying a decal with Billy’s likeness on your car window, residence or business establishment clearly represents you are committed to stand up for AND assist another individual who is being subject to bullying. This means that whether it is a child or elderly
person that is being bullied, whether abused or otherwise needs the assistance of a competent adult, we will stand up and act. Displaying the Billy the Bull emblem creates a responsibility to assist in any way you can, including contacting available agencies to render their professional assistance. Those who display Billy the Bull will be given access to all of our organization’s resources, including our web site that will provide the resource lists of local agencies with contact information and locations for immediate assistance.





WHAT CAN TEACHERS DO?

• Reach out. Teach students to extend themselves and be a friend. There is safety in numbers. It’s rare for a popular kid to be bullied. Most kids get picked on because they don’t have any friends or anyone to stand up for them. When kids befriend someone being bullied, bullies are less likely to pick on them. Friendship can also provide children the support and the confidence to stand up for themselves. When more kids stand up to bullies, the bullies will be more likely to realize their actions are not okay.

• Speak up. Teach the students that it is okay to ask others to help. It is also important to speak up for others who are afraid to do it themselves. Silence engenders suffering.

• Get an adult. Kids who are bullied are often afraid to ask an adult for help because they think it will make the bullying worse. Kids can help by telling an adult what is happening, or going to speak to an adult with the kids being bullied.


*** Permission: Source National Crime Prevention Council: http://www.ncpc.org/about



WHAT CAN YOU DO?


Standing up to peers is a hard thing to do for people of all ages. But you can make it easier for kids by giving them the confidence and the support they need to do so. Here are some ways parents can help children develop these traits:

• Teach children to be assertive. Emphasize peaceful ways to solve problems and encourage kids to stand up for themselves verbally, not violently.

• Show kids safe ways to help others. Make it clear that you expect kids to take action if they see someone being hurt, or if they are hurt themselves.

• Hold kids accountable. If children stand by and watch someone being bullied, make it clear that their behavior hurts the victim too.

• Get to know their friends. Encourage your children to invite their friends to your home or accompany you on family outings.

• Be a good example. If you see someone being bullied or hurt, help them.

• Build empathy in your kids. If you see examples of people being bullied or hurt in movies, television, or books, talk with your children about how these people must feel. Ask your children how they would feel in that situation and what they would do to make it better. Point out ways characters helped out, or didn’t, and have your children think up different ways to help.

• Help them develop social skills. From a young age, encourage your children to play with others and to be friends with many different people. Have them spend time with people of different ages, backgrounds, races, ethnicities, religions, and mental and physical abilities.


*** Permission: Source National Crime Prevention Council: https://www.ncpc.org/about-ncpc






About the Founder

Helen LaLousis


“A light worker walking this planet co-creating
with the Divine for the greater good of all.”


At a very young age, Helen realized that her life’s work would be heavily influenced by her natural curiosity and passion to improve her world. She has focused her life’s purpose on finding various creative ways to help others. Her determination to “waken” souls by creating, cutting edge, forward thinking, sometimes disturbing programming, resulted in the launch of FaceOFF Productions, a boutique production company in New York. “Programming created to inspire the recognition of human achievement.”


An advocate for the underdog, Helen’s work and personal belief of bringing a voice to the voiceless and great passion to reinspire the “just” in “justice” has brought her closer to focus on subjects near and dear to her heart. Her desire to bring greater awareness to this issue led to the development of a nationally recognized symbol against bullying; Billy the Bull. Her thought was to create a symbol that, when displayed by someone on their car or their front door, would identify that person as a champion against bullying and an immediate safe haven for those who are bullied.


In 2014, Helen founded the Billy the Bull Foundation, a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. Bullying behavior is not new. Her vivid memories from elementary school of the relentless persecution some of classmates visited on a girl in her class who was overweight fueled her desire to bring awareness to the epidemic of bullying in our society. Teaching children to recognize and respond to bullying behavior in an effective way is the first step in creating a culture of inclusion and acceptance. Billy represents the trusted friend who lends his power to the support of the vulnerable. He fights the good fight.


Bullying is a learned behavior, but a change in thinking and behavior can be positively impacted through both classroom learning and role play activity. The years to follow would be marked by countless hours of collaboration with others involved in education and childhood development. What evolved is a teaching tool that can be utilized by educators to make learning new behaviors interesting and fun. The workbook is intended to emphasize the impact of bullying on the most vulnerable young children. The work book/book is ideal for early education, children in kindergarten through third grade and provides clear and consistent learning goals to help prepare students for life.


Helen’s current life has always been a frequent reflection of events, relationships and memories of her childhood. She was very connected to her maternal grandmother (yaya or yiayia) Eleni (Greek for Helen). She was a highly religious and Spiritual soul and prayed throughout the day and evening. Helen spent a majority of her younger life in her grandma’s home watching and learning from her. Her grandmother taught her to recognize the healing properties of various plants and herbs growing in her garden. Her yiayia was a fundamental influence on who Helen is today.


Helen found that her grandmother’s recipes lived on through her and that sharing them brought relief to other’s. “If they worked for me, perhaps I can find a way to bring them to market in a simple way to help others heal themselves:” It was through early introduction to plant and herbal therapy and holistic approaches to healing that the foundation for the creation of Simply Sacred Oils was created. A simple, practical way to bring the healing benefits of crystals, essential oils and aromatherapy into the lives of others.