Teachers Use Sudden Wealth and iPhone Giveaway for Domestic Violence Prevention

Grass Valley, CA, July 12, 2007 --(PR.com)-- Two teachers whose training software recently sold to a Bay Area, California company for $2 million, will use the money for an innovative approach to address domestic violence. Byron Turner and Alli Minch, public school teachers in northern California, created a nonprofit organization, Created Equal, in 1999. In 2006, Created Equal released a cross platform computer training system. The system, TeachMac for Mac users and TeachIT for Windows users, allows nearly anyone to create trainings and sell them online. With the recent sale, the couple could claim $1 Million in back salary, but instead are offering it up to match donations to help women and children escape domestic violence.

"Several years ago, we were granted a salary, but there just wasn't any money to pay us. Now that there is money, we decided to do something important," says Turner. The estimated cost of the project is $3 Million, so the couple decided to try to raise the balance of the cost by donating their own back salary as a matching grant. "Our hope is others will see this effort as important enough to contribute $10."

The Oasis Project is a community centered around recovery from violence. In addition to housing, the Oasis Project will provide counseling, a school particularly sensitive to the needs of children traumatized by violence, continuing education for the parents including college level courses, and medical and legal aid. "We think this is a needed approach to interrupting the cycle of violence," says Minch. "We've both been involved with domestic violence shelters, and think they are very valuable, but there are cases where the services provided by a traditional shelter are not enough," explains Minch. "The Oasis Project will be able to provide the time, and the support, necessary to help victims of domestic violence make a real and permanent change in their lives."

To draw attention to this effort, the couple is offering up an iPhone to contributors and well wishers alike."Our goal is to save lives, so of course we're hoping for contributions, but statements of support will enter people in the drawing for the iPhone," says Turner.

To contribute to the Oasis Project or more information, follow the links from one the couple's computer education sites, www.teachmac.com or www.teachitpc.com.

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