We’ve just wrapped up Sexual Assault Awarness Month and we had a chat with Desiree Bergman from NotMe CA about it. We discussed empowering women via increasing access to self-defense options.
April was Sexual Assault Awereness Month and in an effort to raise awareness about self-dfense options for women, Bearing Arms had a chance to connect with Desiree Bergman. Bergman is the program director of NotMe CA — a 501(c)(3) that runs NotMeSD, NotMeOC, and NotMeIE programs in California. Bergman is a firearms instructor, advocate, and activist. “Being a gun enthusiast is what I like to call us,” Bergman said. “Something (I’ve been) since I was very young.”
“Too many women in California feel vulnerable and alone when it comes to protecting themselves,” the NotMe CA webpage says. “Whether they’ve experienced abuse, face ongoing threats, or simply want to take control of their own safety, the path to responsible gun ownership can feel overwhelming, intimidating, and full of obstacles.”
Bergman is a life-long resident of California who grew up in the central part of the state. She said that her family used to vacation in the San Diego area when she was younger so they could visit her uncle who was stationed there in the Navy. “I decided that I wanted to make San Diego my permanent home,” Bergman confided. “So, I packed my bags and made the move to Southern California. And don't regret it, because it's beautiful down here.”
About seven years ago Bergman met San Diego County Gun Owners PAC Executive Director Michael Schwartz at a barbeque a friend took her to. “Hey, I've got this program where we're trying to help women,” Bergman said Schwartz told her. “Would you be interested in potentially helping out?” Bergman’s reply? “Yeah, that sounds great.” Now over six years later she’s played a pivotal role in promoting and running the programs, as well as being the spokeswoman.
Since the programs launched, Bergman said they’ve worked with more than 1,500 women. “We help women find an instructor, we help them pick out a firearm, and we also help them through the California concealed weapons permit process,” Bergman said. “We really kind of started our foundation as helping women who've been victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.”
Over the years there’s been an obvious shift in so-called gun culture. This isn’t something that Bergman is ignorant about, but has instead embraced through the programs.
“As you've kind of seen over time, there's been an evolution through the gun industry to where women just really want to learn how to shoot,” Bergman noted. “And so I would say, probably out of (those) 1,500 women, maybe one in three are some type of ‘victim,’ in a sense, but the rest of these women just come to us and … (want) to learn how to shoot.”
Most ladies don’t want to just listen to their boyfriend, she observed, but are looking for a community where they could connect. Bergman said that “we just want to learn how to protect ourselves” and that’s where they have women coming to them seeking answers.
One of the flagship events that NotMe CA hosts are their shooting socials. These are inexpensive events that get those new to shooting involved in a safe setting. Each shooter is paired with a mentor and they work with them through their first shots and throughout the event.
A recent success story Bergman talked about involved a participant who was “very timid” and “didn’t like to shoot.” Bergman said it was hard to introduce her to firearms, but it happened slowly over time. Eventually after working with Bergman’s team of volunteers, the “scared and timid” participant purchased her own firearm, started volunteering as an ambassador, and eventually moved on to becoming a mentor.
“I could just kind of see her excitement and everything develop,” Bergman said. “Now John, she's reaching out to me almost every month … saying ‘Desi, tap me in coach! I'm ready. I want to mentor.’ And so she's really kind of come full circle.”
Bergman wants the NotMe programs to be beneficial for every woman, even those who are apprehensive about firearms. “We really become a resource to help women empowerment,” Bergman noted. “When I say that self-defense isn't a one-size-fits-all tool and firearms isn't for everybody — we always talk about firearms are an equalizer for women — but we also want to help women have more tools in their tool belts … some women, they might not want to carry a firearm because it's too scary, but we want them to have something to protect themselves if an event comes up.”
In addition to educating on lethal hardware and lethal hardware use, Bergman said “we like to kind of talk about situational awareness.” They also teach pepper spray, and offer education about being more aware in different situations, which Bergman believes is paramount for women seeking help in hardening their lives.
Bergman takes pride in ensuring everyone who wishes to have access to these tools can. Let’s face it, some of the most vulnerable in our population don’t have the resources they need to become empowered. These things take time and cost money.
“I never want finance to be a reason why someone can't learn to protect themselves,” Bergman said. “A lot of the different courses that we do, from the pepper spray, situational awareness, to the firearm safety course, they typically are expensive. But I subsidize that cost a lot by working with different instructors around the county. So they're not (as) expensive.”
That’s where forming the non-profit NotMe CA came into play. The organization was formed to help fund those who can’t afford access. Through the tax-deductible donations to NotMe CA, scholarships to women who can’t afford training or the tools they need to protect themselves are available.
“There are other situations where women don't have the extra funding to go through the program and purchase a gun or to even learn how to train and that's where the scholarships come into play,” Bergman explained. “We want them to be able to go through the program, and so we kind of help with that cost.” Bergman added that just getting started and some receiving guidance is free, but committing to courses and hardware is “where you might incur a little bit of cost.”
San Diego County Gun Owners PAC, the organization responsible for creating and helping in supporting these programs has been around since 2015. As Bergman noted, Executive Director Michael Schwartz approached her about getting involved over a half-decade ago and as it goes, the rest is history.
“NotMe CA isn't just info on a pamphlet,” Schwartz told Bearing Arms, “we are preventing and stopping sexual assault and domestic violence against women by making sure women have the tools and knowledge they need to defend themselves.”
“Learn how to shoot, learn how to protect yourself, and that way, if an event does occur, you can do that, and you're not going to be the next victim,” Bergman concluded.
The work that NotMe CA and the regional programs do is an important public service. Bergman has put a lot of time, effort, and work into ensuring women can be empowered to protect themselves — regardless of socio-economic background. If you’d like to learn more about the NotMe programming and NotMe CA the non-profit organization, visit NotMeCa.org.
If you'd like to watch the full interview with Desiree Bergman, you can check it out HERE or in the embed below.
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