2010 Year In Review

[As the year comes to a close, we take a look back at what we've accomplished]


Cats love bread and chocolate!

Celebrate Love – A New Beginnings Fundraiser at the Theo Chocolate Factory
On February 10th, New Beginnings donors and supporters converged upon the Theo Chocolate Factory in Fremont to celebrate loving relationships with stories, wine and of course, chocolate! Just as we work so diligently as a community to end domestic violence, it is also important to recognize healthy and positive relationships.

New Beginnings' Board Member Nancy Slater and Program Assistant Kat Wong stop for a picture.

King County Lobby Day
On February 4th, eight New Beginnings staff, five board members and two courageous program participants devoted their day to advocating on behalf of victims of domestic violence.

Gift Wrapping Like Crazy

[Dress Barn!]

Probably the biggest gift of the night to wrap: laptop station

A big shout-out to everyone who stopped by our table at the West Seattle B&N to get their gifts wrapped. Yes, even the folks who came with gifts from neighboring businesses! We raised close to $180 in one day and we couldn't have done it without our volunteers Ally and Andrew as well as our NB staff Leeza, Richard and Sara P.

November Volunteer of the Month - Shelley McIntyre!

[I'm pretty sure Dr. Pepper was a dentist]

We're very proud to announce the November Volunteer of the Month - Shelley McIntyre! Shelley has been with New Beginnings since January of 2010 and here's what our staff had to say about her:

"I can count on Shelley to do everything from answer the crisis line, take residents to the pantry or clothing room, organize and restock our linens and toiletries, and work with residents as a second advocate. She doesn't shy away from anything...Shelley brings a freshness with her, and always has myself and the residents smiling. She has been such an asset to our shelter program, and I am so grateful to have her! I can't think of a better volunteer for the month!"

We had a chance to chat with Shelley after presenting her with the award:

Q: Who are you and what do you do (outside of New Beginnings)?
A: I'm a daughter/sister/auntie/friend who has lived in Seattle for 15 years. By day I'm a project manager for a mobile ad agency, and I also do some voice acting. I like seeing music and theater shows, spending time with friends, traveling, and writing.

Q: Is there a memorable experience you can share from your time volunteering at shelter?
A: Most of the memorable experiences at the shelter come when I wrangle multiple toddlers at once--those are workout nights for sure. Also memorable was the night that I primed the shelter office by myself. I couldn't lift my arms the next day.

Cascadia Social Justice Fair

[Extra extra]

A big, big thank you to students Alexis, Ashleigh, Bobbie, Mallory and Rania (not in order) from Cascadia Community College who partnered with us and presented on domestic violence as part of their class Social Justice Project. Not only did they collect food, clothing and school donations to give to our families, they also educated their fellow classmates and community at large. They did a wonderful job and we're always happy to team up with individuals, groups and agencies to end domestic violence.

Live (tomorrow) from Cascadia Community College!

[Depends what you use the brick for]



Hey folks, we'll be at Cascadia Community College tomorrow as part of their 1st annual Social Justice Fair from 9-11am. We were contacted by a group of students as their chosen topic was domestic violence so we'll have our posters, brochures and flyers in tow to talk to the people!

Spotted In The Wild! - Barnes & Noble

[Leave your Kindles at home]

New Beginnings Children's Advocate/volunteer blog correspondent  Emily H. spotted this at the West Seattle B&N where we'll be at on the 16th from 2-10pm wrapping gifts. Nice of them to also do a book drive for us!

See anything New Beginnings related when you're on the street? Email me and i'll post it up!

Volunteer Training - Active Listening/Effective Listening

[Boom]

Hey volunteers, we have a training coming up on Tuesday December 14th, 2010 from 9am-11:15pm about Active Listening/Effective Listening by Dana Lockhart from the Seattle Victim Support Team!

The second Tuesday of every month, we hold an all-staff meeting and the first part of that is devoted to offering trainings to staff and volunteers to expand our knowledge as advocates. Whether you volunteer on the Help Line, at our Shelter or work with our children's groups, the extra training really adds to the service you're able to provide in any setting. A light breakfast will be available!

Please let me know in the comments or via email if you'd like to come to this training!

Holiday Gift Wrapping Fundraising Night at West Seattle Barnes & Noble

[Hey y'all, it's Ruby]



Tis the season and on December 16th from 2-10pm, we'll be at the West Seattle Barnes & Noble (2600 SW Barton St) wrapping gifts for shoppers and in exchange, shoppers are encouraged to donate to the charity of the day--and that charity will be New Beginnings! We'll also have a table set up with our brochures and information so we'll get to spread the word in the process.

We're going to split up the shifts as follow as we need two people each shift! Post in the comments if you'd like to help out and when you're available!

2-4pm
Volunteer: Leeza
Volunteer: Andrew

4-6pm
Volunteer: Sara P.
Volunteer: Leeza

6-8pm
Volunteer: Luke
Volunteer: Richard/Ally

8-10pm
Volunteer: Luke
Volunteer: Richard/Ally

Giving Fair

[We're live at the medieval jousting tournament!]

Hey folks, we were part of the Greenwood Senior Center's Giving Fair this past Saturday and there was a pretty good turnout of people eager to support non-profit organizations in Seattle. In a lot of ways, it's like being a booth at a career fair in some high school. We're there to spread awareness, garner support and engage people to become involved. As always, our official "New Beginnings" pens and post-it notes were a big hit. Unfortunately, our immensely popular "STOP Domestic Violence" pins were completey out of stock.    



"Hmm, I'm not sure who to donate to..."

Shoutout to volunteer Emily (above) and Carly (not pictured) for helping out!

"It's out the door and then to your left."


Remember it's never to late to support New Beginnings and the work that we do. A dollar or 500 dollars, every amount helps!

October Volunteer of the Month! - Barb Libbey

[Circle gets the square!]

Barb!

We're proud to announce the October Volunteer of the Month: Barb Libbey! Barb has volunteered with our development team for over a year and here's what some of  our staff had to say about her:

"Barb is compassionate, kind and a hard worker. She is consistent, arrives when scheduled and is up for any task that needs doing. Aside from her hard work, she is incredibly thoughtful, often asking staff members about what is going on in their lives with genuine interest. Barb arrives with a smile on her face and lights up the office. She is a real delight to work with."

"She has a firm grasp of the work we hope to accomplish and is able take a project from start to finish on her own. She understands how our database works and is able to trouble shoot. Barb is close to our mission; every holiday she is part of a group that makes fleece blankets to give to our shelter. The residents just love them. Thanks Barb! We could not do it without you."

We had a chance to chat with Barb after presenting her with her award!

Fall 2010 Potluck Sign Up!

[Chips and salsa? Check.]

Another DV Volunteer training has come to an end and to top it all off, we're going to have a good old fashioned potluck. Bring whatever you want (no alcohol please). If you're going to bring something, please add that in the comments so other can see (remember, there's nothing worse than a potluck with only soda and paper plates). Having trouble commenting? Read our FAQ section at the top.

Shelter Volunteers - A Typical Shift

[New Beginnings "Did You Know?" Trivia Below!]

One thing you might now know about New Beginnings is that we started as one small emergency shelter back in the mid 70's. In many ways it is the center of the domestic violence work that we do and it's one of the most important services we provide. Our volunteers play a big role in that and we wanted to give you an inside scoop as to what volunteering at the shelter looks like. We asked one of our veteran shelter volunteers, Shelley M., to give us the details. Here's what she had to say!

Volunteering at the shelter – a typical shift

Shelley M!

Once a week I volunteer at the New Beginnings confidential emergency shelter.

My shift is 6pm – 10pm, which means that day staff is gone and the crisis line rings over to the shelter.* I usually work alongside Astrid (shelter advocate) or one of the relief workers.**
The only consistent thing that happens during my shift is that I get hungry around 7:30. Aside from that, activities can include some or all of the following:

New Beginnings on Project Empowerment

[Backstage passes to the 97th caller!]

Last Wednesday, New Beginnings was on the Project Empowerment radio show hosted by Kathleen M. Schmidt! A big shout out to Kathleen for all the great work she's doing and for giving New Beginnings a platform to speak about domestic violence and our services. I encourage you to check out her blog and book!

You can check out the full episode here. Please excuse my monotone voice and what seems like my slightly delayed responses as if I'm calling in from Germany. Kathleen and I were in the same time zone, I believe, but for some reason my phone was a bit laggy. Curses, T-Mobile, curses!

Univ. of Washington Memorial Walk 2010

[Note: pictures may not be in exact order]



Hey folks, on October 27th at noon we were on hand for the 1st UW Memorial Walk for victims of domestic violence. It was a powerful event and we snapped up a few photos in case you missed it. A big thank you to the Sexual Assault & Relationship Violence Information Service (SARIS) at the UW, the UW Police Department, Michele Puckhaber who compiled the stories below and everyone who came out in support.

The six students/staff/faculty we remembered:


April 2, 2007- Rebecca Griego, 26  - Gould Hall

"Rebecca was a program coordinator at the college of Architecture and Urban Planning. On April 2, 2007, her ex-boyfriend, Jonathan Rowan walked into her fourth floor office and shot Rebecca and then shot and killed himself. Rebecca had been stalked by Jonathan for months before her slaying. She had taken actions to protect herself from Jonathan including obtaining a Domestic Violence Protection Order, moving from her apartment and changing her phone number."

Facebook Milestone - We reach 1000 fans, I mean, "Likes"

[If you wanted to invent Facebook, you would've invented Facebook!]

New Beginnings reached the big 1000 in Facebook fans/followers/likes-people. It's a big number and we are very fortunate to have such a large network of supporters. For such a milestone, we wanted to know more about the person behind the number! Staff, friend, family, volunteer, donor, concern citizen? Find out as we sat down with the 1000th "fan" and got to know more:

Here's Monica (right) with her mom!

My Name: Monica Brothers

Clothesline Project! - Shoreline Community College Edition

["Is there a...Loon...Loontjens...Lois...Loontjens still there? She was President when I audited you guys a while back..."]

Hey folks, we were at Shoreline Community College's Clothesline Exhibit this past Friday for a few hours and we snapped up some shots in case you couldn't make it. Each Clothesline event we've been to has really been powerful to see. I think one of the things that stands out is when people walk by and ask if this is some traveling exhibit. When we tell them that they are shirts made by students/faculty/staff at this school, they are always shocked. Domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse are things that people don't want to believe happens here or happens to people they see walking around campus. One of the things that the Clothesline project really reveals is that truth and I'm glad that it does.

Spotted In The Wild!

[The things you see when shopping for rug-cleaner on a Wednesday night...]

Our "End Domestic Violence" poster spotted at the Northgate Target. Though I frequent this establishment, it wasn't me who posted this. Thanks to whoever did!  

Volunteer Newsletter

[The 3-2 pitch...]



Clothesline Project!
On Wednesday October 20th from 10:30am-2pm New Beginnings will be at North Seattle Community College hosting an information booth! We’ll be part of a special on-campus event called the Clothesline project which speaks specifically to raising awareness about DV. If you’re not familiar with the project, read more here! Stop by if you’re in the neighborhood at the Baxter Events Center!

AND we’ll be at Shoreline Community College on Friday October 22nd from 11am-2pm as part of their Clothesline project at the PUB Lobby-9000 Bldg.

We’re always looking for volunteers to help us staff the information booth so let me know if you can!

September Volunteer of the Month! - Nikki Cain

[100 people surveyed top 5 answers on the board...]
A big congrats to our September Volunteer of the Month - Nikki Cain!

Here's what our staff had to say about Nikki:

"Nikki has been volunteering with New Beginnings at the DV Family Law Clinic since Summer 2008. Nikki volunteers about twice each month and has eagerly volunteered to take on additional responsibilities."


"Nikki creates a welcoming environment, helping to put survivors at ease as they finalize their key questions for the volunteer attorney. Nikki is always eager and willing to contribute in whatever way she can -- whether it be spending extra time with a survivor who needs her listening ears to help sort through the relevant points to share with the attorney or using her tech savvy to address a computer problem."

We had a chance to chat with Nikki after presenting her with the award!

##

Q: Who are you and what do you do?
A: I am a feminist and a partner and a new puppy mama and a fierce advocate for social justice. I work for Onlineshoes.com, I volunteer at the legal clinic and I read voraciously. Wine and wonderful food and excited conversation are often involved in my favorite moments.

Northwest Men's Project!

Hey folks, a quick note from a former New Beginnings volunteer and good friend of the organization, Eli Crawford who now heads the Northwest Men's Project. They're looking for a few volunteers on the 17th and I think this is a great opportunity to help out and reach an audience that we may not have otherwise seen! Please contact Eli if you'd like to chip in!

##

The Northwest Men's Project works with youth and adults to build and support positive masculinities, and to change beliefs, behaviors and policies that perpetuate men's violence. By nurturing masculinities that embrace strength, respect and honor without being violent, harmful or dominating, we can create safer communities, more engaged youth, and healthier futures.


Outreach: Volunteers will be engaging passers by in discussing a spectrum of violence exercise. The exercise illuminates the importance of interventions at the "lower end" of the spectrum, which is where cultural norms regarding sexism, male dominance and the objectification of women are either supported or addressed as problematic. This exercise will be utilized as a tool to promote our upcoming event: Opening Doors: Exploring Men's Roles in Ending Violence

Event Support: Opening Doors: Exploring Men's Roles in Ending Violence. Sunday, Oct. 17th 3:00 -- 6:00 pm. Volunteers are needed to help before and after the event with set up and take down. Interested volunteers may also assist with staffing at arts/discussion tables. Please contact for more info.

If you would like to get involved please contact Eli Crawford @ 206-718-6177 or eli@northwestmensproject.org

thanks for all that you do

eli

Eli Crawford
Program Director
Northwest Men's Project
(206) 718-6177
http://www.northwestmensproject.org/

##

And...they're off!

We kicked off our Fall 2010 Volunteer Training with a bang this past Tuesday and it was great to see the enthusiasm and passion for domestic violence in the room! We have sign-ups to bring snacks/drinks for the training days and also for help cleaning up at the end. Check it out and please sign up if you haven't already! Remember that the ever-popular "chips and salsa" will be provided by New Beginnings each training day.



SNACKS/DRINKS
Oct 7th -
Oct 12th - Heidi L.
Oct 14th - Allison K.
Oct 19th - Amy W and Rebeca O.
Oct 21st - Rachel A.
Oct 26th - Amy V. and Monica B.
Oct 28th - Mary M. and Sarah A.
Nov 2nd - Alex K. and Ashley W.
Nov 4th - Teresa H. and Lauren G.
Nov 9th - Mark B. and Alison K.
Nov 11th - POTLUCK!!!

CLEANUP
Oct 7th - Susan L.

Oct 12th - Amy T.
Oct 14th - Amy T.
Oct 19th -
Oct 21st -
Oct 26th -
Oct 28th -
Nov 2nd -
Nov 4th -
Nov 9th -
Nov 11th - POTLUCK!!! (Everybody!)

##

Let me know in the comments if you'd like to sign up for anything!

##

Thanks everyone. And remember to dress warm for the next few trainings. Our heater probably won't be fixed for a few weeks.

Runway to Freedom Recap

[Fashion show playlist: Bad Romance, Poker Face, Empire State of Mind...]

Last Thursday we had the pleasure of being the recipient of the Runway to Freedom benefit fashion show! A big, big shout out to Lauryn Grinnell,  Intermezzo Salon, Zebra Club, The Powder Room, designers Lina Cho, Justin Zachary Bartle, and Olesya Grabovskaya for their support.

New Beginnings' very own Board President Nancy Slater was on hand to thank the crowd and also said a few words about the prevalance of domestic violence and how people as individuals and community members could help.

August Volunteer of the Month - Sonni Rierson

[Blizzard!]

Hey folks, we're very proud to announce the August Volunteer of the Month - Sonni Rierson! Sonni has been a dedicated Childcare Volunteer at our Community Advocacy Program and here's what New Beginnings staff had to say about her:

"Sonni has been volunteering in Childcare every week for over a year.  Sonni is very dedicated to the children we serve and works hard to be a positive, consistent, and caring adult in their lives.  The children respond very well to Sonni’s leadership style, and she works well with all staff.  She is a joy to have, and is consistently going above and beyond in every way. Her consistently positive and upbeat attitude and commitment to New Beginnings is truly inspiring."

##

Q: Who are you and what do you do?
A: I am Sonni Rierson. I am 28 years old and just recently got married. I enjoy cooking and working out. I am currently a pharmaceutical sales representative and just started a masters program for Health care Administration.

Q: Why do you volunteer for New Beginnings?
A: I moved to Seattle about two years ago and was looking to find a way to get involved in the community. I didn't know many people when I moved here, so I was also interested in making new friends.

Q: What’s your favorite thing about volunteering with kids?
A: I can completely forgot about my life and get wrapped up in their world. I enjoy spending time talking and playing with them. No matter how terrible my day is, I always feel good when I leave my time with the kids.

Q: One restaurant everyone in Seattle should try is…?
A: I really like Volterra in Ballard. I went there a year or so ago for my birthday and was really impressed. However, we love to go get pizza at Piazzo's on Eastlake on a regular basis. The pizza is awesome and the atmosphere is relaxed!

Q: What’s your favorite guilty-pleasure (TV show, drink, candy, etc)?
A: I love watching reality TV. Top Chef, Rachel Zoe Project, Real World, etc. make me laugh. I enjoy the "people" side of these types of shows and always have plenty recorded on my DVR. As for food, I love Blizzards from Dairy Queen. My all time favorite is a chocolate blizzard with Reese's peanut butter cups. YUMMY!

Q: One thing most people don’t know about you is…?
A: I spent two summers in Alaska during college. I went to work at a fishing lodge in Illiamna, which is very small and only had one paved road. I worked in the lodge and helped make and serve the food. It was a great experience!

Q: Anything else you’d like to share with the millions watching at home?
A: Thank you so much for giving me this award!! It is really cool...

##
Thank you Sonni! Your certificate and prize from This Charming Candy are coming your way!

Steps Against Domestic Violence is almost here!

The 3rd Annual Steps Against Domestic Violence walk around Greenlake is coming up very soon!
Sunday, October 3rd at 10 a.m.
The walk is to raise funds and awareness for New Beginnings’ Children’s Services. We are going to meet at the Greenlake Park Aqua Theatre then walk around the 3 mile lake path. It has been proclaimed Steps Against Domestic Violence Day in the State of Washington by Governor Chris Gregoire. There is no charge to register, but donations are greatly appreciated. Click here to download the registration form. You can bring the form to the event or mail it in to 11205 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle, WA 98133.

If you are unable to participate in the walk, but would still like to help support New Beginnings services and programs, you can make a direct contribution through PayPal. Remember you can always find out more about Steps Against Domestic Violence on their facebook page or through New Beginnings’ News & Events web page.
Be sure to catch Arthur Peach and Kiana Swearingen on Margaret Larson’s New Day NW TV show on Monday, September 27th at 11 am.

Also, the Steps Against Domestic Violence purple hooded sweatshirt is now available for presale for $25. You will find a picture of last year’s sweatshirt attached. The main difference is that this year’s sweatshirt does not have the year. If you are interested, please contact Arthur Peach at 206-412-3198 / sadvarthurseattle@comcast.net.

Fashion show, Mother-Daughter luncheon and a sermon all rolled into one!

["We should've gotten YouTube to come out and film this."]

This past weekend we were invited to Freedom Church's Mother Daughter Luncheon and Fashion Show benefitting New Beginnings! We were there on hand to talk about New Beginnings and we met some great folks who were all passionate about ending domestic violence.

First we got a chance to meet Miss Plus America Latasha Haskins who kindly posed for a picture with us.

Runway To Freedom

[Lauren has worked with a singer you might've heard of. First name: Lady. Last name: Gaga. FTW.]

New Beginnings will be at Runway To Freedom on September 23rd at 8pm! Check out their Facebook page here.

This is a really wonderful, creative and fun event that we're proud to be a part of.

We'll report back with pictures from the event!

Volunteering for New Beginnings is like the Ronco Food Dehydrator

[Makes a great gift!]

If you remember the Ronco Food Dehydrator infomercial, you'll recall that according to Ron, a reason for its great success was simple Word of Mouth.

Well, volunteering with New Beginnings is kind of like how the food dehydrator became such a smash. Billy Bob gets a food dehydrator and tells his friend who gets one also and then raves about it! Everyone wins!

All this is to say that with our volunteer training coming up, if you refer a friend/coworker to take our volunteer training and become a full-fledge volunteer, you'll be entered into an drawing to win a $50 Gift Card to McCormick & Schmick's! After looking at our volunteer applications, I'm pretty sure Word Of Mouth is how we get about 80% of our volunteers anyways so this just adds a nice Steak Dinner ribbon on top of an existing phenomenon. Now you just need to step up and take the credit.

Make sure your friend gives you the hat-tip and says that they were referred by you on the application or we have no way of knowing. The drawing will be held on October 6th after the first day of volunteer training.

[UPDATE: Volunteer link is here!]

[UPDATE #2: Drawing will be held on September 6th]

Fall Volunteer Training!

[If you look at Figure 1.89 B Article IV bullet point 2...]

Hey folks, just a heads up that we're holding our next volunteer training group starting in October. It goes from October 5th to November 11th, each Tuesday and Thursday from 6-9pm. If you have a friend who is interested in volunteering, please do us a favor and forward them over to our website address! If you missed any of the trainings or would like a refresher, feel free to attend any of the following. Please do, however, let me know so we know how many to expect:

October 5th (Tuesday) - Understanding DV
October 7th (Thursday) - Teen Dating Violence
October 12th (Tuesday) - Help Line I
October 14th (Thursday) - Help Line II
October 19th (Tuesday) - Sexual Assault and DV
October 21st (Thursday) - Chemical Depedency and DV
October 26th (Tuesday) - Children's and Teen's Issues
October 28th (Thursday) - Suicide Intervention
November 2nd (Tuesday) - Creating Social Justice I
November 4th (Thursday) - Creating Social Justice II
November 9th (Tuesday) - Legal Advocacy
November 11th (Thursday) - In Her Shoes/Survivor's Panel

New Beginnings at the Southwest Police Precinct Picnic!

["We're going to keep it local with this next song...by Alice In Chains." - Police Officer/Singer on stage]

We tabled at this past Saturday's SW Police Precinct's annual summer picnic and let's just say that tabling is a LOT easier/more fun to do when the weather is nice and not raining. Anyways, we made it across the West Seattle Bridge and arrived at the station which looked really nice and were greeted to a pretty good turnout and a fun atmosphere of getting to know the police community and the community getting to know the officers in blue. 

The Precinct was nice enough to provide canopies, a table and chairs for each booth but what we didn't know was that we'd be sharing a table with another organization. It worked out just fine and it made it all the more a community get-together type of thing. Here's Social Change volunteer Robyn staffing our table. Right before i took the photo, the guy who shared the table with us screamed, "Make sure I'm not in the shot!" You can actually see his shoulder a bit in the orange so Guy Tabling Next To Us, I apologize. 

CANCELLED - Back by popular demand - After Hours Help Line Training II

[UPDATE: Training has been cancelled due to low-signup. If you're still interested in this training but possibly for a later date, let me know!]

[Ring ring.]

Heya folks, the Help Line as you know is one of the most important services we provide and volunteers are a big part of that. We are offering an encore presentation of "After Hours Help Line Training" for folks that aren't able to make it during regular 9-5 hours. This is perfect if you've been wanting to volunteer on the Help Line and want to get up to speed.


So...the next training we have coming up is on the 31st (Tuesday) from 6-8pm. We'll be doing some mock calls, talking about the most popular issues that come up on the Help Line, all that good stuff. Email me or comment below to sign up. Last time we had (surprise!) pizza for those that showed up. This time, who knows? Meatball subs? Snickers bars? Water?

Polls closing soon!

[And the 3-2 pitch...]

Two days left to vote for the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence/The Seattle Mariners as part of a nation-wide contest sponsored by Pepsi!

Vote here! You can vote up to 25 times per day (yes, I know it takes a bit and is mind-numbing to sit there and vote over and over but it's for a great cause!). The official "cause" is "The Mariners are competing against other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. Their idea is to team up with the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence to mentor young male athletes and promote positive messages of honor and respect."

Shout-out to Felix Hernandez to being the spokesperson for the M's!

July Volunteer of the Month - Kalie Karin Aldrich

[Steps Against DV FTW!]

Hey folks, we're very proud to announce the July Volunteer of the Month at New Beginnings: Kalie Karin Aldrich!

Kalie has been a childcare volunteer at our Transitional Housing Program for several years and here's what our staff had to say about her:

"Kalie is incredible!! She is compassionate and truly comes because she cares so much about the children. She has been volunteering for a few years now at THP. She steps up to the plate whenever we need extra assistance. She helped do an extra childcare shift last year so we could have a parenting group; she comes on field trips and has helped with other special THP events...Also every time she comes through the door at THP she is carrying an armload of donations. These are not things I tell her we need they are things she sees that the program needs. With her own money she has purchased snacks, skateboards, toys and games, dress up clothes for childcare, and children’s clothes, underwear and hygiene products for the families...I really see her as a shining example of the kind of dedicated volunteers who make our programs possible."

We had a Q&A with Kalie after presenting her with the award:

##
Q: Who are you and what do you do?

A: Kalie, I do childcare at THP on Monday’s and sometimes do summer field trips or other events. I plan to start [volunteering] at shelter this fall.

Q: Why do you volunteer for New Beginnings?
A: I wanted to help in the fight to stop violence against women, and I wanted to work with children. I heard about New Beginnings from a couple people and it sounded perfect. I’m glad I chose NB I love the kids and the workers! It’s a great place to volunteer.

Q: What’s your favorite hobby/sport/free time activity when you’re not volunteering?
A: I love to go for walks and runs with my dog. I also like scrap booking it really relaxes me.

Q: If you were stuck on a desert island and could only bring three things, what would they be?
A: Lots of water, lots of food, and my dog Olina.

Q: Favorite place to visit in Seattle?
A: Ballard, I love the atmosphere.

Q: Anything you’d like to say to the millions watching at home?
A: Volunteer!!
##

Kalie, your prize and certificate of achievement are coming your way! Thanks for all you do!

Lake City Pioneer Days Recap

[All smiles. Before the rain, that is.]

We were at the Lake City Pioneer Days on Saturday and a big shout out goes to our volunteers who helped us table! Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth also--our bag of Twix was a big hit and so were our pins that said "STOP Domestic Violence!"

Probably the best moment of the day for me was having someone stop by and say, "I was a participant of New Beginnings a long time ago. It was a big help."
If you're wondering what "tabling" is, it's really about being a presence in the community and alerting people to our services which really go hand in hand. If you'd like to table at upcoming evnets, be on the lookout for emails and blog updates!

4 Questions

[And the 5th installment of the franchise...28 Decades Later]

I have a very small request that is going to take all of 4 minutes to complete. We're making fun (and I mean f-u-n) Volunteer ID cards to post up at Shelter, on the Help Line, wherever you volunteer and we not only need your picture (thank you to those that have sent theirs in already) but also need some info so other volunteers and staff can get to know you!

We'll be posting up your responses to 4 questions as part of your ID. Those four all-important questions are:

1. Occupation?
2. Hobbies?
3. Favorite Movie?
4. Favorite Quote?

I'm not a Volunteer necessarily but I'll get things going:

Occupation: Community Engagement Coordinator
Hobbies: Photography, The Internet
Favorite Movie: 28 Weeks Later
Favorite Quote: "Pile it high and deep." - Bill Murray in What About Bob?

Tee Time

[Ah the perks of digging through old office supplies]

We've found a stash of t-shirts we had tucked away that feature this wonderful poster right on the front! It's a plain white T-Shirt and we've got it in every size but as of most recent count, there are about two smalls, two-dozen mediums and larges and a dozen XLs and two XXLs. If you're an active volunteer, let me know in the comments or via email if you'd like one. T-shirts must be picked up from our office!

And remember to send in your photo for the much-anticipated New Beginnings Volunteer ID Cards!

What Would You Do?

[Trigger warning: abusive language and behavior portrayed by actors in the scenes]

With all the Mel Gibson and Charlie Sheen news recently, I thought I'd share an interesting clip from ABC New's "What Would You Do?" segment from a while back. Would You Try to Help a Battered Woman?

It's an interesting "experiment" to say the least and while it's not perfect, maybe it'll get people to think about their roles as bystanders and what that says when oftentimes, people judge, dismiss or do nothing.

If you check out the first video, there's also a segment they follow up with doing the same scenario except the next time, they dress up the battered women in "provacative" clothing. To hear how people react is shocking, to say the least.

Voting for Judges

["You are just about to cross the line, buddy. The line is right here." - Judge Judy]

A friendly reminder, dear readers, about the Judicial races that end on August 17th. Why is voting important? Let's let VotingforJudges fill you in!

2. Why are judicial elections important?

Judges make decisions about fundamental issues that affect all of us — family life, education, health care, housing, employment, discrimination, civil rights, public safety — and those decisions can have long-lasting impact. It is critical that our judges make fair decisions based upon open-minded and unbiased consideration of the facts and the law in each case. Judges must know the law, be independent, and be free from external political and economic influences. Voting for qualified judges really does protect the courts.

Brochures and Mugshots!

[Does that say "Sandals"? What?]

We have a ton of brochures available that talk about New Beginnings and the services we offer. Does the place you work, the gym you go to, or the coffee shop you stop by at every morning have a place for brochures or posters? If so, let me know and we'll set up a time for you to stop by and pick some up. Heck, you could just even have a stash in your car to have handy.





And...

Volunteers, we're creating a Volunteer ID Card of sorts. Nothing fancy, just a way for staff and other volunteers to know who you are at the place where you volunteer. We'll print it out and set it up at the Help Line, Shelter, etc and then you can watch your card become decoarted with all sorts of achievement stars and stickers--no joke. Please send me a headshot of yourself so we can include you! If you don't want to send in a picture or have your name up, that's totally fine!

New Beginnings on New Day Northwest (again!)

[In stores now]

New Beginnings, along with the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WSCADV or "wiss-cuh-div" as the kids call it), appeared on King 5's New Day Northwest to talk about a great teen dating violence simulation/exercise that has been launched.

Volunteers, most of you have gone through the "In Her Shoes" simulation as part of your volunteer training and this is the same idea except it's focused on teens/young people as they too, experience dating/relationship violence.

Read the official WSCADV media release on In Their Shoes here. 

Thanks to everyone that came to show their support as members of the studio audience!

Love The Way You Lie

[Recovery somehow doesn't seem like the most accurate album name]

A quick note about a great discussion going on on our Facebook wall about the song "Love The Way You Lie" by Eminem featuring Rihanna. You can hear the song and read the lyrics there.

*Trigger Warning: The song contains violent and disturbing lyrics.*

It's #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, #2 in the UK, #1 in Canada, #1 in iTunes Sales, the #1 Downloaded Ring Tone...

Dig deep folks because it looks like this song is going to be here for a while.  

Shelter Tour Part II

[Tour time is at 4:30pm]

Hey folks, we've got another shelter tour organized for this weekend at 4:30pm. If you are a volunteer and would like to join to learn more about the shelter and see what you can do as a volunteer there, let me know!

Your tour guide for the afternon will be: Tamara!

New Beginnings on King 5 Part II

[We're just going to saute all the ingredients on high...]

Hey all, if you’ll remember a while back, New Beginnings appeared on New Day Northwest on King 5! Well, we’ll be back on the show on July 27th to talk about teen dating violence and a simulation called “In Their Shoes” which is similar to “In Her Shoes” if you remember back to your Volunteer Training.


New Beginnings staff, board members, volunteers and supporters will be on hand for the taping and it’d be great if you could make it! Please let me know if you’ll be attending after you’ve signed up on the website below so we can get a rough headcount.

The other details: audience members need to be in the studio by 9:15am. Taping starts at 10:15 and finishes around 11:30. Tickets must be requested at this link: http://www.king5.com/new-day-northwest/about/89532157.html
**Be sure to identify yourself when you request tickets as being from New Beginnings**