New Beginnings - Ending Domestic Violence

Current Volunteer Opportunities

2012-01-30T13:58:00.001-08:00

We have two volunteer needs right now!

Help Line Shift Openings – Mondays 9-1 or 1-5/Fridays 9-1 or 1-5/Thursdays 9-1
*Volunteer Training required to volunteer for this position*

Childcare – Mondays 10-12 in North Seattle
Come play with infants and toddlers while mothers attend support group. You do not need to have taken the volunteer training to help with this opportunity.

Please let Erin know if you can help out: epankow@newbegin.org

Volunteer Spotlight: Kasey Burton

2012-01-30T11:32:00.000-08:00

Kasey Burton (or “Little K” as we like to call her) began volunteering on the Help Line in June of 2011 and at the Legal Clinic two months ago. It’s always a happy day when Kasey volunteers. She brings an uplifting energy to New Beginnings, possesses strong advocacy skills and makes the day more fun.

Q: Why do you volunteer at New Beginnings?

I love the hands-on approach New Beginnings lets volunteers have. I’m used to volunteering in a much more passive capacity, where the work is outlined, you have your task, and you do it. Here, a volunteer can accomplish whatever they want, and I couldn’t ask for more supportive people to work with. Everyone is always helpful, whether it’s answering a question or assisting me in transitioning into legal clinic—the staff here has always been great about working with me to help me achieve my goals.

Q: What are you up to right now? (work, school?)
Right now I pretty much just work and volunteer. I work at a restaurant downtown, which is fun and has really helped me get to know the area better. I plan on going to law school in the coming fall, but I'm not sure which school just yet. Still waiting on that LSAT score!

Q: What’s one thing New Beginnings’ staff might not know about you?

Before I wanted to be a lawyer I was convinced I was going to be a psychologist. I wanted to do research on serial killers, including interviewing them and helping the FBI solve cases. Ever watched Criminal Minds? That could have been me. Then my freshman year in college I took Intro to Comparative Politics and it ruined my plan because it was so awesome that I became a Political Science major.

Q: Do you have a motto or phrase you live by?

I try really hard to follow the motto “Just roll with it.” I used to be a hyper-planner with everything mapped out and I was stressed all the time! So I decided I needed to learn how to relax and just wing it sometimes. My stress level has declined significantly since I have embraced this phrase.

Q: What do you know about domestic violence now that you didn’t know before volunteering with us?

I think what stood out to me the most as I began to really learn about DV through New Beginnings was how difficult it can be to leave. When thinking about the elements involved in leaving an abuser I only ever took into account the emotional components. I had never thought about the “What next?” aspect of the situation. After training I really became conscious of issues such as finding a living space, financially supporting oneself and one’s children, and how hard some abusers will work to draw a survivor back in again. I find myself continually impressed by the strength and determination of those we work with.

Q: What’s your favorite thing to do on the weekend? Favorite place to eat out or get a cup of coffee?

Nap! I love naps. So much. I don’t eat out a lot, but I usually end up going to Chipotle. They have delicious guacamole. Guacamole = best condiment ever. If I’m looking for a good cup of coffee I’ll hit up either Café on the Ave (try their grasshopper latte!) or The Ugly Mug in the U-District. I also highly recommend The Ugly Mug’s lentil soup. Scrumptious.

Q: Tell us about the Bulletin Board Outreach Project you’re working on for New Beginnings. I started the bulletin board project inspired by my time as a resident adviser at the University of Washington. As an RA, it’s your job to act as a resource for residents, referring them elsewhere as necessary—especially in situations involving serious matters like counseling or substance abuse. When I was a resident in the halls I would’ve had no idea where to turn, and that knowledge increased only marginally when I became a RA. So, I decided the best way to help college students—many of whom are entering their first serious relationships or are realizing they no longer have their parents to fall back on—would be to advertise this information in the residence halls on floor bulletin boards. Students pass by them every day, sometimes reading them as they wait for the elevator, or if they’re wandering around avoiding homework. RAs have to put them up anyway, so why not incentivize the sharing of DV resources by making it easy for them? I pulled together some information on a number of DV topics, put them on PowerPoint slides for easy printing, and I sent them off to the Housing and Food Services administrators. With help from a friend of mine who is a current RA, I got their attention, and now we’re getting this important message across to students.

Volunteer Spotlight: Lyn Seidel

2012-01-04T12:38:00.000-08:00

Lyn volunteers at the Shelter every Wednesday and helps “with the stuff you don’t have time to do, but wish you could get done.” Lyn has kept the Women’s Clothing room looking fabulous since she started, and has recently started in on the Children’s Clothing room. Lyn is punctual, reliable, easy going, and very willing to work hard and give of her time. Lyn is such a warm hearted woman and we adore her and the energy she brings. Lyn also helps at the Transitional Housing Program with gardening and with special holiday events as they come up.

Why do you volunteer at New Beginnings? What do you like most about volunteering here?

I was abused at one time and received help in another state. When I retired in 2007, I needed something to do so I found New Beginnings so I could give back and help others with the same kind of help I had in the past.

I like the people at New Beginnings. All of the people I have worked with are so nice and appreciative of any help I give that you can’t help but feel you’re doing good helping others out. When co-facilitating, the women would tell their story and you could see in their eyes the pain and agony they were going through. Through time, you could actually watch the room and see the woman become whole people again. They blossomed and they were able to go out and do life again. It was so gratifying to be around those women. They did more for me than I did for them in watching them grow. New Beginnings’ advocates take someone truly wounded and teach them to be healthy and productive – watching this whole process was amazing.

Do you have any pets?

I have a nine-year-old West Highland Terrier named Saill, pronounced "si" which is Gaelic for salt. We also have a 13-year-old cat with a salt & pepper coat so we named her Pepper. So, salt & pepper :)

What do you do when you’re not volunteering?

I liked to cook from scratch, knit, sew, spend time with friends. I also ready every day and if I don’t one day, I feel like something is missing.

What do you know now about domestic violence that you didn’t know when you first started volunteering?

Not too much because I lived through it. The part about domestic violence that is so amazing to me is a common belief that after a woman leaves her abuser everything will immediately return to normal. They don’t understand that you have to heal and re-learn and grow back again and it’s long hard process. There’s a lack of understanding that it takes a lot of time to heal.

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

The thing that really bugs me most is those that don’t want to grow and change. If you can’t grow and change every day you become a brittle person and you can break. You need to be able to bend and grow every day.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Never stay angry. If you are angry you become angry and no one wants to be around an angry person.

Anything else you’d like to share with other volunteers?

All the volunteers are really valuable people. Any little bit they do is always appreciated, needed and valued.

New Beginnings' Community Discussion: Preventing & Ending Domestic Violence

2011-12-09T10:52:00.000-08:00

Please join us for light appetizers & refreshments & to watch the award winning, true story of Amy, a victim of domestic violence. Following Amy’s story, participate in a discussion to learn what you can do as a friend, employer, or family member for someone experiencing abuse.
When: Tuesday, Dec. 20th, 5:30 pm—7:30 pm
Where: Northgate Public Library (10548 Fifth Ave. N.E. Seattle 98125) — Community Room
RSVP to reserve your spot! epankow@newbegin.org or 206-926-3016 or visit our Facebook page

Fall 2011 Volunteer Training Potluck!

2011-11-16T10:15:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

Congratulations, you're almost finished with volunteer training! As you know, we'll be having a potluck tomorrow, Thursday. Please post what you're planning to bring so everyone can coordinate their dishes. See you soon.

September Volunteer of the Month: Mark Barone!

2011-11-10T15:56:00.000-08:00

What do you do as a volunteer and what do you like most about volunteering at New Beginnings?
I have been volunteering by answering the Help Line once a week for about a year, as well as occasional childcare during support groups and outreach at events. Besides being part of the skillful and hilarious group at CAP, what I like most about volunteering on the Help Line is assisting survivors who are tired of being abused, and desire empowerment.

What do you do when you’re not volunteering?

As much as I can! In addition to working toward an MA in Psychology/Systems Counseling at the Leadership Institute of Seattle, I work at Trader Joe's, play bass guitar in a band called Black Atoms, practice Nidra yoga and meditation, and lounge at home with my wife Megan and our cats.

What do you know now about domestic violence that you didn’t know

when you first started volunteering?

I knew domestic violence was a common occurrence, but answering multiple calls each shift at the Help Line has brought into focus just how pervasive it is. It is also justifying to know that abuser tactics such as isolation, and verbal abuse are recognized as domestic violence.

What’s your biggest pet peeve?
I have to say gossip is my biggest pet peeve as it seems to often involve perpetuating negative views of people. In contrast, all of that energy could be used to engender positive narratives of individuals!

Best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.

Where’s your favorite place to eat in Seattle?
Besides the feasts Megan and I cook up at home, some of my favorite restaurants are Local 360, Tilth, and Palace Kitchen.

Anything else you’d like to share with other volunteers?
It is a pleasure to be part of the diverse, supportive, and impactful community of New Beginnings!

June Volunteers of the Month! - Alex Kain and Julie Sperry

2011-07-20T12:00:00.000-07:00

For only the second time in a row we have co-winners for the Volunteer of the Month award! Our winners for June are Alex Kain and Julie Sperry. Both Alex and Julie have been wonderful volunteers on New Beginnings 24 Hour Help Line and co-facilitate a support group for our Spanish speaking participants. Here's what our staff had to say about both of these great volunteers:

Alex has a great sense of humor and is incredibly funny! In addition to her sense of humor, she takes volunteering very seriously and she does a great job of bringing outside skills and trainings to the support group. Alex is responsible, caring, respectful, happy, and is a great cook to boot! On the Help Line, she really takes time to support our callers. She has a caring and calm voice even in the most stressful moments.

Julie is always in a good mood, she's positive and everytime she comes for her shift she's ready to learn. She is always doing internet research for victim advocacy related issues and she goes above and beyond by participating in extra trainings with WSCADV. Julie is very caring, respectful and is super responsible. On the Help Line, she is calm with callers and asks thoughtful questions. Even on a snow day, she was here!

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We had a chance to sit down with Alex and Julie to get to know them better. Here's what they had to say:

Alex Kain
Q: Who are you and what do you do when you’re not volunteering?
A: I just finished undergrad and am looking at law schools now. I'm hoping to eventually be a legal advocate for crime victims. When I'm not volunteering I work at the YWCA DV shelter, camp, cook, and pet my cat.

Q: What do you like most about volunteering at New Beginnings?
A: One of my favorite parts of volunteering at New Beginnings is all the wonderful people I get to hang out with at CAP! And of course answering the helpline. It's not always easy, but it's amazing when someone appreciates your help and lets you know.

Q: What do you know now about domestic violence that you didn’t know when you first started volunteering?
A: I've learned a lot since I started volunteering at New Beginnings, specifically about the number of different barriers women face when they leave or try to leave a violent situation.

Q: If you could organize a “themed” birthday for yourself and had every resource at your disposal, what would the theme be?
A: Definitely travel themed. It would be like a pub crawl, but going to different cities around the world instead of different bars. We could grab cocktails in Berlin, get some street food in Mumbai, catch sunset in Rio, and keep going from there. Oh, and you're all invited.

Q: MTV is shooting an episode of “Cribs” at your place. They open the refrigerator door. What’s inside?
A: Mostly vegetables and some mock meats. I just picked up a 5lb bag of carrots too so if you see me walking around the office munching on carrots, you'll know why.

Q: Being bilingual in Spanish, has there been a time when someone didn’t realize you knew the language and said something thinking you wouldn’t understand?
A: It's one of those things that I've always wished would happen to me but hasn't yet--like jury duty.

Q: What’s one safe-for-work-and-kids joke you can share with the audience?
A: Where do generals keep their armies?
A: In their sleevies!

Q: Anything else you’d like to share with the millions watching from home?
A: If you've thought about volunteering on the helpline, please do! Its not nearly as scary as it sounds.

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Julie Sperry
Q: Who are you and what do you do when you’re not volunteering?

A: Well, when I’m not volunteering I spend most of my time trying to figure out that first question! In addition to that I work as a freelance translator which provides me with a flexible schedule to volunteer, cook, exercise, read, love my cats, learn new stuff and spend time with friends and family.

Q: What do you like most about volunteering at New Beginnings?
A: I love to learn about the lives of the women we serve and to witness their courage and resilience. They are truly an inspiration, especially when I am gifted with a joyful smile and caring word from them even during their most difficult moments. It is very rewarding to offer them support, options and resources they may not know of and which may make a big difference in their lives. I also really enjoy connecting with other people in this field and sharing our experiences and knowledge.

Q: What do you know now about domestic violence that you didn’t know when you first started volunteering?
A: A lot of things! Being on the help line I’ve learned a lot about community resources, legal issues, the intersection between domestic violence and mental health, etc. I’ve also learned how complex domestic violence is, how the way it is defined and understood is constantly growing and evolving and how different and unique every situation is.

Q: If you could organize a “themed” birthday for yourself and had every resource at your disposal, what would the theme be?
A: I don’t think I would throw a themed birthday party for myself, but might organize a tropical getaway for myself and my friends and family if I had every resource at my disposal! Being from the Mediterranean city of Barcelona, I miss the sun and heat immensely.

Q: MTV is shooting an episode of “Cribs” at your place. They open the refrigerator door. What’s inside?
A: My fridge varies greatly from day to day, but you will almost certainly find kale, carrots, celery, tomatoes, Fakin’ Bacon tempeh (my latest addiction), and left-overs. I love food and like testing new recipes so ya’ never know!

Q: Being bilingual in Spanish, has there been a time when someone didn’t realize you knew the language and said something thinking you wouldn’t understand?
A: Yup, this one time I was sitting at the edge of a public pool cooling my legs in the water and overheard a kid tell his mom he had to pee, to which she replied "Just go in the pool". I quickly lifted my legs out of the water after that!

Q: What’s one safe-for-work-and-kids joke you can share with the audience?
A: I’m horrible at jokes, but do like riddles, so here is one:

A young boy and his father are in a car accident. The father dies at the scene. The boy is transported to the hospital, taken immediately into surgery... but the surgeon steps out of the operating room and says, "I can't operate on this boy - he is my son!"

The question: Who is the surgeon?

Q: Anything else you’d like to share with the millions watching from home?
A: Make sure to take good care of yourself!

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Wise words to live by. Thanks folks!

New Beginnings at H.Y.P.E. Teen Health Fair!

2011-07-09T18:24:00.000-07:00

Today we hosted an information booth at the first ever "Teen Health Fair" organized by a group called the Healthy Youth Peer Educators (HYPE). This was a pretty small community event but what was really interesting was that some of the health booths were created by students themselves. If you needed some brushing up on Sexually Transmitted Diseases, birth control and healthy eating, this was the event for you.

The shindig was held at the International Community Health Center in the International District. It's always a great time talking with the youth and we gave away a bunch of New Beginnings' brochures, posters, pens and birdseed*.

Big shout out to New Beginnings volunteer Leslie for helping us host the information booth!

It's like Jeopardy, except about STIs.

Teen Suicide Hotline

"Isn't T.A.T.U. also that band from Sweden?" - Volunteer Leslie

"Hold on, let me get the iPad in the picture!" - Guy

I'll never be able to see that game on The Price Is Right without thinking about birth control now.

Serious as a heart attack

The food pyramid is no more!

We brought chocolate to hand out and we were snubbed many, many times. I guess we'll bring Sour Patch Kids instead.

Ladies Night of Indulgence

2011-06-22T14:35:00.000-07:00

[Oh what a night]

Hey folks, last night we were honored to be at a fun fundraising/beauty/health event organized by Sound Chiropractic Center in Seattle called the Ladies Night of Indulgence. The event was held at Aljoya in Northgate (which looks more like a 5 star hotel than a retirement home) and before the night was over, there was nail-painting, fruit and cheese trays, bone-density scans, chocolate samples, massages and more. It was a wild night! Special thanks to everyone at Sound Chiropractic, Aljoya, volunteer Kathy H. and everyone who came out in support!

When you're there representing New Beginnings, you almost always walk away with some memorable quotes. Here are a few from last night:

"New Beginnings? This wasn't the one started by Rick Steves was it?"

[Elderly woman to her friend] "Are you still feeding your face!?"

Luke: Hi there, have you heard of New Beginnings?
Man: Probably not.
Luke: Would you like to learn about what New Beginnings does?
Man: Probably not.
Man: What are you trying to sell?
Luke: We're not selling anything. We're a domestic violence non-profit organization that--
Man: Yea. [walks off]

May Volunteer of the Month! - Erin Coltrera

2011-06-16T15:50:00.000-07:00

[Drums please...]

Hey folks, we're thrilled to announce the May Volunteer of the Month - Erin Coltrera! Here's what some of our staff had to say about Erin:

"Since the beginning of the school year, Erin has co-facilitated a healthy relationship group with 7th grade students at Pathfinder School in Seattle. Erin has shown incredible dedication in working with youth. She deeply values the intelligence, creativity and potential of each of the youth she works with, and she has a real talent for connecting with and building relationships with youth. She is willing to work all jobs big and small, friom facilitating conversations about relationships and gender roles to prepping snack and cleaning up. She’s also helped New Beginnings plan a youth pilot project focused on leadership, bringing creativity and skills around social media, marketing, and evaluation. Erin’s actions and consistently positive attitude make it clear that supporting youth around healthy relationships is a true passion!"

We had a chance to sit down (that is, email correspond) with Erin and here's what she had to say:

Q: Who are you and what do you do when you’re not volunteering?
A: I actually just finished up school, but when I'm not in class or doing homework I coach high school lacrosse and the University of Washington Mock Trial team. That kept me pretty busy this year. I think I'll spend summer playing fetch with my puppy.

Q: What do you like most about volunteering with New Beginnings?
A: I really like working with the kids at Pathfinder Middle School. They're amazing and they make it really easy to remember why I'm dragging out of bed and slogging through traffic on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. They're always really happy to see Rebecca and me and they work really hard no matter what we're doing.

Q: What’s a memorable story you have from your time as a volunteer?
A: I'll never forget the looks on our girls' faces when we showed them the t-shirts we had made up. One of them drew the design and they were all so proud. It was really neat to see them put the t-shirts on and see how excited everyone was.

Q: The definitive summertime song for me is…?
A: 'My friend' by Groove Armada

Q: What’s the last video on YouTube you watched?
A: I think it was the little baby panda sneezing and scaring the mom. I totally fell out of my chair laughing when one of my friends sent that to me.

Bud...

Q: What’s the last joke or prank someone pulled on you?
A: The mock trial team has a rubber toad named Francis that we take to tournaments. The guys love to put him outside hotel room doors, knock, and then run away as fast as they can. I definitely opened my door in the middle of the night a few times this year, only to find Francis looking up at me.

Q: It’s the middle of summer and you’re firing up the BBQ. What’s cooking on your grill?
A: Salmon in a ginger/soy glaze.

Q: Anything else you’d like to share with the millions watching from home?
A: Nope, I gotta get back to work!

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Ahh! We're getting back to work!

New Beginnings speaks at Adams Elementary Penny Harvest

2011-06-07T15:47:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, we were thrilled when Adams Elementary invited us for their Penny Harvest for the second year in a row! Local support really means a great deal to us so thank you to all the kids at Adams and for organizer Bobbi Windus for inviting us!

A big thanks to volunteer Melinda who spoke at the event and talked to the kids about what New Beginnings does!

2011 Spring/Summer Potluck

2011-06-06T16:07:00.000-07:00

It's about that time again, folks. We'll be having a potluck for the last day of volunteer training on June 9th at 6pm. To ensure we all get a balanced meal, please comment with what you plan on bringing. If you're making something yourself, please bring a scrap of paper to list ingredients for those with food allergies or restrictions.

F.A.Q.
Q: I'm bringing Hot Pockets that I'll cut up into smaller pieces. Does that count?
A: Yes.

Q: Is there an oven I can use?
A: Yes, there is an oven, microwave, stove (no pots or pans) and a toaster oven.

Q: I have leftovers from going to the Bahama Breeze last week. Can I bring that?
A: No.

Artifacts!

2011-05-31T16:25:00.001-07:00

Digging through our storage here at New Beginnings and what do we find?

Check out this old t-shirt! It only comes in one size unfortunately and that size is "80's exercise fit."

Live from the North End Community Health Fair!

2011-05-25T22:56:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, we attended the North End Community Health Fair and snapped up some photos. As over a dozen of you have pointed out through ridicule of my Zach Morris phone, yes, my phone makes for a horrible camera. I've had this phone since 2007(!) but rest assured readers, I'm due for an update so I promise a better quality of images this summer.

As for the event itself, we talked to some interesting folks and it never gets old hearing from people that they know New Beginnings and that our services helped them/their friend/their sister, etc.

We also tabled right next to a great organization that provides support for low-income children and families. We always try and give a shout out to one organization we meet when at events like these: check them out here.

"You want some birdseed?!"

This is actually a Mennonite church.

UW Bothell was there representing. They had a ton of stuff to give away (as usual).

I'm not sure what this booth was, but it was voted "Most Attractive Looking Booth" by the crowd.

April Volunteer of the Month! - Cathy Helwig

2011-05-20T12:33:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, we're thrilled to announce in our latest installment of Volunteer of the Month, our winner for the month of April: Cathy Helwig!

Cathy has been a dedicated volunteer with New Beginnings since 2005 and here's what some of our staff had to say about her:

"Cathy has been a long standing volunteer who has helped a great deal. She started on the Help Line and then moved into helping me with my caseload. She really goes the extra mile for the families that we serve and she takes her commitment to New Beginnings' families very seriously. Currently Cathy comes in every Wednesday morning and calls the women that I worked with as an advocate. What I hear from our families is that 'Cathy called me to check in and she is always so friendly, she is very helpful in finding things in my life to be grateful for...If I need an appointment she sets one up she lets me know that she cares and that I am being thought about.' I believe that Cathy has helped in every way at our agency."

We had a chance to sit down with Cathy and here's what we found out:

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Q: What do you do when you're not volunteering with New Beginnings?
A: I've just moved to a condo on a Lake from the home I've lived in for 45 years. Fun! I also walk the dog and work on my flowers.

Q: What do you like about volunteering with New Beginnings?
A: I like the help that [NB] gives, the great people working here and it's easy to get to!

Q: What your favorite thing to do in the summer?
A: Loll about, get together with friends, go to plays, picnic and go to the beach.

Q: What's one thing most people don't know about you?
A: I'm sort of shy and run out of things to say.

My hair-system doesn't fit right

Q: If you could have dinner with any three people (living or dead), who would they be? A: My mother, Christopher Columbus and Johann Sebastian Bach.

Behold, Tacoma!

Q: When was the last time you had a good laugh?
A: Last evening when I was talking to a grade school friend in Tacoma.

Q: Anything else you'd like to share with the millions watching at home?
A: Through thick and thin, my family, my life and my experiences have been pretty darn good.

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Through thick and thin, folks.

Thanks to Cathy and all of our wonderful volunteers that do so much for the women and kids we serve!

Volunteer training food and cleanup signup!

2011-05-04T16:05:00.000-07:00

[Yesssss]

Hey folks, here's the signup for the spring/summer volunteer training.

For food/drinks:
Thursday May 5th: Avital
Tuesday May 10th: Thomas and Emily
Thursday May 12th: Willa
Tuesday May 17th: Teresa and Leslie
Thursday May 19th: Clare
Tuesday May 24th: Kathy and Christy
Thursday May 26th: Mayra
Tuesday May 31st: Arthur
Thursday June 2nd: Kasey and Caitlin
Tuesday June 7th: Lindsey
Thursday June 9th: POTLUCK! All are invited to bring food and drink. No alcoholic beverages, please. We don't want a repeat of the infamous Winter volunteer training of 2002.

For cleanup:
Tuesday May 3rd: Arthur and Deanna
Thursday May 5th: Thomas
Tuesday May 10th: Frances and Emily
Thursday May 12th: Willa
Tuesday May 17th: Teresa and Leslie
Thursday May 19th: Clare
Tuesday May 24th: Amal, Kathy and Christy
Thursday May 26th: Mayra
Tuesday May 31st: Lindsey
Thursday June 2nd: Kasey
Tuesday June 7th: OPEN
Thursday June 9th: EVERYONE!

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If you forgot to sign up and would like to, let us know in the comments!

March Volunteer of the Month - A Tie!

2011-04-22T10:52:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, in a too-close-to-call finish, we have two winners for the Volunteer of the Month award for March! A big congrats to our co-winners Carol Loforte and Melissa Redding!

Carol

Melissa

Here's what some of our staff had to say about Carol and Melissa who have both volunteered with New Beginnings at the Transitional Housing Program for over three years(!):

"Each of these women are incredibly reliable, hard-working, great fun, and skilled with the kids. Carol specializes in helping the children who have homework to do in childcare, and Melissa is awesome with the babies. Both are adaptable to all circumstances (even when entirely new sorts of issues present themselves!) and always make a point to call or email me on the off-chance that they are sick. Carol recently got a new job out on the Eastside and she has managed to take a 45-minute bus ride so she can make it in to childcare on time! These women are not just great help to us, they are what make childcare enjoyable week after week. They have great attitudes, funny stories, and a ton of respect for New Beginnings."

We had a chance to sit chat with both Carol and Melissa and here's what they had to say:

Q: Who are you and what do you do (outside of New Beginnings)?

This is actually Carol's car. Not really.

Carol: My name is Carol Loforte and I am originally from the Chicago area. After college I jumped around in the country a bit from New York to Denver until landing in Seattle nearly (gasp) 11 years ago. When not spending time with friends and family, I am a project manager working on Xbox Live.

Melissa: My name is Melissa, and outside of volunteering at New Beginnings, I work at Seattle Children's Hospital doing administrative work for the Gastroenterology department. I also play the violin in the Ravenna Strings community orchestra.
Q: Why is it important for you to volunteer for New Beginnings?

Park!

Melissa: I enjoy working with the children and the other volunteers and advocates. Even when it's a bit chaotic, we still have a lot of fun. I'm really looking forward to nicer weather so we can start doing more stuff outside, like going to the park.

Carol: I first learned about New Beginning when I volunteered there for Day of Caring. I had a wonderful time setting up an apartment one year and gardening the next. When I decided I wanted to devote some time volunteering on a regular basis, New Beginnings was an obvious choice for me. It has been a great opportunity to help out a wonderful organization. Not to mention it is pretty fun to hang out with all of the kids.

Q: What’s something you’ve learned during your time as a volunteer?

Carol: I have realized what is really important. While having the latest and greatest toy is nice, the kids really seem to enjoy just having someone to draw with or help with their homework.

Melissa: I've learned to have a lot of patience for rambunctious kids and crying babies. I've also relearned various craft projects and games I used to play when I was a kid.
Q: If Jamba Juice named a smoothie after you, what would be in it?

Strawbana

Melissa: Probably something simple and classic like strawberries and bananas.

Carol: I am not sure of the name but it would have be a green smoothie. I am always talking about my favorite spinach, celery, apple, pineapple and mango smoothie and trying to bring others over to the “green side.” Trust me, it is much better than it sounds.

Q: Do you buy anything from TV infomercials? If so, what was your last purchase?

Carol: When watching them, I am almost always convinced they are selling something that I MUST have. Fortunately 5 minutes after the commercial I usually forget about it. I did once purchase “Turbo Jam” after a friend raved about it. Needless to say it is a dusty reminder of why I shouldn’t purchase from infomercials.

Melissa: I never buy anything from infomercials because I assume if it's actually a good product I'll see it in stores soon enough.
Q: What’s your favorite thing to do in Seattle during the summer?

Melissa: I'm a fan of playing frisbee golf. I specifically enjoy the course at Terrace Creek Park in Mountlake Terrace.

Carol: Anything outside. I love spending the day walking around all of the different neighborhoods and stopping at cute outdoor cafes.
Q: Anything you’d like to share with the millions watching from home?

Carol: New Beginnings is a fabulous organization and I am very proud to be part of it.

##

And we're proud to have wonderful volunteers like Carol and Melissa! We're going to cut the Volunteer of the Month trophy in half and send it your way soon!

Why Volunteer?

2011-04-07T10:00:00.000-07:00

[Mushroom risotto? Pile it high and deep]

Hey folks, volunteer applications to be part of our 2011 Spring/Summer training are due April 15th. Spaces are filling up fast so get yours in today to be part of the movement!
Check out some of the reasons why people (some of our former volunteers of the month, actually) volunteer to help us end domestic violence:

"...I wanted to be on the other end of the [24 Hour Help Line] when [abused women] did call, to share my education and knowledge as well as my admiration for them, hoping to make their road to safety and healing a little easier." - Sara

"...Because domestic violence is a horrible issue that doesn't seem to be going away, and I thought I could be useful to people who are grappling with its consequences." - Shelley

"...I would just like to contribute in some way that is conducive to my talents." - Tom

"...Someone close to me lives with DV everyday. I think a big reason for wanting to advocate for victims is trying to be a better advocate for her, if she ever wants me to be that." - Nikki

Highlights from Speaking at Edmonds Unitarian Universalist Church

2011-04-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

[Autotune]

This past Sunday, I had the chance to speak at the Edmonds Unitarian Universalist Church about New Beginnings and domestic violence. I spoke at two morning services before the offering plates were passed around and it was overall a wonderful event. It's an extremely generous gesture that they choose us to devote their entire April offerings to us. For those that are a bit hesitant to speak at events, I wanted to share some highlights of things I learned/liked/saw so you get a sense of what it all entails.

5. Church hymns are catchy - My favorite was probably There's A River Flowing Through My Soul. Now, this version on youtube does not really do the song that was sung by EUUC folks justice. The version they sang was a much more upbeat almost T-Pain styled song.
4. Neighbor - Maybe it's just me, but Seattle can be frighteningly unfriendly sometimes. That was not the case here. The "turn around and say 'hi' to your neighbor" moment was a nice one. We need to do that more when there are gatherings of people.
3. First Time Visitor Parking - I'm not making a joke but I think it says a lot when an organization has premier VIP parking for first-time guests and visitors.

2. Advocates for Women - I learned that this church has a group called "Advocates for Women" that describes themselves as men and women who are "passionate about improving the lives of women suffering from gender inequality, domestic abuse, sex-trafficking, inadequate health care, under-education, and poverty around the globe." Nice!

1. The People - Everyone that I met and interacted with was unfailingly pleasant and welcoming. A special shout-out to Terry and Reverend Eric!

##

F.A.Q.
Q: Is New Beginnings affiliated with any religion or church?
A: No. We receive support from many different churches and religious groups but we do not identify as, say, a Lutheran or Catholic organization.

ACRS Tabling Event on April 19th

2011-03-31T12:31:00.000-07:00

[H&R Block? Come on. I mean, I don't even know what they do!]

Hey folks, on April 19th we need one volunteer to help us table at an event sponsored by the Asian Counseling and Referral Service. Here are the details:

What: "The Children, Youth & Families Program, specifically the Teen Peer Advocate Program (TPAP), is hosting a youth event to promote awareness and provide resources on issues surrounding sexual assault, sexual harassment, and dating violence. We are expecting 75 youth, and the target audience is middle and high school young men and women. It is also open to interested parents and other adults."
When: Tuesday, April 19th, 2011. From 10am-11am (short commitment!)

If you like to engage youth about these important issues, this is the event for you. You'll be there with our Prevention Educator extraordinaire, Rebecca Goldberg. Contact me in the comments or by email to sign up!

Extree, Extree - Volunteer Newsletter!

2011-03-30T12:55:00.000-07:00

[March Madness]

Volunteer Training!
Our next volunteer training starts on May 3rd. If there are trainings that you’ve missed in the past or some you’d like to take again as a refresher, take a look at the listing below. Let me know which you’ll be attending. As always, the trainings are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-9pm at our admin conference room.

May 3rd – Welcome! DV 101
May 5th – Teen Dating Violence and Boundaries
May 10th – Help Line I
May 12th – Help Line II
May 17th – Kids, Teens and DV
May 19th – Legal Advocacy
May 24th – Creating Social Justice I
May 26th – Creating Social Justice II
May 31st – Chemical Dependency and DV
June 2nd – Help Line Revisited and Topic TBD
June 7th – Suicide Intervention and Shelter Life
June 9th – Survivor’s Panel, Potluck and In Her Shoes

##

[Needed!] MONDAYS 6-7:45pm - Transitional Housing Program Children’s Volunteer
1 Volunteer needed for our THP Childcare group on Mondays from 6-7:45pm. Let me know if you’re interested!

~~[Needed!] JUNE 9th - Survivor and Speaker~~
1 Volunteer/Survivor of DV needed to speak at our volunteer training on June 9th. This is a chance for you to share your story with a new group of incoming volunteers. In the past, we’ve had staff/board members/volunteers speak at this event. The time commitment is from 6-7:30pm and you’re welcome to stick around afterwards for the always memorable In Her Shoes simulation.

##

[Needed and Check it Out!] April 6th gallery event 6-8pm – New Beginnings Event for Supporters
Hey folks, we’ll be at the Winston Wachter Fine Art center talking about our services for children at New Beginnings. This is complimentary event for all to attend but you’ll want to RSVP with Leeza Hayes at lhayes@newbegin.org. We’d also love to have 1-2 volunteers to help during the event with registration, setup for dinner/drinks etc. A perfect way to learn more about what we do while helping out!

[Check it out!] SUNDAY 7:30-8:30pm April 10th – Comedy For A Cause!
Stand-up comic Shannon Whaley is organizing a riotous night of comedy benefitting New Beginnings. Bring a friend and enjoy the laughs! Check out event info here for more.

##

[Needed and Check It Out!] SATURDAY May 21st – New Beginnings Benefit Auction and Gala
This is the big deal, folks. The mega event. The big kahuna. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year and our programs and services depend on the dough we raise here! If you’d like to volunteer, check out the volunteer job descriptions below and email Leeza Hayes at lhayes@newbegin.org with your first, second and third choices for volunteer duties. It’s a great way to volunteer with a friend! Of course, if you’d like to attend as a guest, check out this link.

February Volunteer of the Month! - Ally Jurkovich

2011-03-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

[All right meow, hand over your license and registration]

Hey folks, we're very proud to announce our February Volunteer of the Month winner - Ally Jurkovich! Ally has been with New Beginnings for about a year volunteering on New Beginnings' 24 Hour Help Line as well as speaking at fundraisers, hosting an information booth as well as slew of other volunteer duties. Here's what some of our staff had to say about her:

It has been inspiring to watch Ally as a volunteer. Her passion to be involved in this work was evident from day one in volunteer training. She embodies the term fearlessness and is always ready to step up especially in new and innovative ways. We are fortunate to have Ally and her wonderful spirit volunteering at NB...Ally has been volunteering on our helpline for about a year now. She works two mornings a week, and she always brings a bright smile and her amazing positive energy. Sometimes she even brings the latest issue of People Magazine!! In addition to just being totally cool, Ally is also amazing at answering calls on our helpline. She provides survivors with a calm, listening ear and always makes sure that their needs are met before ending the phone call. We appreciate Ally’s smiling face and her warm heart, and she brings so much to our agency. We are lucky to have her with us twice a week!

Q: Who are you and what do you do outside of New Beginnings?
A: My name is Allison Jurkovich but everyone calls me Ally :) I'm 23 and have been living in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood for the past two years. I graduated from Occidental College in Los Angeles in 2009 with a degree in Gender Studies and am looking forward to starting graduate school this fall! I'm currently working part time as a nanny until I start school for my MA in Social Work. I'm in the middle of trying to figure out what school and which city I will be in, but really excited for the future!

Q: Why is it important for you to volunteer for New Beginnings?
A: When I first started working at New Beginnings and looking into graduate schools I thought a lot about why I've chosen Domestic Violence work as my path in life. As a Gender Studies major I am well versed in the realities of gendered inequalities and the need for women's empowerment. But it wasn't until this year that I was able to clearly articulate the need for DV programs. While gender inequality continues to permeate society, it is in less obvious forms than our foremothers had to contend with. Domestic violence unfortunately pervades as the single most offensive and blatant form of gender discrimination. Violence against women is a harsh reality that too often gets swept under the rug as we march into what many consider and egalitarian, gender-blind culture. What's worse is that DV permeates all aspects of women's realities- their economic, social, cultural, and legal existence- making it more than an issue but a priority.

Through New Beginnings, I have had the opportunity to see how these various systems affect our day to day lives. And now as we venture into a sobering world of budget cuts I see the position of volunteers as fundamental to this progress. I am proud to be a member of New Beginnings and so honored and touched by this award.

Q: Our next Volunteer Training is coming up. Thinking back when you were in the training, what stood out?
A: The thing that I remember most is the women in my classes. I learned so much from each of them. Each woman has a unique experience with and passion for DV work. And like working on the help line, speaking with different women has allowed me to travel above and beyond a theoretical understanding of violence against women and into a world where each story puts a face to the epidemic. In a film by Styajit Ray there is a quote that says "there is something to be said about creating beauty in the circumstances of shoddiness and privation that is truly exciting.” I like to think of this as my DV mantra. Because more than anything, this whole experience has been empowering and I am so excited for the new volunteers to experience this too!

Q: If you’re on Facebook, what’s the last thing you “Liked”?
A: The last thing I "liked" was a picture my older sister Jessica posted of my little sister Chelsea and I sitting on a dock on the north end of Mercer Island. It's a really beautiful picture and a wonderful memory. I'm very lucky to have such a supportive family.

Q: If you were on The Amazing Race, who would be your partner?
A: I know myself well enough to say I would never be on The Amazing Race... but if I could swing it I'd get Gloria Steinem on my team, the woman has some serious ovaries!

Q: What’s your favorite thing to do in Seattle during the Spring?
A: Like most Seattleites, the second the sun hits the city I'm outside. So that being said, my favorite thing to do in Seattle during the Spring combines two great NW loves: the sun and microbrews. Happy hour on the deck anyone?

Q: Anything else you’d like to say to the millions watching at home?
A: Be the best citizen of this world as you can- we only have one earth and you only get one shot.

##

That's right, folks. As they say in the movies, "This aint no video game!"

That's Pretty Low

2011-03-10T10:16:00.000-08:00

[It's like the kids at the Sea-Tac airport who harass passersby asking for "donations" for a local school]

Hey folks, a word from our Executive Director about a current scam going around:

A group calling itself Project Reach (led by Minister Herman Akins) is soliciting cash donations for domestic violence. They are currently operating on Whidbey Island, but I expect will be operating in other areas in the future, since they are advertising themselves as a statewide group. A complaint has made to the Attorney General’s office, and one of the local TV stations that did an investigation on a similar-sounding group a few years ago is starting another investigation.

Since the group is listing New Beginnings as a resource, I wanted to make sure that you knew that New Beginnings is not soliciting donations door-to-door or in parking lots, nor are we the recipient of such donations.

Please let me know if you receive any calls on the Help Line regarding the group, or if you spot them in Seattle.

Yikes. Say it with me now, That's Pretty Low!

International Women's Day 2011

2011-03-07T15:46:00.000-08:00

[Mark your calendars]

Hey folks, wishing everyone a Happy International Women's Day tomorrow! New Beginnings' offices will be closed in observance. Our staff meeting/training is also moved to the 22nd so stay tuned for that training topic.

Check out their official site to learn more. It's a bit slow navigating through their pages but maybe that's just my connection? It's like using AOL back in the 56k modem days.

Spring/Summer Volunteer Training is Set!

2011-03-04T16:12:00.000-08:00

[It's time to buy chips and salsa]

The staple of New Beginnings volunteer training is that we serve chips and salsa while volunteers are encouraged to bring snacks and drinks. You don't realize how good of a snack chips and salsa is until it's there in front of you every day and you just end up eating it all the time.

Anyways, our Spring/Summer volunteer training is set! Training goes from May 3rd to June 9th, every Tuesday and Thursday from 6-9pm.

Topics for each training are forthcoming. Remember to tell your friends if they're interested in becoming a volunteer!

Community Vigil for victims of domestic violence

2011-03-01T13:01:00.000-08:00

Hey folks, we'll be at Asian and Pacific Islander Safety Center's Community Vigil on Thursday.

Please join us for the Community Vigil for Victims of Domestic Violence.

The 16th annual Vigil, organized by the Safety Center, serves to commemorate all victims of domestic violence, but is focused primarily on the slayings of Susana Remerta Blackwell, her unborn daughter, and Phoebe Dizon and Veronica Laureta, friends of Susana who were there to support her in the King County Courthouse on March 2, 1995. On that day, as they waited in the courthouse for Susana's divorce proceedings, her estranged husband entered the building, shooting and killing all of them.

When: March 3, 2011, 4pm - 6pm

Where: King County Courthouse Lawn, 3rd Avenue & Yestler Street, downtown Seattle

We at the Safety Center have committed ourselves to holding an annual candlelight Vigil to remember these women and others whose lives have been destroyed by violence. The Vigil will be followed by a reception and cultural performances to inspire community members to take action in their own lives to prevent domestic violence and sexual assault. Our Vigil is supported by local judges, politicians, police officers, lawyers, businesses, and most importantly the community at large.

The Vigil begins outside the King County Courthouse, then moves inside. Refreshments will be provided.

Hope to see you there.

January Volunteer of the Month! - Joy Shay

2011-02-28T11:28:00.000-08:00

[Gopher It]

Joy's picture is coming soon!

Hey folks, we're very proud to announce our January Volunteer of the Month! - Joy Shay

Joy has been a volunteer at our Community Advocacy Program since 2009 and here's what our staff had to say about her:

Joy has been an exemplary volunteer. She started out on the Help Line and then when I asked her if she would like to co-facilitate my support group she said yes! I am so very glad that she did. She has been consistent, knowledgeable, and well liked by the participants! Joy has been such a joy (no pun intended) to work with. She is very capable of facilitating a support group all on her own, which in fact she has been put into that position and was remarkable. With Joy’s background in the medical field she has a keen ability to pick up on many things not noticed by many. In my weekly support group we have about two potlucks per year. So our holiday potluck was completely funded by Joy herself and what a lovely spread she provided! I do hope that Joy is able to continue as my co-facilitator, we are blessed to have her as a New Beginnings Volunteer!

No kidding about that potluck!:

Anyways, we had a chance to sit down with Joy and here's what she had to say:

Q: Who are you and what do you do (when you’re not volunteering)?

A: I’m an RN and I work for a surgical center.

Q: Why did you decide to volunteer for New Beginnings?
A: I decided to volunteer because I started learning about domestic violence from DAWN. More than 20 years ago I lived in Tacoma and I happened to have a neighbor that was experiencing severe domestic violence. That was my first exposure to it and because of her, I wanted to learn more about it. And then I moved to Seattle and I started volunteering at the shelter. But then life got crazy so I stopped and then a couple years ago I came back. This time I decided I wanted to do something more with the women directly and that’s how I ended up at the support groups [as a co-facilitator].

Q: What’s been your most memorable experience as a volunteer?
A: This one time at an event New Beginnings hosted, I saw one of our [participants] speak about her experience with domestic violence. As a co-facilitator, I watched her as she progressed and grew. For me, seeing her be able to stand up and see her tell her story was quite something.

Q: Did you make a new years resolution? If so, how is that working out?
A: Yes I did and I certainly haven’t done it! My resolution was to exercise more and I haven’t yet.

Q: What’s one thing about you people would be surprised to learn?
A: I’m sports nut. I’m a huge baseball and football fan. I know a lot about both sports that people would be surprised to find out.

Q: If someone made a movie about your life, who would you want to play yourself?
A: Discounting race, I'd choose Diane Keaton. I enjoy everything that she has done and I’d go with her. She’s got a lot of verb and sass.

Q: What would that movie be called?
A: I’d like it to be called, If You Never Grow Up, You Don’t Have To Grow Old.

Q: Anything you’d like to say to the millions watching at home?
A: All I can say is everybody has to find something that touches your heart. Go after it. It doesn’t have to be much--just do something. And [Women’s Advocate] Veronica is just absolutely awesome to work with. She is really something. I can see how much she gives to the women and how comfortable she is with them. And you can see it, you can just see it.

##

Thanks for all that you do Joy. And those are wise words to live by--go for it!

Own a truck? Like to stuff envelopes? I thought so

2011-02-24T15:59:00.000-08:00

If you said yes to either of those questions, you, dear reader, have hit the jackpot.

Our emergency shelter is looking to throw away a good amount of junk or "rubbish" as they say and we need one (or two?!) lucky volunteers who own or have access to an open air truck to transport the goods. If you have one, let me know!

And...

This could be you!

You know it's auction and gala madness time when envelope stuffing season comes around. Check out the details:

The date for the Gala Invitation Stuffing Party has been set. Please see details below.
What: Invitation Stuffing Party—we will stuff over 2,500 invitations to our annual Gala & Auction!

When: Tuesday, April 5th. We will start at 5 p.m. and stop once all the invitations have been stuffed.
Where: New Beginnings’ Admin Office.
Who: You and many other helpful volunteers.

Refreshments and drinks will be provided. New volunteers are invited to attend. This is a great one-time volunteer opportunity for any of your friends who don’t have time to volunteer regularly, but would like to help out. Please RSVP to me at lhayes@newbegin.org or 206.926.3041.

Thanks to all of you for helping make New Beginnings’ largest fundraiser a success!

Want to bring a friend? Sure! Just let Leeza know.

Just a little off of the top

2011-02-10T16:11:00.000-08:00

Hey folks, we currently have a need for volunteers who know a pair of scissors like the Super Bowl knows horrible half-time shows.

Yes, that's right. We're looking for one (or two, or three?!) volunteers to provide haircuts to our Emergency Shelter residents (mostly the kids). So if you have a secret second career working at Gene Juarez or are just really experienced with the shears, let me know.

OR, let's say you have a friend who is a hair-stylist but isn't a volunteer? Let me know also and we'll see if we can figure something out. Times, dates, scheduling and all that is flexible!

It's homework we have to do

2011-01-27T10:57:00.000-08:00

[What about the men!?]

This past Tuesday we hosted an information booth at the South Seattle Community College's Women's Health Fair. It was always nice to be surrounded by a bunch of great local organizations like DAWN and Big Brothers Big Sisters and there was a bustle of students right from the beginning who were eager to talk to us/get their class homework finished. It turned out that an instructor for a class there has given the students homework of visiting this fair and talking to eight different organizations to "find out what they do." Some wanted to get their work done and get out as quickly as they could while some were genuinely curious. You stop by and learn or you don't. It's the nature of tabling at events.

"Are you like an environmental organization? I see lots of plants and trees..."

Of course it wouldn't be a tabling event if there weren't at least a handful of men (and women, but let's face it, it's mostly men) who immediately after learning that NB is a domestic violence organization ask somewhat defensively if we serve men. Once I give the answer (yes we do, but only in certain capacities), they usually get even more defensive and talk about how there's nothing available for men. It never gets old because it tells me that people want to be angry that this service isn't as widely available for men (regardless of the actual rates of interpersonal violence against men) instead of actually seeing what's in front of them: that the rates of men's violence against women are unspeakably high(er).

I try to imagine the last time someone became angry at Child Protective Services for not having all the same programs for parents who are abused by their children as for children who are abused by parents.

The table on the left was for Vegetarian awareness and the table on the right was for a medical program at the UW.

Another thing that always stands out for me is when I talk to people who come by our booth, many say that they don't know anyone that's been in an abusive relationship. They say that it's not in their family or their friends don't have abusive boyfriends. Which I can actually believe. You may not know of anyone within your circle of friends that's in an abusive relationship but that doesn't mean some of your friends aren't actually in one. When I tell people the rates of violence (we all know the stats, one in three, one in four), they're a little stunned. I tell them to take a look around the room. The statistics speak for themselves.

"Um, what do you do?"

A personal goal of mine when tabling at events like these is to try and have each person walk away with how they can better help a friend or coworker if they're in an abusive relationship. Working on the help-line has especially given some perspective on this (and I'm sure volunteers can speak to this also). When I ask people what they wold do to help someone, most are unsure. They say "I'd just be angry at the boyfriend/husband." When I say that oftentimes it can be a big help to believe the person, to listen, validate and be there for the person and help to see what the options are so they can make choices, they're a little stunned. It worries me that from the looks of it, this is the first time they're hearing this sort of advice.

Yes, they did have a live cooking demonstration. It's like I was watching a KCTS telethon all over again.

Volunteer Openings!

2011-01-20T14:08:00.000-08:00

Hey folks, here are the open volunteer positions we have right now. Please let me know if you're interested in any of these!

Transitional Housing Open House Help!
What: New Beginnings will be hosting a small open house gathering for our newly remodeled Transitional Housing Program. We need 1-2 volunteers to help with greeting and checking in guests, replenishing food and drinks and clean-up duty.
When: January 25th from 6-8pm
Where: Our confidential Transitional Housing location.

Music/Dance/Acting/Art or Other Talent Instructor

What: We need one volunteer to teach a music/dance or any other fun talent to the kids at our Transitional Housing Program and emergency shelter. In the past, we’ve had a Karate instructor and a dance teacher host fun classes for the kids. It’s a great way for the kids to do something exciting and new!
When: Once a week on weekdays in the late afternoon/evening.
Where: At a TBD New Beginnings location.

Financial Literacy Expert/Credit Counselor
What: Many of the women at our Transitional Housing Program are going through a great deal of financial issues as a result of their abusive partners. We need one skilled volunteer to help sort out some of these issues with our women and to answer questions as they come up. Financial planning and troubleshooting with our women is more so dealing with critical debt and credit issues rather than saving for a house, for example.
When: Once every few months, Thursday afternoon/evening for 1-2 hours.
Where: Our confidential Transitional Housing location.

Healthy Eating/Nutrition Expert
What: We need one nutrition savvy volunteer to teach healthy eating and cooking skills to the women/mothers at Transitional Housing. Most of the women at THP are low-income and are supported through food stamps and/or food banks but it’s still important to learn about nutrition! This is a great way to teach people that even on a budget, you can eat right!
When: One time. On a Thursday afternoon/evening for 1-2 hours.
Where: Our confidential Transitional Housing location.

Landscaping Volunteer
What: We need one volunteer to help keep our Transitional Housing greenery area looking nice!
When: Based on your availability. Ideally once or twice a month for a few hours each shift.
Where: Our confidential Transitional Housing location.
New Beginnings at South Seattle Community College’s Women’s Health Fair!
What: We’ll be hosting an information booth at the Women’s Health Fair at SSCC. Help us be a positive and informative presence by engaging with the public!
When: January 25th from 11am-3pm.
Where: South Seattle Community College, Jerry Brockey Student Center

December Volunteer of the Month! - Sara Zittlau

2011-01-13T10:44:00.000-08:00

[We're off to see...]

Hey folks, we're very proud to announce the December Volunteer of the Month! - Sara Zittlau. Sara has been a volunteer in a number of capacities at New Beginnings since 2007 and here's what our staff had to say about Sara:

"Sara, a long time NB volunteer has been co-facilitating support groups for nearly two years now. In addition to her knowledge about domestic violence she is well versed in recovery issues and also has experience as a sexual assault program volunteer. She engages well with all the women in our [support] group and has an accepting and non-judgmental presence as well as being so well informed. She will co-lead group when asked with competence, style and grace. Whenever she is missing, the group is very aware and shares their concern for her absence. We are so privileged to have her!"

"Sara is always willing to lend a hand when needed and her positive attitude is always a boost to our agency"

We sat down with Sara after presenting her with the award:

Q: Who are you and what do you do outside of New Beginnings?

Sara: I am Sara, I love being with my children and am constantly in awe of the young adults they are, I have the best of friends, ones that I could have only dreamed of knowing when I was younger and friends that let me know in a hundred ways that even when I feel the lowest that I am loved for nothing more than being me…iI want to be a mixture of my children and my friends when I grow up as it is a gift I try to pass onto others. I am mildly (uh-huh) obsessed with the Wizard of Oz and Wicked series, a lot of what I learned as a child came from the land of Oz and the music from Wicked strengthens those lessons and beliefs for me, it’s all about love, understanding and looking beyond the cover of a book or a person, with those all things are possible. I am currently unemployed and looking for that special place that will allow me to help others while getting paid…I know it’s out there.

Q: Why did you decide to volunteer for New Beginnings?
S: In all the moments that I thought of calling for help and not being able to; an deep admiration and respect for those who had made the call developed. I wanted to be on the other end of the phone when they did call, to share my education and knowledge as well as my admiration for them, hoping to make their road to safety and healing a little easier.

Q: What’s been your most memorable memory as a volunteer?
S: Every time someone hits a marker in the recovery group and every time they relapse but come back in, every time someone arrives at shelter and she knows she’s safe, every time a woman finds out she got her children back or that her abuser is going to prison, watching the milestones and successes of the women each one is memorable and beautiful to be a part of.

Quentin Tarantino Presents!

Q: If they named a street after you, where would the street be?
S: Emerald City, of course :)

I'm cravin' a scary movie...

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!

Q: You’re a Hollywood studio executive and you’re trying to create The Best Movie Ever. Who do you cast as actors and who are you hiring as the director?

S: Angelina Jolie, Ashley Judd, Mariska Hargitay, Hillary Swank, Alanis Morrisette and Idina Menzel, some of my favorite activists who just happen to be awesome actors…and the directors, it would be shared billing, Wes Craven and Tim Burton…Wow, that would be a trip into the strange…

Q: What’s a food you love to eat but don’t have too often?
S: Chocolate pudding cake warm and gooey chocolate goodness :)

Note, this is not actually Sara's dog

Q: Did you have a pet growing up? If so, what was he/she like?
S: I had a best friend who happened to have four paws, his name was Buffy, sweet, cuddly- a living breathing teddy bear.

Q: Anything you’d like to say to the millions watching at home?
S: Just that we need to keep our heads up, the budget and economy is horrific but we can still do what we do, and we can do it when we aren’t getting paid….we can do it anywhere and everywhere….you never know how much you can help in genuinely smiling at someone, showing that you see someone and that you care, is one of the smallest simplest gifts you can give. Great miracles usually start with small deeds and we all can perform those.

##

No truer words have been said, Sara. Thanks for all of your hard work!

We need a survivor to speak at an event!

2011-01-05T13:43:00.000-08:00

New Beginnings will be the recipient of a benefit luncheon on February 19th and we're looking for one survivor of domestic violence to come speak to the attendees. They're looking for someone to share their story with the audience. It's a small group of women who have been dedicated supporters for several years and you'll be there with someone from New Beginnings who will talk about our programs and services.

Please let me know if you'd like to speak at this event!

Active Listening Training - Take Two!

2011-01-03T09:45:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

On January 11th, we'll have a training from 9am-11:15am about Active Listening presented by Dana Lockhart from the Seattle Victim Support Team. This was the training we were going to have last month but some unfortunate electricity problems forced us to postpone! This is a great way to have some ongoing training as a New Beginnings Volunteer.

Light breakfast is provided. Let me know if you'd like to attend!

2010 Year In Review

2010-12-29T15:25:00.000-08:00

[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.

Patrick on the bass!

4th Annual Bluegrass Potluck at the Tractor Tavern
On April 11th, Patrick Ferris and Bluegrass community at the Tractor Tavern raised over $2000 for New Beginnings. It was truly a community effort where everyone chipped in.

The 2010 Gala Committee!

Gala and Auction to Empower Change
On May 22nd at the Hyatt at Olive 8, our generous donors raised over $250,000 to fund our programs and services. Highlights of the night included, a dessert dash that would make NFL running backs proud, an emotional speech by a survivor of domestic violence, and of course all the great auction items.

It's A New Day!

New Beginnings on New Day Northwest

Throughout the season, King 5’s New Day Northwest hosted by Margaret Larsen devoted a great deal of time to issues of domestic violence. New Beginnings was honored to provide information and resources and our wonderful staff, board and supporters appeared on the show to talk about teen dating violence, spotting domestic violence in the workplace and much more.

Volunteer of the Month Recognition Kicks Off!
In June, New Beginnings recognized it’s first volunteer of the month winner: Tom Patrick. Tom’s commitment as a loyal shelter volunteer for over twelve years is such a big help to our families. We are lucky to have wonderful volunteers like Tom!

Sara Carter, Arthur Peach and Vegas

Steps Against Domestic Violence
On October 3rd, New Beginnings was the recipient of funds raised at the Seattle Steps Against Domestic Violence at Greenlake. Longtime supporter of New Beginnings, Arthur Peach, was on New Day Northwest along with New Beginnings' Lead Children's Advocate, Kiana Swearingen to promote the event and raise awareness.

City Council Budget Hearings
Throughout the fall, New Beginnings made a presence at City Council budget hearings representing not only victims of domestic violence but also those impacted by cuts to social services as a whole. We are very thankful to the survivors and advocates that gave testimony during these hearings. The Seattle City council has video recordings of each budget hearing here.

Facebook
In October, we broke the 1000 “likes” barrier as a Facebook group. We are a small community that is growing rapidly and we are very grateful for all of your comments, “likes” and most of all your readership as we continue our mission. Check out our Q&A with our 1,000th fan who is coincidentally a new New Beginnings volunteer!

Busload of gifts not all shown

Holiday Cheer
In December, volunteers and donors stepped up in a big way for the women and children we serve. Our offices were filled with new toys, household items, clothes and gift cards to make the winter months a little easier for those in need. A big shout out goes to the fine folks at Holland America Line who arrived with (literally) a busload full of donations.

##
Literally every event you see here, volunteers played a big role in making it all happen and for that we are very, very grateful. We can't wait to see what 2011 has in store and we're glad to have you our dedicated volunteers as part of that effort.

Have a safe new year's everyone.

Gift Wrapping Like Crazy

2010-12-20T15:46:00.000-08:00

[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!

2010-12-14T14:27:00.000-08:00

[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.

Q: Why do you volunteer for New Beginnings?
A: Because domestic violence is a horrible issue that doesn't seem to be going away, and I thought I could be useful to people who are grappling with its consequences. Plus, I wanted to do something that was totally opposite from my day job.

Q: What’s your favorite holiday song?
A: While not technically a holiday song, this year I'm loving "Sometimes You Have to Work On Christmas" by Harvey Danger. And I always love "Let it Snow" when I can sing it and not experience it.

Will: 'Ballad.' Who knows what this word means? Brittany: It's a male duck.

Q: Who’s your favorite television or film character?
A: At the moment, Brittany on Glee. She is a comedic genius.

Q: Let’s say you’re at a buffet with all the food in the world imaginable, what’s on your plate?
A: That would be a long buffet! I'd like hamachi kama (yellowtail collar) from Maui, Spanish tortilla from Valencia, Spain, asparagus from our lovely state, chocolate souffle from Paris, and pinot noir from Oregon.

Q: Anything you’d like to say to the millions watching at home?
A: I love that New Beginnings is part of my life and my routine, and I really like the people I work with (shout out to Astrid). I've learned a lot, and there is much more I can be doing. Thanks for this recognition!

##

Thank you Shelley for all of your hard work!

Cascadia Social Justice Fair

2010-12-08T15:35:00.000-08:00

[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!

2010-12-07T12:48:00.000-08:00

[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

2010-12-03T15:26:00.000-08:00

[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

2010-12-02T11:38:00.000-08:00

[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

2010-11-17T12:55:00.000-08:00

[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

2010-11-17T10:18:00.000-08:00

[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

2010-11-10T12:25:00.000-08:00

[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!

##

Q: Who are you and what do you do?

A: I have a background in software development and project management and offered my services to the Development Office to help maintain the information in their data bases. When New Beginnings is in full “auction gear”, I work on getting the auction items and donor information entered. Other times, I help out by trying to keep the data in Raiser’s Edge current.

Q: Why do you volunteer for New Beginnings?
A: My business slowed down in the fall of 2008. I had time on my hands and thought it would be an opportunity to give back in some way. I really enjoy going in to the office and all of the people that I work with there. It’s a bright spot in my week.

Q: What’s a memorable story you have from your time working with New Beginnings?
A: There were purple napkins randomly placed around the tables at the recent luncheon held at Nordstrom’s. After the lunch, one of the speakers asked everyone to stand that sat in a spot with one of those napkins. The number of people standing represented the number of men and women who died as a result of domestic violence in Washington last year. It was very moving and I’ll never forget it.

Q: What’s a good book you read recently?
A: I’m reading Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. It takes place in Henry VIII’s England in the 1500’s and is fascinating. I don’t usually go for historical fiction but I haven’t been able to put it down.

Q: What Thanksgiving food are you looking forward to the most?
A: The turkey skin when it first comes out of the oven.

Q: What’s one thing most people don’t know about you?
A: My first real job was driving an ice cream truck!

Q: Anything you’d like to share with the millions watching at home?
A: My favorite saying about life: “This ain’t no dress rehearsal”

##

Well said, Barb! Thanks for all of your hard work!

Fall 2010 Potluck Sign Up!

2010-11-09T15:57:00.000-08:00

[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

2010-11-09T13:06:00.000-08:00

[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:

- Answer the crisis line and provide support and referrals to callers***
- Read resident logs to get caught up on who is there and how they are doing
- Read staff log to see what needs to be done that night
- Handle the phones and office during support groups
- Take residents to the pantry, clothing room, or get them things from the linen room
- Watch kids while mom is doing a goals meeting or intake with the advocate
- Help people create documents, run credit reports, and write resumes on the resident computer
- Call for cabs for new residents
- Gather items (linens, toiletries, etc.) for incoming residents
- Make copies, shred old documents, clean up files

Some weeks the shelter is bustling and loud, and other weeks it’s quiet. I like not knowing quite what to expect when I walk through the doors, but feeling secure that it’s all going to work out fine. All of the advocates I’ve worked with are great.

Every week that I’m at the shelter I am humbled by the strength of the women who seek the services of New Beginnings. Working directly with the residents gives me a thorough look at what they’re up against to build their new lives, and it makes me want to do everything I can to help.

Put that shiny new knowledge to good use, new volunteers! Come lend a hand at shelter!

Thanks for all of your hard work Shelley!

##

Did you know:
*The New Beginnings 24-Hour Help Line is answered by our Community Advocacy Program from 9am-5pm Mondays through Fridays. From 5pm-9am and on Weekends and holidays, our Shelter Advocates answer the Help Line.

**"Relief Workers are "on-call" or "substitute" advocates that work any given shift if an advocate is sick, on vacation or otherwise unavailable.

***Our 24-Hour Help Line used to be called the "Crisis Line"! New name, same great service.

New Beginnings on Project Empowerment

2010-11-08T10:05:00.000-08:00

[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

2010-10-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

[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."

July 25, 1989 - Marjan Mohseninia, 18 and Ebrahim Sharif-Kashani, 27 - Between Denny and Balmer Halls

"Marjan Mohseninia was a freshman at the University of Washington. She had recently left California in an attempt to escape from her ex-boyfriend, Azizollah Mazooni.

Mazooni hired a private investigator who located her in Seattle. Azizollah bought a semi-automatic pistol and drove a rental car from California to Seattle. He stopped at the registrar’s office where he obtained her class schedule by claiming to be Marjan. Azizollah waited outside of Denny Hall and confronted Marjan and her friend Ebrahim Sharif-Kashani. Azizollah shot and killed Marjan and Ebrahim then fled the scene.

Azizollah was apprehended by the University of Washington Police Department and was charged with two counts of aggravated first degree murder. Defense attorney James Roe told the jury in closing arguments that Azizollah was ``a man who only wanted to be with the woman he loved.'' He was convicted of two counts of second degree murder. Hundreds of students and others signed petitions asking the judge to impose a stiff sentence. Azizollah was sentenced to 17 years in prison and served 10 years 6 months. He was released from prison on January 18, 2001 at the age of 35."

December 14, 1979 - Larry Duerksen, 29 - Parington Lawn

"Larry Duerksen was a University of Washington library employee. On the night of December 14, 1979, Larry’s boyfriend, Roger Cutsinger, shot and killed him on the Parrington Hall lawn as they walked together under an umbrella in heavy rain. A few weeks prior to this, Roger had taken out a $500,000 life insurance policy on Larry.

Roger was arrested by the University of Washington Police Department one week after the murder and was charged and convicted of first degree murder. He was paroled in December 2002 at the age of 44 after serving 22 years in prison."

December 6, 1974- Juanita McCoy, 52 - Staff Services Building

"Juanita McCoy was shot and killed in her office in the Staff Services Building on Brooklyn by her estranged husband, Steven James McCoy. Steven was facing second-degree assault charges after an incident where he threatened Roberta with a knife.

Steven was apprehended by the Seattle Police Department a few days after the slaying. Steven plead guilty to first-degree murder. Steven McCoy became a victim of homicide himself when he was stabbed to death by fellow inmates after serving two years of his sentence."

April 3, 1973 - William J. Morris, 30 - Between Gowen and Savery

"Law student William J. Morris was shot and killed by fellow law student Jimi Wright, 26. Jimi dated William’s ex-wife for over a year. Jimi was abusive towards her during their relationship and she ended things with him after he broke into her home. When the relationship ended, she asked William to be with her when Jimi collected some of his belongings from her. During the exchange, Jimi grabbed his ex-girlfriends arm and attempted to drag her from the home. William intervened and Jimi fled the apartment after telling William “I’m going to get you and I’m going to get you on the street.” A few days later, Jimi confronted William as he walked between Gowen and Savery halls. He pulled a handgun from his backpack and shot and killed William.

Jimi was immediately apprehended by the University of Washington Police Department. He was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison. He was paroled in 1978 after serving five years, two months of his sentence.

The Seattle Daily Times reported this as the first homicide in the history of the University of Washington."

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

2010-10-28T14:34:00.000-07:00

[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

My Occupation: United Way of King County, Loaned Executive for Workplace Giving
My Funniest Moment: I don’t have a funniest moment, but I find myself quite funny when I dance. And I dance often.

My Best Decision: My best decision was to attend the University of Kansas. I was blessed to receive a scholarship and play soccer while attending an outstanding university. I made great friends, received two degrees and had a fantastic time doing it.

My Hero(es): My hero is Mindy Niblock. She was my youth counselor and mentor while I was in high school. She made more of a difference in my life then she will ever know. She has inspired me to want to make this same difference in the lives of other teen girls.

My Reason why I work to end domestic violence: It is a problem that reaches everyone. It takes people who are willing to advocate on behalf of others. My passion to support those affected by domestic violence started when I was in kindergarten and I learned that my friends’ dad was hurting his mom. My heart broke for him then and I reached out to him in the way that a 5 year old knows how to. Now that I am an adult, I am reaching out to the people who are in similar situations the way that I now know how to. I am currently going through the volunteer training and am excited to serve in the shelter in any capacity that I can. When my contract with United Way of King County ends in December, I hope to find a position where I can combine my passion and my experience to fight to end domestic violence.

##

Thanks Monica for following us on Facebook! Keep up with all the latest from New Beginnings here! Here's to another 1000 individuals who work to end domestic violence in our communities.

Clothesline Project! - Shoreline Community College Edition

2010-10-25T11:11:00.000-07:00

["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!

2010-10-24T17:14:00.000-07:00

[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

2010-10-19T17:02:00.000-07:00

[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!

Help the Help Line!
Want to volunteer on our Help Line at our Community Advocacy Program? We need folks to staff our Wednesday AM (9am-1pm), Thursday PM (1-5pm), and Friday PM (1-5pm) slots!

Green Thumbs
Our Transitional Housing Program went through quite a bit of remodeling recently and we’re looking for one (or more) dedicated landscaping volunteers to help out a few times a month with keeping the grounds looking nice!

Legal Clinic!
Our Legal Clinic needs you! We’re looking for a volunteer to commit to our Wednesdays spot from 1-4:30pm!

In Memory
On October 27th at noon, the University of Washington’s police department will be hosting a memorial walk for victims of domestic violence. The walk honors six people who lost their lives from domestic violence on campus. Walk starts at noon and New Beginnings will be there also.

##
And finally..

As many of you know, October is National Domestic Violence Awareness month. Across the United States, people are gearing up to bring attention to this important issue and to get the community involved. Whether you’re a survivor, volunteer, donor, supporter or know someone whose life has been affected by domestic violence, please join us as we work to create social change to end domestic violence.

We invite you to do two things:

1. Spread the Word - We’ll be canvassing our neighborhoods until November 16th with this poster to bring attention to domestic violence and to urge others to become involved. Our goal is to have these at every place of work, every library, coffee shop, doctor’s office, community center and so on. Commit to taking at least three posters and distributing these in your community. Why three? On average, three women in the U.S. are killed by a current or former intimate partner each day. You can pick up these posters at our office Monday-Friday (or at the place you volunteer at), just let us know when you’ll be coming by! Please also email us which places you’re visiting so we can keep a tally and send them a thank-you note for participating in our campaign.

2. Make a Change: Commit to doing one thing to end domestic violence that you’re not already doing. That could be anything! Commit to talking to your workplace about how they support victims of DV on the job. Commit to helping us with our postering campaign. Commit to speaking at one fundraising event for New Beginnings. We’d love to hear what you’re doing and we’ll be compiling a list of our action as a community.

September Volunteer of the Month! - Nikki Cain

2010-10-14T14:53:00.000-07:00

[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.

Q: Why did you want to volunteer for New Beginnings?
A: Someone close to me lives with DV everyday. I think a big reason for wanting to advocate for victims is trying to be a better advocate for her, if she ever wants me to be that.

Q: What do you like about volunteering at the Legal Clinic?
A: I love the interactions with clients. So often a woman comes in and is upset and fearful during the intake process and during the exit interview she is excited and empowered. Getting to be a part of that is priceless. Sometimes it feels like something I should be paying for, it feels that good.

Q: What websites do you most often visit?
A: Shakesville, tigerbeatdown, for fun: nataliedee and qwantz (yea talking dinosaurs!)

Q: What’s the funniest thing you’ve read/seen/encountered recently?
A: Devil Dog Buster after coming home tonight after volunteering at legal clinic. He was in his crate for longer than normal as both myself and my partner had engagements tonight. He was long overdue for some attention. And quite hilarious!

Q: If you celebrate Halloween, what are you dressing up as?
A: I never dress up, though I long to be that fashion-creative person that can put something fabulous together. Maybe someday. When I figure out how to costume the rhetorical triangle, then I'll start dressing up for Halloween.

Q: What’s your favorite Halloween candy?
A: Total guilty pleasure: candy corn pumpkins. As someone who considers themselves a hardcore foodie, this should make me hang my head in shame. Yet, my head is held high :)

##

Thanks Nikki for all of your hard work!

Northwest Men's Project!

2010-10-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-10-06T16:10:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-28T10:08:00.000-07:00

[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.

And here we are before the festivities began. Our "Stop Domestic Violence" buttons were a favorite as always.

Directly in front of us, something fresh baked was in the air...

That's right, folks. It's one of the many perks of doing outreach work for New Beginnings. If you'd like to volunteer at such events in the future and represent New Beginnings, let me know in the comments!

August Volunteer of the Month - Sonni Rierson

2010-09-20T10:01:00.000-07:00

[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!

2010-09-16T12:10:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-09-15T14:50:00.000-07:00

["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.

We then got to hear Minister Sheila Dean speak and she had some powerful words about speaking up, being a community and standing up against domestic violence.

Then, we were treated with song before a brief prayer.

At that point, we saw one of the three step-dance performances for the day.

Then Minister Dean came back to the podium and delivered a line I will never forget (on the heels of the step performance): "See these girls are here dancing, shakin' it and talking about God. How wonderful is that? I was shakin' it when I was young. I was shakin' it so much, I shook out some 4-5 kids."

And then we were off to lunch and I had probably the best macaroni/tuna salad in my life that the good folks at Freedom Church made.

Then it was part one of the mother-daughter fashion show.

Next we got to hear Miss Plus America Latasha talk about her own personal experience with domestic violence and some of the great work she's doing on her national tour. Latasha's speech talked also about the three steps you need to take/questions you should ask yourself in pursuing goals in life.

#1. Get real with where you're at.

#2. Where do you want to be?

#3. What are the steps to get there?

Simple and straight to the point, well said.

Notice the sign on top! Whoo! That's us!

It was a great event and many thanks to everyone at Freedom Church for inviting us and supporting New Beginnings!

Runway To Freedom

2010-09-08T11:48:00.000-07:00

[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

2010-09-01T16:55:00.000-07:00

[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!

2010-08-30T15:57:00.000-07:00

[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!

2010-08-23T09:04:00.000-07:00

["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.

What was great about this event was that it's exactly the sort of stuff we want to be a presence at: things where everyday folks, families and general citizens are. There were fun activities for kids and yes, you got to see a real live bomb squad suit. It was like I was watching The Hurt Locker all over again.

About halfway through tabling, I took a bathroom break and upon entering the police station, directly on my right I see a big bulletin board.

Pretty normal looking board, right? BUT WAIT. WHAT IS THAT?!

That's right, folks. The official New Beginnings "End Domestic Violence" poster. It was already there--I didn't even have to post it up! We've actually tabled at this event in the past so it makes sense that it's there but it's always nice to see our stuff posted around town anyways. Robyn snapped this picture before I autographed it with our Executive Director's signature. Just kidding. Anyways, we talked to some great folks and it was especially nice to see local politicians out there fresh from the election. We spoke with Diana Toledo, Ed McKenna and a few others.

When tabling at community events like this, one thing that's always nice is you start to learn about some great organizations. My favorite for the night was a Delridge Neighborhood group that aims to put fresh fruits and veggies in corner stores as there aren't many grocery stores in the area. Read about them here on KUOW.

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

2010-08-18T16:08:00.000-07:00

[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!

2010-08-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

[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

2010-08-16T09:24:00.000-07:00

[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

2010-08-11T14:43:00.000-07:00

[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

2010-08-05T16:51:00.000-07:00

[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

2010-08-05T11:51:00.000-07:00

[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?

2010-08-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

[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

2010-08-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

["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!

2010-07-30T12:15:00.000-07:00

[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!)

2010-07-27T15:59:00.000-07:00

[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

2010-07-26T10:58:00.000-07:00

[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

2010-07-20T14:26:00.000-07:00

[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

2010-07-19T09:33:00.000-07:00

[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**

June Volunteer of the Month - Tom Patrick

2010-07-15T11:23:00.000-07:00

[Drumroll please...]

I'm very, very proud to announce the New Beginnings June 2010 Volunteer of the Month - Tom Patrick!

Tom was nominated by New Beginnings staff at the Emergency Shelter and here are some things they had to say:

"Tom has been volunteering regularly for 13 years at the shelter. He comes almost every Tuesday evening to do maintenance projects around the house. He troubleshoots with the household coordinator on jobs that need doing. He is a whiz at everything in the maintenance realm...He is easygoing, quiet and mixes unobtrusively with the program participants. Tom has saved the agency thousands and thousands of dollars as he is able to do many of the repair jobs we would otherwise need to hire a contractor for. Tom is absolutely delightful to work with and his dedication to the shelter and the women and kids we serve is unsurpassed!", "I nominate him for volunteer of the new century."

We had a Q&A with Tom after presenting him with the award:

Q: Who are you and what do you do?
A: Tom Patrick, I do mostly volunteer maintenance related things at the shelter. Since I have been doing this starting in 1997, I come on an “as needed” basis, usually on Tuesday evenings.

Q: Why do you volunteer for New Beginnings?
A: I would just like to contribute in some way that is conducive to my talents. I learned about New Beginnings while working on the Seattle Crisis Line in the late 80’s.

Q: What's your favorite hobby/sport/free time thing to do when you're not volunteering?
A: I love to walk, hike and spend time outdoors. I also own a 21’ sailboat that I moor and sail in Lake Washington during the summer. I am an active recreational pilot, flying with a group of other pilots who own four aircraft based at Auburn airport.

Q: Now that you've won, what are you going to do now?
A: I plan to toast New Beginnings over a glass of wine with my wife.

Q: Anything you'd like to say to the millions watching at home?
A: Bloom where you are planted!
##

A big thank you to Tom!

We need your feedback

2010-07-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

[100 people surveyed top 6 answers on the board...]

Who knew Survey Monkey would blow up into such a money-making machine? Anyways, as a volunteer your feedback is valuable to us so we've put together a little something to get your thoughts on things. Please take a moment to give it a look and let us know your thoughts!

UPDATE: Also, if from the time you started as a volunteer and any of your contact information has changed (address, email address, phone numbers, etc), please let me know!

Does your baseball team work to end domestic violence?

2010-07-14T10:25:00.000-07:00

[Remember their "Refuse to Abuse" campaign a while back?]

Here's the deal. Major League Baseball is teaming up with Pepsi to offer one team $200,000 for a project to benefit the community. With such a general premise, it allows teams to champion what they're interested in and what they think their city/state needs.

Though I'm tempted to turn this post into a personal soap-box of the politics of giving, I'm going to let the sports teams do the talking. You can draw your own conclusions. But for my money, I think I'll vote for the home team.

Seattle Mariners: "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"

New York Yankees: "The Yankees are competing against other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. Their idea is to provide children throughout the New York City public school system with safe, fun and developmentally beneficial play spaces by leveraging private sector resources for the building and refurbishing of school playgrounds."

Detroit Tigers: "The Tigers are competing against other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. Their idea is the 'Refresh Recess' and fight childhood obesity by introducing the game of baseball to nearly 20,000 students."

Arizona Diamondbacks: "The Diamondbacks are competing with other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh grant. Their idea is to fund the "Batter up with Buddies" project and match Arizona's youth with developmental disabilities into friendships with student volunteers. The grant will also connect other schools across Arizona with the Diamondbacks including games at Chase Field and possibly meeting the players.

Chicago Cubs: "The Cubs are competing against other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. Their idea is to allow hundreds of kids of all ages across the Humboldt Park neighborhood to participate in baseball."

Cleveland Indians: "The Indians are competing against other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. Their idea is to expand The Cleveland Baseball Federation. The CBF provides 4,200 kids, ages 5-19, Twenty-minute sessions about personal responsibility, money management, and college preparations."

Chicago White Sox: "The White Sox are competing against other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. Their idea is to supply much needed school supplies to participants of the Inner City Youth Baseball Program. The kids will also be invited to their game against the Orioles in August and given a chance to be in a pre-game parade on the field."

Kansas City Royals: "The Royals are competing against other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. Their idea is to restore 37 baseball/softball fields with the grant of $180,000, in small communities in the Midwest region in one year with a $5,000 grant each."

Los Angeles Angels: The Angels are competing against other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. Their idea is to graduate 100% of at-risk high school seniors who are four-year college eligible with a clear career path plan by rewarding successful AVID students and their families with tickets to summer and evening Angels games and having Angels players and/or executives on-campus and in-classroom in speak directly to students about the importance of education in reaching career goals."

Milwaukee Brewers: "The Brewers are competing against other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. Their idea is to construct Milwaukee's first universally accessible baseball league, for children with physical or mental disabilities, to afford them the opportunity to play baseball."

Minnesota Twins: "The Twins are competing against other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. Their idea is to create a specialty softball field for Courage Center's Rolling Twins youth softball wheelchair team, which currently plays in a parking lot, and is in desperate need of a "home field"."

New York Mets: "The Mets are competing against other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. Their idea is to improve educational outcomes for low-income communities, improve attendance, behavior, course performance and civic involvement through a competition among 20 NYC public schools that encourages students to attend school everyday and to arrive on time. "

Oakland Athletics: "The Athletics are competing against other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. Their idea is to build an adapted sports field and community park for differently-abled people. Go to MLB.COM/PEPSIREFRESH or text "Athletics" to 76462 to vote."

Pittsburgh Pirates: "The Pirates are competing against other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh Grant. Their idea is to partner with the City of Pittsburgh to plant and cultivate an urban garden that would grow fruits and vegetables. The harvest would then be donated to various local non-profit organizations to feed the hungry."

Tampa Bay Rays: "The Rays are competing with other MLB teams for a $200,000 Pepsi Refresh grant. Their idea is to work with Moffitt Cancer Center to promote cancer awareness and provide education to kids about making healthy choices."

Woot! Lake City Pioneer Days!

2010-07-09T10:04:00.000-07:00

[Cowboy/girl hats, spurs and sheriff's badges are optional]

Yessss. Time to Save the Date, folks. Your favorite local non-profit will be hosting an informational booth/table at this year's Lake City Pioneer Days on August 7th! Here are the deets:

What: Lake City Pioneer Days
When: August 7th from 10am-7pm
Where: 125th and Lake City Way

This is what Social Change is all about! We'll need volunteers to staff the table from 10am-7pm (1 hour shifts, 4 hour shifts, whatever works for you!) so please let me know if you're interested and when you can volunteer.

The only requirements for this is that you have a passion for raising awareness about domestic violence and telling people about the services New Beginnings offers (encyclopedic knowledge not necessary!).

If you haven't been to Lake City Pioneer Days, it's definitely worth checking out! Fun booths, live music and vendors with grocery carts selling balloons?!:

Shelter Tour!

2010-07-07T10:49:00.000-07:00

[The weather forecast for tomorrow: Ridiculous]

Hey folks, we'll be having a Tour/Orientation to our Emergency Shelter tomorrow at 5:30pm for all volunteers who are interested!

If you want to check out the Shelter to see what it's about, please let me know by email or phone by 4pm today. The tour should go over an hour as we'll be going over lots of material!

Please be advised that the temperatures will be-a-soaring tomorrow so bring whatever you need to bring to stay cool!

Congrats!

2010-07-02T14:34:00.000-07:00

[Nacho Casserole and Red Velvet Cheesecake for the win. Bam!]

Congratulations to everyone who completed the 2010 Spring/Summer DV Volunteer Training! Thank you also to everyone who brought something to share for the potluck. There were some real memorable dishes brought in and it added to a memorable night. If you'd like to share the recipe of something you brought in, feel free to post in the comments.

If you have a recipe from a training from years past, post that too. We'll compile it all and publish a cookbook: "Best of New Beginnings' Volunteer Potlucks." Just kidding, sort of.

End of Training Potluck!

2010-06-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

[Festive Christmas hats not required]

Thursday will be our last day of volunteer training for the quarter and we'll be having a grand old potluck to celebrate. Everyone is invited to bring a dish!

Please sign up for whatever you want to bring in the comments below and please check out what others are bringing first so we don't end up with 15 hummus platters (no disrespect to hummus).

Please also note that on Thursday in addition to the potluck, graduation and "In Her Shoes" simulation we'll also be having guest speakers in the form of survivors of domestic violence who will be sharing their stories.

Bring whatever you'd like to share but as a general guide, we'll need:

-A few folks for drinks
-A few folks for different kinds of salads
-A few folks for main dishes
-A few folks for desserts
-A few folks for snacks (chips, crackers, etc)

Thanks and see everyone on Thursday!

Lilith Fair Update

2010-06-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

[We were this close!]

Bad news, folks. We didn't win Lilith Fair's Choose Your Charity contest but the good news is that we knew going into it that whatever happened, a great non-profit organization would receive some valuable support and Passages Northwest is a wonderful organization doing some great things. It was an honor being nominated along with DAWN, also.

In terms of raw voting numbers, we came in 2nd and I think all things considered, that's nothing to sneeze at! We were nominated by you and we made it all the way to the final three at which point the winner was chosen by the LF committee.

Thanks to everyone who supported us on The Internet and here's hoping that next summer, Lilith Fair gives us another chance to bring home the gold!

In Her Shoes - Volunteers Needed!

2010-06-22T15:58:00.000-07:00

[Not the movie with Cameron Diaz]

Hey folks,

We need one or two volunteers to help us out for our last day of volunteer training! We'll be conducting a group exercise called "In Her Shoes" and we'll need volunteers to be stationed at different tables. You won't have to do anything crazy, just making sure folks pick up the right cards/information and that they return it to you.

When: July 1st, Thursday from 6-9pm.

The big draw to attend is that it's also the day of our Survivor's Panel and also our end-of-training potluck (free food!).

Let me know via email or by comments if you can help out!

Card Makingtacular

2010-06-22T14:35:00.000-07:00

[Everything sounds better when you put 'tacular' at the end]

A big thank you to our volunteers Donna and Lynette for visiting us yesterday and helping New Beginnings staff and volunteers make some really amazing cards for our families and donors!

A shout-out also to New Beginnings advocates and volunteers who came to help make some really crafty cards.

Remember, folks, if you have a group volunteer project idea, let us know!

Fire up your iCal because it's Save The Date time!

2010-06-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

[I know this is way, way in the future but...]

A quick note about a great event that is coming up called Steps Against Domestic Violence on October 3rd. Each year, Steps has donated to New Beginnings and this year we'd like to make it an even bigger success. You can check out videos from last year's event on our Facebook page and for information on sponsoring, participating or volunteering, please contact: Arthur Peach at (206) 412-3198 or email him.

Thanks everyone and have a great weekend!

Summertime Landscaping - Moving a 5ft Tall Rose Bush Is Not Easy

2010-06-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

[I also found out that there are gardening gloves and there are rose bush handling gloves. If only I knew...]

A quick note of thanks to our volunteers for taking some time this past Sunday to do some gardening work for our Transitional Housing Program (THP)! Our THP building is going through some remodeling so we're moving some of the plants/flowers we have in one of the flower beds to be used in a newly constructed flower bed area--out with the old and in with the new! This was part one and once the construction folks are done building the new flower area, we'll be back there to plant the bulbs/flowers. We'll keep you posted with pictures when it's all done and as always, let us know if you want to help out!

The Suspense Is Too Much!

2010-06-10T16:54:00.000-07:00

[Drumroll...]

A big thank you to everyone who voted for us in Lilith Fair's Choose Your Charity contest. Our volunteers voted, friends of our volunteers voted, everybody came together and really showed that we have a strong family of supporters here in Washington.

We made it to the final round and now it's literally up to Sarah McLachlan and her friends to choose who wins the grand prize.

Check out our final plea here and I think it's a good one. It breaks down how financial support funds our programs while also giving a look into some of the smaller things we do that have such a big impact.

As soon as we know who wins we'll let you know. The other two organizations in the running are really wonderful and it's great to know that much needed support is going to go to a great organization, whereever it lands.

Stay tuned folks! And we'll have printed materials/flyers on the way so we'll be on the lookout very soon for some volunteers to spread those around in the community!

A few volunteers needed to help landscape!

2010-06-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

[For the green-thumbs]

Hey folks, we've got a hands-on volunteer opportunity coming up this Sunday the 13th at 12pm. Along with a few volunteers from Environmental Works, we'll be heading to our Transitional Housing area and doing a bit of summertime landscaping work. Our transitional housing program is going through some renovations so we'll be moving around some plants and flowers. For those that, unlike myself, know a thing or two about plants and how to remove them without destroying the roots, this would be a great chance to help out!

So bring your shovels, your gardening gloves and let's get started! Email me or comment below if you can make it!

[Update: I forgot to mention! This has the potential to be a two-part volunteer opportunity (though you certainly can sign up for one or the other). This Sunday we'll be digging out plants/flowers and in another week or so we'll be replanting!]

Blog Roundup in 30 Seconds Or Less

2010-06-03T14:11:00.000-07:00

[For newcomers to the blog, these are the top 3 links to get caught up on everything as a New Beginnings volunteer]

Tap into your creative side. Help New Beginnings make cards for our families and donors on June 21st.

If you're a current volunteer and need to make up a missed training from in the past (or just want a refresher) this is your chance. Did I mention we're serving chips? With salsa.

What? What's all this blog business about? Read about how it all started on the back of a restaurant napkin (not really, but it sounds better that way) and what it's all for.

Penny Harvest and the Peaceful Penny Peeps

2010-06-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

[$200 is a lot of pennies]

Hey folks, a while back I wrote about a local elementary school that was very generous in choosing New Beginnings (among other non-profits) as a recipient for their school-wide penny drive. Well, we have some great pictures from the assembly where the student leaders presented myself and representatives from the other organizations with checks! Check out the Solid Ground website here to see the pictures! We're in the first photo!

I think I speak for everyone at New Beginnings in saying that it's really wonderful to see the community and young people especially that care about issues

that are so close to home--specifically those of domestic violence. We were honored to be one of the recipients of this generous award. Thanks again to all the students, teachers and parents involved! You can check out the school's Penny Harvest video here on YouTube starring Darth Vader and Oscar The Grouch. I'm not even joking!

The Help Line Needs Your Help!

2010-05-24T16:45:00.000-07:00

[One of the most important services we offer]

Hey folks, we currently need Volunteers for our Help Line.

The 24-hour Help Line at New Beginnings is in many ways the bread and butter of what we as an organization are all about. We rely heavily on volunteers to provide services to those in the community.

There are lots of different shifts available. We do prefer that volunteers commit to a "chunk"--say every Thursday afternoon for a month--but we'll work with your schedule. Whether you can commit to 3 months on the Help Line or 3 weeks, every shift you staff means a lot to us and our callers.

Shifts in our Community Advocacy Program (CAP) are divided by AM shifts (9am-1pm) and PM shifts (1pm-5pm) at our confidential location in Seattle.

Right now we need volunteers for:

Mondays, PM shifts
Tuesdays, AM shifts
Thursdays, AM and PM shifts
Fridays, AM and PM shifts

If you'd like to help out, please let me know in the comments or via email listing in order of preference, the shifts you can volunteer for.

Please remember that this is for volunteers who have completed our training and have volunteered on the Help Line previously. If you have completed the training but have not volunteered on the Help Line before but want to get started, let me know as well.

New Beginnings Auction & Gala 2010 - Thank You!

2010-05-24T11:42:00.000-07:00

[The Dessert Dash table presents: The Calm Before The Storm]

Hey all, a big thank you to everyone who supported us on Saturday for our annual Auction/Gala. From our fabulous Gala Committee, to our staff and board members, to the Olive 8 crew and everyone who came out in support, we can't thank everyone enough.

A special shout-out to our dedicated volunteer...
-Live Auction Spotters who were there feverishly shaking wands and handing out green feather boas despite having feathers flying all in their eyes and ears.

-Greeters who made guests feel warmly invited the second they walked into the Olive 8.

-Golden Ticket Sellers who wore the a size-too-small gold hats and still sold tickets like mad.

-Live Auction Runners who made like Usain Bolt and sprinted to get winning bids to our computers.

-Guest Registration and Inivtation packaging teams who, despite all forms of papercuts, stuffed envelopes and put together packets like nobody's business.

-Silent Auction folks who recreated the inner workings of a frenzied yet organized and efficient beehive in sorting, packaging and gathering items ranging from a GT Express Cooker(?!) to an autographed Sue Bird jersey.

-Ambassadors in the community. Whether you told your friend about New Beginnings or commented on our Facebook page, it is through our collective action that we were able to make it all happen that night.

There will be more updates and recaps on our website and Facebook page but the highlights of the night (for me at least) were:

3. The Dessert Dash was a big crowd-pleaser. I haven't seen people move that fast since the midnight Christmas sale at Wal-Mart. A volunteer who shall remain nameless asked me if it'd be wrong to "accidentally" trip someone to steal their five layer chocolate cake. For the record, I did say it would be wrong.

2. The auctioneer for the night, Larry Snyder, who was an endless source of jokes and one-liners to our volunteers and staff. I now know how to say the plural form of "y'all" - "All y'all."

1. A very emotional speech by a survivor of domestic violence. It was really touching to see her friends, family and her New Beginnings Advocate, Veronica, there to support her. In many ways the night was really about her story.

Volunteers needed ASAP!

2010-05-18T17:03:00.000-07:00

[That's right, we're looking at you!]

Hey everyone, with our latest DV Volunteer Training quickly approaching, one urgent need we have is for childcare volunteers starting next week! We currently have folks volunteering their time as childcare volunteers but they'll be attending our DV training and thus unable to volunteer on certain days. This is where you come in! We need volunteers to assist in providing childcare on Tuesdays specifically (we also need volunteers for wed-thurs so if you're looking to get back into volunteering in that way, let us know also).

This is one of the most basic and underrated needs we have at New Beginnings. As I'm sure many of you are familiar with, New Beginnings provides no-cost childcare to mothers when they are attending our support group or parenting classes. If this wasn't a service we provided, many participants wouldn't be able to attend and receive support. If we didn't have the best Child Advocates and volunteers in the world, parents wouldn't come back if they didn't feel their child/ren were safe and comfortable here. It's a small way to help out with something very big.

Volunteer shifts are Tuesdays from 6-8pm at our confidential location in Seattle.

Let me know via email or in the comments if you're available!

-Luke

Suggestions/Tips for Volunteers in Training and a Lilith Fair Request

2010-05-17T10:17:00.000-07:00

[Volunteers volunteering their advice to other volunteers]

Hey everyone, I have two favors to ask (on a Monday morning no less!). One: Our latest group of Volunteers in Training (Class of Summer 2010!) is geared up and ready to go starting May 25th and I think it'd be great to hear from volunteers that have been through the training before: What advice would you give to the new class? What tips/suggestions do you have for those who are about to start our DV Volunteer Training?

Let us know in the comments and I'll send them to the new group. Your input is appreciated!

##

Two: We need your help with to put New Beginnings on the map to potentially receive a big donation from the newly revived Lilith Fair!

Lilith Fair (coming to the Gorge Amphitheatre on July 3rd) has a Choose Your Charity contest. In each area on the tour, five groups have been selected from a list of nominees to receive $1 for each ticket sold (potentially $20,000!). We are on the Seattle list. Facebook users can vote until May 31 for the group of their choice. The final winner will be selected by Sarah McLachlan and company from the top three. It's kind of like American Idol, except this time Simon, Randy and ~~Paula~~ Ellen are the ones deciding who wins it all but we need your support to be in the running.

The steps: become a fan of Lilith Fair on Facebook, click on the “Choose Yours” tab at the top of the page, select Seattle, then select New Beginnings. It’s that easy! Click here: http://www.facebook.com/lilithfairtour to participate.

-Luke

Card Making Fun!

2010-05-13T10:36:00.000-07:00

[Give Hallmark a run for their money]

Hey folks, we've got a fun opportunity brought to you by a group of women from Northwest Church in Shoreline. On June 21st from 7-8:30pm we'll be getting crafty and making cards for New Beginnings. Cards can be used to give to women and children at our shelter and transitional housing program or to send to donors and supporters of New Beginnings(Please note, these will not be cards made specifically for certain people. Rather, they will be "Happy Birthday" or "Thanks You" cards made just like one might buy from Hallmark or Papyrus).

Cards are so simple yet can mean so much and now is your chance to create one of your own to give back!

Donna and her friends from NW Church will be bringing all the materials. All you have to do is bring your ideas and creativity. We'll be meeting at the N.B. office and only 12 spots available. Comment below to reserve your spot and contact me directly for directions!

-Luke

NB on King 5's New Day Northwest

2010-05-10T15:32:00.000-07:00

[Shout-out to Margaret Larson for years of support!]

We were featured on King 5's New Day Northwest! Check out the clip here:

Volunteer Training Makeup Days

2010-05-10T14:08:00.000-07:00

[I promise our training is more engaging than the guy in the brown sweater indicates]

Hey folks, a quick note: If you've taken our Domestic Violence Volunteer training in the past and missed one or two (or three!?) days and are looking to make those up, now is your chance. Our Spring/Summer DVVT is quickly approaching and we've got our schedule lined up. Please take a look at the dates/times below and RSVP by emailing me (or commenting below) with which you'll be attending. Please remember to bring your training manual to the trainings as well. Note: this is not for people that are new to New Beginnings and have never participated in the trainings before!

May 25th (Tuesday 6-9pm) Understanding Domestic Violence
May 27th (Thursday 6-8pm) Sexual Assault
June 1st (Tuesday 6-9pm) Teen Dating Violence/Boundaries
June 3rd (Thursday 6-9pm) Suicide Intervention
June 8th (Tuesday 6-9pm) Creating Social Justice I
June 10th (Thursday 6-9pm) Creating Social Justice II
June 15th (Tuesday 6-9pm) Help Line I
June 17th (Thursday 6-9pm) Help Line II
June 22nd (Tuesday 6-9pm) Children’s and Teen’s Issues
June 24th (Thursday 6-9pm) Chemical Dependency and DV
June 29th (Tuesday 6-9pm) Legal Advocacy
July 1st (Thursday 6-9pm) Potluck, “In Her Shoes” and graduation.

-Luke

New Beginnings Recipient of Local Elementary School Penny Drive

2010-05-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

[Putting the change literally in Social Change]

Hey everyone, a few weeks ago we received word that a local elementary school had chosen New Beginnings (among several other charities) as a recipient of their school-wide Penny Drive for non-profit organizations chosen by students.

The amount raised by the students is incredible ($200, all from pennies!) and is heartwarming to learn about. On May 28nd at 2:30pm, I'll be there to receive the donation and will also be presenting a certificate of appreciation to the school and students who nominated New Beginnings. It'd be great to have one volunteer to join me in thanking the students--don't worry, you won't have to speak if you don't want to!

Please comment below if you'd like to come!

-Luke