End of Training Potluck!

[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

[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!

[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

[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!

[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

[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!

[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!

[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

[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

[$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!