New Beginnings' Community Discussion: Preventing & Ending Domestic Violence

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!

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!

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

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!

##

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.

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

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.  

Ladies Night of Indulgence

[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

[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:


New Beginnings speaks at Adams Elementary Penny Harvest

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

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!

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!

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

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:

##

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!

Volunteer training food and cleanup signup!

[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!

##

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

March Volunteer of the Month - A Tie!

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(!):

Why Volunteer?

[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

[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

[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!

[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

February Volunteer of the Month! - Ally Jurkovich

[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!

That's Pretty Low

[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

[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!

[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

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

[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:

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

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

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

[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..."

Volunteer Openings!

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

[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.

We need a survivor to speak at an event!

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!

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!