Nearly 200 men attended the 6th Annual Gentle’men Against Domestic Violence® Men’s Tailgate Party, Monday, Jan. 23, 2017, at Bay Colony Golf Club. The theme for the evening was Casino Royale and attendees enjoyed a variety of casino-styled games, dinner, presentation and a Cigar & Scotch lounge.
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Thank You to Our 2017 SPONSORS
PLATINUM SPONSORS
Benson Blackburn ~ Johnsonville Sausage
Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation
GOLD SPONSOR
Northern Trust
SILVER SPONSORS
Peter & Erika Aron
BRONZE SPONSORS
The Ahuja Foundation ~ Bob Cahners ~ William & Debra Cary
John & Georgia DallePezze ~ The Jessee Family ~ John & Barbara Jordan
Dennis Ling & Janice Teal ~ Don & Bonnie Rauch ~ Bob & Karen Scott
Frank & Mary Jane Semcer ~ Bill & Donna Waltrip
COPPER SPONSORS
BNY Mellon Wealth Management ~ Morton Cohn ~ Bernie & Mary Ann Craig
Thomas Leipzig ~ Lutgert Insurance ~ Mercedes-Benz of Naples
Thomas Riley Artisans’ Guild ~ Sam & Karen Smith
BRASS SPONSORS
George Franks ~ Ned & Cynthia Lautenbach
Russell & Gail Smith ~ Barry “Z’ & Leslie Zell
CASINO TABLE SPONSORS
Ronald Balser ~ John Browning ~ Clive Daniel Home ~ Dante DiSabato
Marsh Private Client Services ~ Don Redlinger ~ Rejuvenate Medical Spa and Laser
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The Shelter is grateful to Living Waters Church volunteers, who painted several rooms in our emergency shelter, Nov. 12, 2016, and donated $600 towards painting supplies. Thank you to Laura Allard, who coordinated the work through her group SALT (Serving And Loving Together), an outreach ministry at Living Waters Church.
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- SALT volunteers with Living Water Church.
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- Painting the facility inside the emergency shelter.
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- Shelter Facilities Manager Dave Piricsi accepts a check for painting supplies from SALT Founder Laura Allard.
Thank you to everyone to turned out to support and/or dance in The Shelter’s flash mob, Oct. 21, 2016, at Mercato in Naples. The dance was part of The Shelter’s efforts to raise awareness during Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Special thanks to DJ Cerone and photographer Carol Fox.
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MARCO ISLAND EAGLE
LANCE SHEARER CORRESPONDENT
Organizer Christina Nash addresses participants before they head out.
Domestic violence, said Christina Nash, is a subject that “needs to be talked about. I want people to be aware of the services the Shelter for Abused Women and Children offers, not just for Naples but for Marco, too.”
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and to mark the observance, Nash organized the “Hands are for Helping” 5K run/walk on Marco Island Saturday morning to raise awareness, and also to raise operating funds for the Shelter (SAW).
The afternoon before the event, 94 participants had signed up, but when the group headed out onto San Marco Road from the Shops of Marco a little after 8 a.m., over 125 turned out for the first-ever Marco Island event.
“This is fantastic, because we’ve never had events for Domestic Violence Awareness Month on Marco Island,” said Kaydee Tuff, communications director for SAW. “Tina wanted to raise awareness about the struggle faced by survivors of domestic violence – it was totally her idea.”
Marco Island City Manager Roger Hernstadt stood by the registration table as the runners signed in and collected their purple t-shirts, but much like the reporter he spoke to, his flip flops gave him away as a spectator and cheerleader. Local attorney Jessica Hernstadt, Roger’s wife, though, was suited up in running shoes and leotard, ready to run, as well as being a sponsor of the event.
“I have a designated exerciser,” said Roger.
“The Naples shelter is the only one in this area that provides assistance to women who are in dire emergency situations,” said Jessica. “Women come to the shelter with nothing – often with small children.”
Some of the participants at Saturday’s event had small children with them, pushing strollers ahead of them. Ray Trevino had Daniel, 3, along for the ride, and Brian Trtan pushed a tandem stroller holding sons Bryce, 4, and Jackson, 2. Out along Sheffield Avenue, on the return leg, one young woman with her stroller blew by too fast to give her name.
As the participants headed out, it was possible to see the difference between an organization that has been putting on cross country events for years, and the first-time organizers on Saturday. There was minor confusion at the start, even about just when to start, but everyone got headed off in the right direction. The runners quickly got to the head of the pack, while the walkers went at a slower pace. One young lady realized that, in fact, her hurt leg wasn’t really healed up, and got a ride back to the starting point near the Physicians Regional office from a reporter.
Domestic violence is an issue that strikes close to home, said Linda Oberhaus, executive director of the Shelter for Abused Women and Children in Naples, and too often the victims don’t speak up or take action.
“Domestic violence is the most chronically under-reported crime there is,” she said. The Collier Sheriff’s Office responded to 1,427 cases, the ones that were reported, in 2014, and since 1989, when the Shelter for Abused Women and Children (SAW) was established, they have dealt with over 68,000 victims of abuse.
To mark Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Shelter is sponsoring additional activities, including a “Purple Flash Mob” at Mercato the evening of October 21. To support the work of the Shelter for Abused Women and Children, a 501(c)3 organization, call the Shelter’s donor relations office at 239-775-3862.
The Moe’s Corporate Run drew an impressive crowd of runners this year, raising funds to benefit The Shelter and Collier Harvest. The 3 mile run/walk was open to all employees and family of local corporations, businesses, government offices, and institutions. The goal of the Corporate Run is to encourage people to be physically active.
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- The Molly Maid team was also in purple!
Shelter Senior Development Officer Tamika Seaton was a featured guest on B103.9 Radio Show Big Mama & The Wild Bunch, Oct. 10. Tamika discussed plans for the Purple Party, Friday, Oct. 14, at Paradise Wine. Click here for ticket information.
The Shelter would like to thank Bob and Claudia Klatz of White Doves of Naples for bringing six of their beautiful white doves to take part in a special Peace Ceremony for shelter residents, Oct. 11, 2016. Shelter Advocate Deb Alvarez shared a moving and motivational presentation before releasing the doves.
The dove is a symbol of peace and love and The Shelter wanted to inspire children and adults in emergency shelter to find peace in their life and be set free. Click photos for larger view.
Participants gathered at Vino Picasso in Naples, Oct. 9, 2016 to take part in a special painting session for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The theme of the painting was butterflies, one of The Shelter’s symbols for freedom and transformation. A portion of the funds from the event went to The Shelter.
Through The Shelter’s Healing Arts Program, survivors are using yoga, breath work, creative writing, art therapy, meditation, drumming circles and more, to heal from the past, live fully in the present and plan for a life free from violence.
As part of October’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Healing Arts participants created masks and were invited to share their personal stories reflected in their artwork. Here are a few of the beautiful works created.
More of the masks will be on display at The Purple Party – Masquerade, set for 6:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 14, at Paradise Wine, 8965 Tamiami Trail North in Naples. Click here for tickets and more information.
I am Red
I am Red
Color of anger
Color of strength
Today – I am half of each
Anger at how one treated me
Anger that the court system abuses me still
But look at my other half of Red
Strength
I am strong
I will endure
My power belongs to Me
I am Red
Cathy – October 2016
Click here to read the Naples Daily News story
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NAPLES, Fla. – Sept. 6, 2016 – The Shelter for Abused Women & Children in Naples is taking a page from its own self-care playbook by becoming a Blue Zones Project Approved™ Worksite. The designation allows the 26-year old organization to demonstrate its commitment to community well-being, by helping its own employees and residents live longer, better lives. Blue Zones Project is a community-by-community, well-being improvement initiative designed to make healthy choices easier through permanent changes to environment, policy, and social networks.
“As role models to the community we serve, we want to practice self-care that furthers the well-being of our employees and enhances The Shelter’s ability to promote health among the individuals and families we serve,” said Linda Oberhaus, executive director. “Blue Zones Project has helped us do that by offering evidence-based practices that we could incorporate into our daily work lives.”
The Blue Zones Project designation is a natural fit with The Shelter’s mission to “prevent, protect and prevail” over domestic violence, Oberhaus said.
“The well-being of our community will increase when domestic violence is eradicated,” Oberhaus said. “When our Shelter employees feel good and have increased health and well-being, they are better equipped to provide the life-transforming services needed to assist survivors with increasing their own well-being.”
To become an approved worksite, The Shelter created a Blue Zones Project Committee to work toward increasing the well-being of the staff. After implementing Blue Zones Project practices, The Shelter became a smoke-free campus and many employees began wearing Fitbits to track their daily steps. By using the Fitbits, employees sought to improve their overall health, but in addition they stimulated social connectedness via friendly competitions to see who achieved the most steps each day and by walking together.
Brought to Southwest Florida by NCH Healthcare System, in collaboration with Healthways®, Inc. and Blue Zones®, LLC, Blue Zones Project is a vital part of Southwest Florida’s well-being improvement initiative that encourages changes to the community that lead to healthier options. For more information about Blue Zones Project – Southwest Florida, call 239-624-2312 or visit southwestflorida.bluezonesproject.com.
About Blues Zones Project
Blue Zones Project® is a community-led well-being improvement initiative designed to make healthy choices easier through permanent changes to a city’s environment, policy, and social networks. Established in 2010, Blue Zones Project is inspired by Dan Buettner, a National Geographic Fellow and New York Times best-selling author who identified five regions of the world—or Blue Zones—with the highest concentration of people living to 100 years or older. Blue Zones Project incorporates Buettner’s findings and works with cities to implement policies and programs that will move a community toward optimal health and well-being. Currently, 27 communities in seven states have joined Blue Zones Project, impacting more than 1.7 million Americans. The movement includes three beach cities in California, 15 cities in Iowa, the city of Fort Worth, and communities in Hawaii, Southwest Florida, and Oregon. For more information, visit bluezonesproject.com.
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Five young Immokalee men got the opportunity to travel down some new paths thanks to the Open Roads on the Road program, Aug. 9-11, 2016. The 3-5 day program is an abbreviated version of the very successful Open Roads Adventure, designed to empower and develop the future leaders and spokespersons for The Shelter’s Gentle’men Against Domestic Violence (GADV) initiative.
One of the primary goals of Open Roads is to build a cohort of young voices to promote GADV and perhaps, equally as important, help these young boys build self-esteem, self-confidence, public speaking and a sense of self.
“I had the privilege of working side-by-side with these amazing men, who dedicated their time and money to helping these young men understand the purpose of being a Gentle’man” says Bill Villafranco, GADV Chair. “The idea of empowering young men with the understanding of the true virtues of being kind, compassionate, respectful and caring toward, not only women and girls, but to all members of the community is the overarching goal. The boys learned from total strangers what it means to be a Gentle’man. They far succeeded my expectations. They are true ambassadors.”
Each young man received a camera, which empowered him to capture his interest(s), through the lens. Led by Vincent DeLuca and Ethan Downing of Open Roads, and The Shelter’s Raising Gentle’men Advocate Sergio Lopez, the boys created a series of interview questions on the topic, “What are the stereotypes of men?” In addition to conducting and filming interviews, participants learned some basic photography techniques, including how to take pictures, utilize light, focus, determine point of interest, and the two-thirds rule.
“The boys experienced a lot of emotions,” Sergio says of participants’ reactions. “At the beginning, even though they wanted to be part of the program, many were hesitant to learn something new. When they received their cameras, they were so hyped about it. But the most important thing the kids shared is how good it felt having the support and encouragement from Vince, Ethan and Bill. I know they truly enjoyed the experience and, without a doubt, they would do it again.”
As part of the filming, the boys interviewed men and women on Fifth Avenue in Naples. They were tasked with approaching total strangers and asking them for a few minutes of their time to answer some questions. The process required the boys to look people in the eyes, speak with confidence, and professionally handle rejection from those who did not wish to participate.
“It was interesting to hear what people had to say,” said 14-year-old Emanuel. “Men have emotions. A lot of people don’t know that. They might think it’s just pride, but they’re scared to show their emotions because they might get picked on and made fun of. It’s scary (to show your emotions) but you gotta do it sometime or you’re just going to explode.”
After eight hours in the summer heat, they had six interviews. The next step was editing the film, adding text and music. The resulting film debuted, Aug. 11, in front of a packed house in The Shelter’s Community Ed Room. Three of the participants were on hand to speak about the experience, including what they learned and how they learned it. They spoke with confidence and pride. After the viewing, the audience gave the young men a standing ovation.
The Shelter held a Christmas in July event for emergency shelter residents on July 29. Shelter volunteer Declan McGarvey dressed up as our “Summer Santa” and donned a Hawaiian style holiday shirt, shorts and flip flops. The festivities included gifts for the children, holiday music, milk and cookies.
From office work to outdoor repair; sorting clothes or assisting customers at The Shelter Options Shoppe, there are so many fun ways to volunteer your time! CLICK HERE For more information!
