In This Issue:
Rosa’s Story: a 10-year old and her cupcake
We’re expanding to Beaverton!
Community Garage Sale to fund our move
New Office Grand Opening
Sponsor Autumn Affair 2009
Rosa’s Story: a 10-year old and her cupcake
Sofia’s daughter, Rosa, seemed to be a normal, happy 10-year old but her Mom knew something wasn’t right. Sofia worried about her daughter’s self-esteem. She knew that when Rosa would visit her Dad she would have to sleep on the floor while her step-sisters slept in beds. Rosa wasn’t allowed to eat with them and had to eat alone instead of at the table with her Dad and her Dad’s new family. Sofia brought Rosa to the Domestic Violence Resource Center’s Children’s Intervention Program so that Rosa wouldn’t feel bad about herself and think she was the cause of family problems.
It’s not easy being a single Mom raising a daughter by yourself, especially when you can’t find a job and you aren’t fluent in English. Rosa, even though she’s 10, realizes that it’s hard for her Mom and wants to help her.
Rosa was meeting with a Domestic Violence Resource Center counselor, Pam. It was a special day, and Pam had brought a cupcake for herself and Rosa. Rosa didn’t want to eat her cupcake. She said it would be greedy for her to eat the whole thing—she was going to take it home and share it with her Mom, because they couldn’t afford to eat a lot.
Afterwards, Pam talked with Sofia about options available in the community for finding work, learning to speak more fluent English, and also provided Sofia access to Survivor Empowerment Funds for supplies and clothing for Rosa.
Rosa has been meeting with Pam for a year, and has moved from individual counseling to group support. Rosa loves to help “cheer people up” and likes to be an assistant to Pam in group.
A year ago Rosa wouldn’t have been comfortable stepping up as a leader in a group of people. She wouldn’t have been comfortable expressing her real feelings to other people. Previously, Rosa would create an art therapy mask project with Pam where on the outside she could show all of her happy emotions—the feelings she was comfortable sharing with other people. The inside of the mask would be the angry and sad feelings—feelings she couldn’t share with people—even the ones she feels safe with, like her Mom.
Now both sides of her mask are colorful and full of feelings that she can feel inside and also share with people she feels safe with, including her Mom. Being able to share her feelings helps Rosa and Sofia have a meaningful relationship where they can work together to support one another. Rosa says she and her Mom still don’t have much, but “it’s OK now. We’ll be OK.”
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Help us to make sure survivors like Sofia and Rosa can receive free services and resources to help achieve their goals. Please make a quick and secure online donation. Thank you for your support! We depend on the community to continue to provide free and bilingual services to all survivors of domestic violence.
We’re expanding to Beaverton!
Domestic Violence Resource Center moving Clinical Services Office to Beaverton; expanding in-person services to meet demand in tough times
We’re moving our Clinical Services office from Hillsboro to Beaverton! (As featured in the July 31st Hillsboro Argus) The new location was chosen to serve Washington County from a more central location, as the Domestic Violence Resource Center is the only non-profit serving specifically all survivors of domestic violence with completely free services in Washington County. The new office location will be open for services after Labor Day on September 8th. The Beaverton Clinical Services office is close to major mass transportation lines (including MAX) and is handicapped accessible. In person services will still be provided in Hillsboro at the Domestic Violence Resource Center’s office at the Washington County Courthouse Crime Victims’ Services office.
La Donna Burgess, Executive Director, is excited about the move and the convenience of the new location. “Survivors who come to us for services have long shared their desire for our Clinical Services office to be more centrally located. We have survivors routinely coming to Hillsboro from as far away as Tualatin, Aloha, and Tigard-which makes for a long commute. This move will decrease barriers for those in need trying to get to our services,” says Burgess. In addition to the new office space in Beaverton, Domestic Violence Resource Center will partner with local non-profits and other community organizations to increase the number and location of support groups for survivors. Washington County is the fastest-growing and most diverse county in Oregon, and services for survivors must be adaptable and community- based to best meet the needs of diverse populations.
The Domestic Violence Resource Center will donate office furniture, equipment and supplies that are not moving to the new office to community non-profits in need. Community partners are invited to come out on Monday, August 31st and help equip their offices. Please call 503-640-5352 or visit http://www.dvrc-or.org for more information.
Community Garage Sale to fund our move
Want to help the Domestic Violence Resource Center expand to Beaverton?
Come visit the Community Garage Sale to benefit the Domestic Violence Resource Center on Saturday, September 26th, from 9 am to 5 pm at Sonrise Church, 6701 NE Campus Way in Hillsboro, OR.
Please clean out your closets of old treasures and donate them to us to sell at our Community Garage Sale! Then come out to the sale on Saturday, September 26th, and check out the deals on goods, office furniture, equipment and other steals. We are also looking for volunteers to help us stock, publicize, organize and sell at the garage sale on the 26th.
Call Tracie Wahlberg at 503-640-5352, x 314, or email traciew (at) dvrc-or (dot) org to get involved! We need your help to make this a fun and worthwhile event! Give Tracie a call and find out how to donate or volunteer or get involved in some other way.
New Office Grand Opening
Join City of Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle at the Beaverton Clinical Services Office Grand Opening October 22nd
All community partners and supporters of the Domestic Violence Resource Center are invited to help us celebrate the grand opening of our new Beaverton office from 4 PM to 6 PM. Mayor Doyle and other officials will cut the ribbon promptly at 4 PM.
Learn about our programs and services and come connect with our partners as we work together to build a safe and healthy community for all!
Educational materials and opportunities to learn more about domestic violence will be provided. There will be door prizes!
Donations will be accepted. Refreshments will be provided.
Questions? Please let, Sarah Keefe, Community Outreach/ Education/Development Coordinator know by calling 503-640-5352, x 308, or emailing sarahk (at) dvrc-or (dot) org.
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LAST CHANCE to promote your business as a champion of survivors of domestic violence!
Save the date for Autumn Affair, October 2, 2009, an annual wine tasting & awareness-building event
“The Washington County Domestic Violence Resource Center did a great job at raising money and awareness, while pulling off an event [Autumn Affair 2008] that was thoroughly enjoyed by all who participated. I look forward to attending this event next year.”
- Marc Hinton, wine blogger for oregonlive.com and Editor-at-Large for enobytes.org, an online wine resource
Thank you to the Mauss Company, Certified Public Accountant (Champion Sponsor), & Henningsen Cold Storage (Advocate Sponsor) for stepping up as supporters of survivors of domestic violence in our community by sponsoring Autumn Affair!
Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Celebrate your business as a champion of safe and healthy relationships during October, Domestic Violence Awareness month, by sponsoring the Domestic Violence Resource Center’s annual event: Autumn Affair on October 2, 2009, a Celebration of Tualatin Valley Vineyards.
Autumn Affair 2009 will provide first-rate community outreach through our event promotional materials, website, and press releases, as well as promoting your business at the event itself to approximately 150 involved community leaders in attendance. Autumn Affair is the largest fundraising event of the year for the Domestic Violence Resource Center and is vital to supporting the only non-profit serving specifically survivors in Washington County.
Visit our website for more information and for a menu of sponsorship opportunities. Or, please call Sarah Keefe at 503-680-5352, ext. 308, or email sarahk (at) dvrc-or (dot) org. We’d be delighted to discuss how we can partner with your business to support survivors!
