What prompted you to want to take on a leadership position?
Last year, I approached Women In Distress to see how I could get involved. I met Nancy Leve, director of volunteer services at WID. During our initial interview she mentioned a new auxiliary that was forming; and suggested that I may be able to use some of my business background to help build the foundation for this new group. In the past year as first VP; I have developed a huge amount of respect for all members of the council. When our previous president decided to change directions, I was more than happy to accept the new role. I am excited to to work for a second year with a great group who are passionately involved in growing awareness about dating and domestic violence.

What are your goals as the president for the upcoming year?
In our upcoming year, I would like to encourage everyone who has supported PEARR in our inaugural year to rejoin as a member this July. As with any motivated group, we hope to exceed our previous goals ... in membership numbers, involvement and educating the public as to who we are and what we are doing to support Women in Distress of Broward County.

Tell me about PEARR as an organization and its partnership with Women in Distress?
PEARR is an acronym for Professionals Educating and Advocating Respect in Relationships. The original founding council felt that respect was an extremely important element in ending dating and domestic violence. If individuals are respectful of one another, there will be less of a chance for situations to escalate and get out of control.

PEARR also assists Women in Distress by organizing fundraising activities, hosting networking opportunities and developing new ideas to promote awareness in the community.

What programs does PEARR have coming up?
We have a number of ongoing projects and programs that are still evolving. We currently host a monthly book club, the Adopt A Shelter program, and are developing a book focusing on child survivors. We will be adding additional networking and social events this year; including the possibility of movie nights, wine-tasting events, etc.

What opportunities exist for someone to get involved with PEARR?
PEARR would like to encourage any level of involvement that our supporters are willing to give. We understand that life has it's challenges and that it can be difficult to give back to your community, but every little bit helps. It can be as simple as becoming a member and passing on this newsletter to increase awareness about PEARR and Women In Distress to friends and family.

We always have a need for committee members, marketing assistance, and involvement from college students. We would love to see a member approach us with an idea to help PEARR in the fundraising area. We could use assistance from local business owners who can offer locations for events. We have many opportunites for underwriting the costs of our events. Lastly, we need artists that will be willing to donate artwork to make our second annual silent art auction twice as successful as our first. For more information, I would highly encourage volunteers to visit our Web site at http://www.pearr.org/ or e-mail me directly at president@pearr.org.