PEARR - In the News

Book Club focuses on The Unbearable Lightness of Being: A Novel

noreply@blogger.com (secondvp@pearr.org) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 03:52:00 +0000

Join the PEARR Book Club, 7 p.m. July 22, BREW Urban Cafe, 638 N. Federal Highway (in the Winn Dixie plaza), Victoria Park, in Fort Lauderdale.

We will be discussing Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being: A Novel.

A young woman in love with a man torn between his love for her and his incorrigible womanizing; one of his mistresses and her humbly faithful lover - these are the two couples whose story is told in this masterful novel.

In a world in which lives are shaped by irrevocable choices and by fortuitous events, a world in which everything occurs but once, existence seems to lose its substance, its weight.

Hence, we feel "the unbearable lightness of being" not only as the consequence of our pristine actions but also in the public sphere, and the two inevitably intertwine.

PEARR doubles funds raised in '07-08 $15,000 given to WID at poetry event

noreply@blogger.com (secondvp@pearr.org) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 07:54:00 +0000

At its recent "Strength in Humanity" Art & Poetry Night, PEARR presented a check to Women In Distress of Broward County, Inc. for $15,000.

The check, presented to Women In Distress’ new President and CEO Mary Riedel, was double the amount raised by PEARR in its inaugural year.

PEARR, Professionals Educating and Advocating Respect in Relationships, is an auxiliary of Women In Distress that was formed in 2006.

The money was raised over the past 12 months from the nonprofit organization’s various social events, such as: the rock ’n’ roll Summer Bash at Pompano Citi Centre; a happy hour networking gathering at Café Pisa in Fort Lauderdale; CDM’s second annual golf tournament that benefitted PEARR; an art, wine and cheese social at St. Lawrence Gallery in Fort Lauderdale; and PEARR’s signature fundraiser, the holidays-themed Live Boldly Art Show and Silent Auction.

Additional funds were also raised for Women In Distress from donations and a raffle of artwork at “Strength in Humanity,” held on June 12 at Art & Design, in Fort Lauderdale.

Dozens of arts-loving PEARR members and friends in attendance were treated to live music and a dance expression performance by Melinda Freiman.

The evening’s dynamic and thought-provoking poets were: Gene Martignetti, Roberta Burke, Roselande “Madis” Geffrard, Kathy “Zora McQueen” King, Timothy “Mr. Whispers” Proctor, Margarita Alarcon, Krystle Miller, and Write Side Poets ─ Jasmine “Sweet Venom” Bailey, Cierra “Soul Fiya” Robinson, Diego “El Nino” Masquera and Yveka Pierre.

As with all of PEARR’s events, funds raised will go to Women In Distress, Broward County’s only state-certified, nationally accredited, full-service domestic violence program.

PEARR has fun at St. Lawrence Gallery

noreply@blogger.com (secondvp@pearr.org) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 17:41:00 +0000

On May 28, PEARR friends and members gathered at St. Lawrence Gallery for a fun night of art, wine and fundraising for Women in Distress of Broward County, Inc.

The event brought lots of new faces as well as old friends who mingled over wine and hors d'oeuvres as the soothing music of vocalist Jennifer Rolnick played in the background.

Guests browsed the nautical-themed artwork, photography, model boats and more and gathered around local artist Sissi Janku, left, as she created an original tropical-themed painting right before their eyes.

By the end of the night, many who attended went home with raffle prizes or new additions to their art collections, with a portion of the proceeds going to support Women in Distress' counseling and educational programs, 24-hour crisis hotline and shelters.

Sheriff teams with Women In Distress

noreply@blogger.com (secondvp@pearr.org) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 05:00:00 +0000

In early Janurary, Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti and Erica Herman, Women in Distress' director of social change and agency advisor to PEARR, filmed a 30-second public safety announcement titled "Zero Tolerance for Domestic Violence."

On Jan. 24, the Sheriff's Office held a press conference to release the public service announcement to the media and to Sheriff's Office deputies.

The partnership between the Sheriff's Office and Women In Distress came about because Broward County has seen a 300 percent increase in domestic violence homicides since last year.

Both agencies want victims of domestic violence to know that there is help out there.

To view the public service announcement:
http://video.sheriff.org/zero_tolerance.cfm

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbdomestic0125sbjan25,0,192319.story

Live Boldly: A classy, colorful fundraiser

noreply@blogger.com (secondvp@pearr.org) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 06:12:00 +0000

The word “elegant” best describes the scene at the recent Live Boldly Art Show and Silent Auction at ArtServe in Fort Lauderdale.

PEARR’s signature event was a classy and colorful evening that helped the organization reconnect with members, make new friends and raise funds for Women In Distress through the sale of dozens of great pieces of donated artwork.

The Executive Council of Professionals Educating and Advocating Respect in Relationships, hails the Live Boldly art event as another successful fundraiser and applauds the efforts of our many volunteers and contributing artists.

Funds raised by PEARR go to support the agency’s counseling and educational programs, 24-hour hotline, and shelters.

CDM golf event raises $12,000

noreply@blogger.com (secondvp@pearr.org) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 07:11:00 +0000

The CDM Live Boldly Golf Challenge last month raised $12,000 for Women In Distress of Broward County, Inc.

The funds were donated to Broward County’s only state-certified, nationally accredited, full-service domestic violence program through its professionals auxiliary PEARR: Professionals Educating and Advocating Respect in Relationships.

The event, CDM Fort Lauderdale Office’s second annual golf challenge, was held Oct. 27 at Oaks Golf Course, Palm-Aire Country Club, in Pompano Beach. The Live Boldly theme that was chosen for the event was created by PEARR in its inaugural year in 2006 and advocates taking a stance against domestic violence.

Former first-year PEARR Executive Council member Dora Florindo, who served on the golf challenge committee and was essential to its success, is an employee of CDM, a consulting, engineering, construction and operations firm with private and public clients worldwide.

The $12,000 raised by the golf challenge will be used to fund Women In Distress’ counseling and educational programs, 24-hour crisis hotline and confidential emergency shelters.

Lively get-together at Cafe Pisa

noreply@blogger.com (secondvp@pearr.org) — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 04:09:00 +0000

Our fall social event, PEARR at Pisa, on Friday, Sept. 28, was a fun way to end the workweek and to catch up with old and new friends.

PEARR members and nonmembers took advantage of the beautiful, relaxed setting at downtown Fort Lauderdale's Italian restaurant Café Pisa to mingle, share laughs, enjoy free musical entertainment and get excited talking about our upcoming Live Boldly Art Show and Silent Auction on Nov. 30.

http://www.cafepisa.com/

WID Wants You!

noreply@blogger.com (PEARR) — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 02:24:00 +0000

Is this your year to make a difference? Women in Distress of Broward County is proud to announce it is offering a one year service opportunity available for twenty full time AmeriCorps members, starting immediately. This new WID team will work to become agents for Social Change on groundbreaking domestic violence initiatives that will improve the lives of future generations.

Interested candidates should read the press release and then contact Nancy Leve, Director of Volunteer Services at Women In Distress, at 954.332.3445 or email nleve@womenindistress.org for more details.

An Interview with PEARR President Charlotte Sundquist

noreply@blogger.com (secondvp@pearr.org) — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 04:32:00 +0000

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.

Florida Enacts Domestic Violence Leave Law

noreply@blogger.com (PEARR) — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 19:05:00 +0000

TALLAHASSEE, FL -- Florida employers will need to act fast to come into compliance with a new law passed by the Florida legislature and signed by Governor Charlie Crist on June 12, 2007. The law takes effect July 1, 2007, and will require employers with fifty (50) or more employees to provide up to three days' leave for a variety of activities connected with domestic violence issues. Employees who have worked for employers for three (3) months or longer are eligible. Whether leave is paid or unpaid has been left to the discretion of the employer. For more information, visit this website.

PEARR Honors Women In Distress of Broward County

noreply@blogger.com (PEARR) — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 18:13:00 +0000

FORT LAUDERDALE --On behalf of the PEARR Executive Council and its 86 members, Victoria Dawson, PEARR Founder and President, presented Howard Schulman, Chairman of the Board of Women In Distress of Broward County, with their year end donation check for $7,500 at their outdoor Summer Bash event. These funds will be used to directly support the WID shelter, 24/7 hot line, counseling and educational programs. "It has been such an honor to lead PEARR during its inaugural year and to build a new professionals auxiliary from scratch," Dawson said. "I am thrilled we have raised over $14,500 in our first year and look forward to our future fund raising events led by our new 2007/08 President Charlotte Sundquist".

NBC Today Show honors survivor for Mother's Day

noreply@blogger.com (PEARR) — Sat, 12 May 2007 21:06:00 +0000

NEW YORK --Paula Lucas noticed her husband's abusive behavior after her first son was born. She wanted to flee but had no where to turn because her family was living outside the United States and their passports were hidden from them. Eventually she was able to leave but not before she had become a mother of three boys who all were victims in this abusive relationship. Today she has now founded the American Domestic Violence Crisis Line which helps women and children living abroad find a way out. If you know anyone in a similar situation living outside the United States, please have them visit their website or call 866-US-WOMEN. For more, watch her story on the NBC Today Show web site.

PEARR’s Patricia Minski named Volunteer of the Year

noreply@blogger.com (secondvp@pearr.org) — Wed, 09 May 2007 20:33:00 +0000

FORT LAUDERDALE --The Executive Council of Professionals Educating and Advocating Respect in Relationships would like to congratulate Outreach and Education Chairperson Patricia Minski for being named Women In Distress’ Volunteer of the Year.

PEARR, created in 2006, is an auxiliary of Women In Distress of Broward County, Inc. PEARR President Victoria Dawson extended her congratulations to Minski on behalf of the Executive Council.

“We are all so proud of your outstanding accomplishments this year,” she said. “Cheers to you, Patricia.”

Minski received the honor at Women In Distress’ Volunteer Appreciation Awards Ceremony during Volunteer Appreciation Month in April. The Academy Award-themed event, complete with a red-carpet entrance, was held to recognize the women and men who donated their time and talents in the past year to allow the agency to provide victims of domestic violence with safe shelter, counseling and crisis intervention, and to fulfill it’s mission to Stop Abuse For Everyone (SAFE).

More than 100 volunteers attended the ceremony and treated Minski to a standing ovation as she received her award and plaque onstage in the auditorium of the Jim and Jan Moran Family Center, in Fort Lauderdale, on April 20.

When presenting the award, Nancy Leve, agency director of volunteer services and advisor to PEARR, mentioned Minski’s strong will and persistence in seeing through the development of the Adopt-A-Shelter program that Minski created as a social-change activity for PEARR. The program helps volunteer organizations provide services to benefit the women and their families who reside at Women In Distress’ shelters.

Since the program was launched, a mere three months ago, it has provided shelter residents with a Valentine’s Day party, a spring dinner offered by Johnson and Wales Culinary School students, Easter baskets for children donated by Banana Republic employees, and arranged the delivery of outside furniture from a private donor. Shelter doors and walls have been repainted by volunteers from Dimension Data and American Express, respectively, and this Saturday, a Mother’s Day luncheon is scheduled.

Minski said she is grateful for PEARR’s support of Adopt-A-Shelter and added that she was happy to work on a project to help women and their families seeking to escape domestic violence.

“It meant a lot to me because Women In Distress gave me an opportunity to do for others what I couldn’t do for my mother growing up,” she said.

PEARR's Adopt A Shelter Project

noreply@blogger.com (secondvp@pearr.org) — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 19:51:00 +0000

FORT LAUDERDALE --As part of our activities to benefit Women In Distress of Broward County, Inc., PEARR is proud to present its new Adopt A Shelter project.

Adopt A Shelter (ADAS) will be a coordinating committee between the volunteer organizations that offer their services to nonprofit organizations and applying those services to benefit our residents’ stay at the shelters. Since this project was launched less than three months ago, we have achieved the following:

Valentine’s Day party for residents and their children.

Spring Dinner offered by students of Johnson and Wales Culinary School (see photo).
Easter Baskets for children at the shelter donated by Banana Republic employees.
Exterior furniture donation by a private donor.

Current activities in process that will be completed by the end of May:

Painting of Interior and Exterior shelter walls by American Express employees and ADAS Committee Member Ellen Baker.
Painting of shelter doors by Dimension Data employees.

To get involved with the Adopt A Shelter Project, please contact PEARR's Outreach and Education Chairperson Patricia Minski at outreach@pearr.org.

PEARR Celebrates Fort Lauderdale Volunteers during National Volunteer Week, April 15-21

noreply@blogger.com (PEARR) — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 17:47:00 +0000

FORT LAUDERDALE --Fort Lauderdale volunteers who tirelessly work to improve our community will be honored during National Volunteer Week, April 15-21. PEARR will host a Spring General Membership Meeting celebrating National Volunteer Week on Saturday, April 14th, 2007 from 10am to 12noon at the Women in Distress of Broward County auditorium. Members and the public are welcome to attend this free event.

Volunteers are one of our country’s most important assets. More than 61 million people volunteered through or for an organization at least once between September 2005 and September 2006, according to a recent survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That represents more than a quarter of the entire U.S. population.

National Volunteer Week began in 1974 when President Richard Nixon signed an executive order establishing an annual celebration of volunteering. Every president since has signed a proclamation promoting the week. The National Volunteer Week theme, “Inspire By Example” truly reflects the power volunteers have to inspire the people they help and to inspire others to serve!

PEARR Executive Council Member Makes International Impact

noreply@blogger.com (secondvp@pearr.org) — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 20:07:00 +0000

FORT LAUDERDALE –– Patricia Minski has accomplished much in her lifetime. She is a wife, mother and grandmother. She has earned master’s degrees in social development and family therapy.

However, Minski said it was only last year when she finally took steps to fulfill the lifelong calling that would create a huge impact on the lives of women in her native Colombia and in South Florida.

“I knew that domestic violence was my calling,” she said. “One day, I turned 50 and I realized I was ready.”

Minski, a psychologist who has practiced family therapy for 10 years and now lives in Golden Beach, approached Women In Distress of Broward County, Inc. in early 2006. After completing the nonprofit organization’s core curriculum, she began volunteering on its crisis line, with its speaker bureau and at its shelters for women and their families who are fleeing from domestic violence.

Soon after, she was approached to join the Executive Council for Professionals Educating and Advocating Respect in Relationships, a new auxiliary for Women In Distress. She serves as PEARR’s Outreach and Education Chairperson and is currently working on PEARR’s book on the impact of domestic abuse on children by talking with survivors of domestic violence. PEARR is expecting to publish the book later in the year.

She said her work with Nancy Leve, Women In Distress’ director of volunteer services and PEARR adviser, was essential to her personal growth. “For the first time, I felt my talents were being used and greatly appreciated,” she explained.

Minski decided that those talents could also be put to good use in her homeland. So, she consulted Shelia McCann, the director of Women In Distress’ new Office of Social Change, and developed a workshop on domestic abuse that she could use in her hometown of Barranquilla, Colombia.

She described the community as very patriarchal, where women have fewer freedoms and opportunities for education and work than men.

Her sister in law, Diana Minski, who lives in Barranquilla, agreed.

“Machismo is the word in Spanish,” Diana said, trying to describe the society. “The man has the power. It’s a big culture-thing there; ‘The man is the king.’”

Diana is also a volunteer and she works with Sanar Foundation, a nonprofit organization in Barranquilla that provides professional and economic support, for child-cancer treatment and prevention. Sanar is the organization that Minski approached with her workshop idea.

Sanar was supportive.

So were Minski’s professional friends in Colombia, whom she tapped to help her create a Spanish-language film about domestic violence titled Ella, Un Objeto Por Amor.

“I called them and they said immediately, ‘I’ll do it,’” she recalled.
The short film was directed by movie producer Mauricio Cherkes. Minski is listed as producer.

Minski showed the film during her four-hour workshop at Sanar that was attended by a 25 women from Barranquilla’s underprivileged communities. She presented the workshop with her friend Nelly de Rodriguez, a sociologist from Bogotá, Colombia.

They gave the women the basics about domestic violence, including the definition of physical, psychological and sexual abuse, and asked if any of them had stories they wanted to share.

Eighteen of the 25 women reported being victims of violence in their homes. Some of the stories they shared were “atrocious,” Minski said. “What I did was uncover a need.”

That need was recognized by Sanar’s staff members, who contacted two nearby universities and arranged to have each one send an intern to its facilities to work with and further help the women who reported being abused. In addition, Sanar wants Minski to return for follow-up programming.

The impact of Minski’s workshop was also noticed by two other charitable organizations in Barranquilla that asked her to hold workshops for women at their facilities.

Minski is in the process of incorporating Fundacion Vientre Libre, the group she formed to produce Ella, Un Objeto Por Amor. She said the ultimate goal of her many projects is to ensure “equal rights for men and women.”

She added that she wants to raise consciousness about female oppression and create awareness that domestic violence is not OK.

“This is a cause that touches my heart deeply,” Minski said. “I feel like I have to give back.”

Minski added that she would love to see the realization of an enlightened future described by Noeleen Hayzer, executive director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), who said, “I believe we can abolish violence against women the way we have abolished slavery.”

To contact Patricia Minski, e-mail her at outreach@pearr.org. For further information about PEARR, contact Davidson Taylor, PEARR second vice president, Marketing and Public Relations, at press@pearr.org or visit http://www.pearr.org/.

Live Boldly Art Show and Auction Success!

noreply@blogger.com (PEARR) — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 21:23:00 +0000

The PEARR Executive Council is proud to announce the success of its biggest fundraiser, the Live Boldly Art Event and Silent Auction held in December. The informal and fun evening at ArtServe, in Fort Lauderdale, was enjoyed by nearly 100 people and raised over $5,000 for Women In Distress of Broward County, Inc. Visit our photos section for more colorful pictures taken at the event.

In this new year, the 2006-07 PEARR Executive Council will reach out to its general membership to find volunteers to become assistant chairpeople for its various offices. This opportunity will provide general members with experiences that may help them in becoming future PEARR Executive Council members. The current one-year Council term expires in July and available open seats will be announced by spring. Also in order to raise large amounts of donations and sponsorships from local and national corporations, PEARR will add the position of Fundraiser to its Executive Council. If interested in applying for this or any other volunteer positions, please contact secretary@pearr.org. Additional details about any open Council positions will soon be made available on the PEARR Web site.

Finally, PEARR wishes its friends and supporters a Happy New Year!