Updates & Announcements
Beth Ramsey, Jonathan’s mom, joined us for her 3rd visit; Colleen Hughes for her 5th visit.
Mark Rehm, former member, stopped to visit. He built a house in North Carolina. “We’re spending 10 days a month there and moving completely in May.”
Announcements:
- Jonathan provided an update that we’re going to get the public image committee started. Send anything you have.
- Conifer tree award was given to Suzanne for everything that she does.
- Colleen told everyone that Miles Garrison, co-head of student council at the high school, contacted her about volunteering.
- Dave Willman, from Aurora Gateway Rotary, District 5450 Foundation Chair for the past 5 years updated on the following: Wild polio cases have been at zero for 18 weeks! “We’ve had one of the best giving years in the district, in all categories. Our 118 year-old Rotary Foundation is in a good position. This club has given $165,000 lifetime to the Rotary Foundation, which is 4-star rated in Charity Navigator, and in the top ten of all charities in the US.” He also thanked and congratulated the Paul Harris fellows for their $1000 donations over time, presenting the most recent pins to:
- Janine Payton, Paul Harris fellow plus 2
- Mark Rehm, plus 7
- Suzanne Barkley plus 7
- Ed Steinbrecher, plus 2
- Stan Harsha
- Suzanne shared the following story: I joined in Winnetka, IL. I was just divorced and started an interior design firm; I was the second woman in a club of 120 people. Almost immediately, I was invited to do polio immunizations in Ethiopia. We saw the people called “crawlers” -- beggars in the streets, on their knees and elbows dragging through the streets due to polio. So, when we came back, you bet I gave to polio. Some years later, the Winnetka club received a $350,000 grant from Rotary to go to Uganda and set up a loan program for women, in a remote area. HIV was rampant, Idi Amin was the ruler. We developed a banking system and started giving out micro-loans. One went to a coffin-maker. Another to a little beauty shop with no electricity. We went back two more times to make sure it was working the way that it should. Then a group of us went to Carol Carper’s project, Sasa Harambee, in Kenya. I then visited a women’s business group, and it turned out that half of the people there were women we gave loans to, years earlier. They gave me sole credit for the whole thing. Then they had to take us to see all the businesses. That’s the whole point of Rotary, being on the ground helping.
- Stan shared that the money we donate to Rotary International multiplies 3 x over 3 years, and then we can get it back for projects.
Upcoming Events
- Foothills Home and Garden Show is April 13-14. Booths are half price for artists, free for nonprofits.
- The District social on April 24; Leslie is our chair. $30 dinner for members. Come and meet members from 5 clubs.
Meeting program
Executive Director of Programs, Sabrina Fritts, Peaceworks
Admin: 303-838-7176; 24-hour Crisis Line: 303-838-8181; www.peaceworksinc.co
OVERVIEW:
Peaceworks runs a safe shelter, emergency shelter after sexual assault, intimate partner violence etc. It is a 501c3. It started in a woman’s home. We start with the basics, with safety. I’ve been with Peaceworks for 5 years on staff, previously a volunteer on the 24-hour safeline; you can call or text. We are confidential, unlike the justice system. We also run a community wellness program. I am a survivor of domestic violence, twice. I didn’t learn the first time. I helped a man build his business, left because I was paid too little. I asked him to remove videos showing me, so he filed a lawsuit threatening me with breach of contract. I took an online course in how to win a court case and won after a year. Unfortunately, abusers do use the judicial system to exert control. Immigrants have a particular hard time because they are afraid of being deported.
Why don’t they just leave? Lack of resources. Pets. We are one in six shelters that take pets. And we have a foster farm. Taspens offered a space for community wellness, on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. We offer counseling, restorative yoga, classes for releasing trauma. We often think that abuse is physical. It’s financial, emotional, psychological, using children. Isolation is a tactic. We invest in personal well-being, and creating safe homes. Park County doesn’t patrol 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. which is when most domestic violence calls are. We are working with them on getting a response. When you are in trauma, nothing makes sense so victims can laugh. We also do mobile advocacy. We help get protection orders, and go to court with clients. One wrote to us: “You bring souls back to life.”
Peaceworks offers a safe place to heal. The first step is to call our 24-hour safeline. It takes a lot to make that first call. We operate in Park, Jefferson and Clear Creek counties. Our staff have really hard jobs and we need to increase our wages.
You in Conifer Rotary helped build our playground, by giving $2,000 for equipment and mulch.
We teach children how to use diaphragmatic breath to relax from trauma, which they even get from active shooter drills at school. Children are absorbing everything in that home.
Please volunteer, share, donate. We need administrative assistance. We provide advocacy training. And share information about us with the community.
Boogie at the Barn contacted us to be a beneficiary April 14. Come after the home show. Black Cat Zydeco is playing at the Little Bear.
One victim in our own area was Michelle Scott who had a protection order and still was killed by her former partner.
Silence perpetuates violence. I was 17 the first time my boyfriend hit me. His mother told me to go home. I didn’t tell my mom or my friends. I was born unworthy in my religious group. I became an unwed mother at the age of 19. We want to reach teens to break the cycle before it can begin. If you know someone, encourage them to make that phone call.
Dean asked for urgent needs and Sabrina replied: Paper towels, detergent, hair dryers, full-size shampoo, coffee. And we need to put Kilz on the kennel building.