VOCA

I just got back from a fundraiser luncheon for Jewish Family and Children Services, specifically to benefit Shelter Without Walls program. While munching on some tasty food, I learned about a major funding cut from the Federal government's VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) fund as of this year forward, which affected Shelter Without Walls as well as many other organizations that help victims of violence crime in many areas. I won't go into all the details of the funding cuts, but you can read about them here.

VOCA money comes from Federal criminal fines rather than tax payer dollars and it was very easy to find thousands of websites complaining about the cut, but not many explaining the reason for decrease. At first I thought, "Hey, maybe there are finally less criminals!" and I got all excited, but then thought, "Wait, maybe they just aren't paying their fines...they are criminals after all. Could the judicial system be prosecuting less?" But then an ugly thought entered my head,"Uh-oh, perhaps the money is going somewhere else".

Based on claims I've found online, the money is being used to offset deficit spending, which seems to be a generic term that can mean pretty much anything at this historical period in time. Across the virtual country, alarms are going off that VOCA money, promised to victims of violent crime, won't be available anymore to current programs as of 2010. Personally, I think the set up of VOCA for its correct purpose is brilliant and the loss of funds is morally wrong; however, there is always a silver lining if you look hard enough.

Not to be a Pollyanna, but first, I really don't think our government is that heartless to leave victims without resources and I doubt the public would stand for it. Second, we are fortunate enough to live in a country with freedom to create and direct what and where our programs are going and how they are funded. A return to grassroots efforts and sizing down could be a good thing to stimulate passions for a cause, run things more efficiently, and think outside the box for fundraising and operations. For instance: some nonprofits are so massive, they are middle-management between organizations and the public. (Yes you should always check to see how much of your hard earned donations are actually going to the people who need the services) Sounds a little corporate, yes? Another example: some organizations are pretty top heavy in management and could use a bit o' weight loss. From my own experience, running a nonprofit is still running a business and it takes money to operate, staff, and expand. I wouldn't know much as I have worked and saved to fund Bravery Project, but now that I am looking for external funding sources, I can see how frustrating this money problem can become.

I feel tremendously for those organizations who scrape by on Federal matches and grants that are slowly dwindling to dust. Obtaining donations is difficult too because everyone is suffering economically right now, but there is a business model that is working brilliantly for one organization. I'll tell you about in a later post. Here's a hint: Free Enterprise.

VOCA
Shelter Without Walls
Rueters:President Bush Requests Funding Cuts That Endanger Domestic Violence Victims

Reception and Updates

For those of you who made it last week to the Bravery Reception at Fresh Start, thank you! It was a very long day of hanging artwork, preparing food, setup, and nerves. Overall, a great success in my book with one exception: Due to running the event, I didn't get to spend much time with the visitors, especially the Bravery survivors. Now that I have experience behind the scenes at these events, the next time will certainly be easier and better.

The people who volunteered to help me were absolutely wonderful. The speakers, Faustine Chan and Lisa Kim, did great and Maria Elena Ochoa is a warm and very nice individual with an amazing track record for helping the underpriviledged groups of the community. I was so honored to have her there. She even presented Bravery with a proclamation signed by Governor Janet Napolitano, testifying that our elected officials do pay attention to our efforts to help others. It may not seem like it sometimes, but everything we do makes a difference and especially when we try to make work easier by taking action in the community.

If you didn't make it to the reception and want to see the artwork, 20 pieces will be on display until the 24th of October and 9 pieces are in the MCC Library lobby until the 31st of Oct.

Updates

We are slowly getting in some donations, but not much. We are less than 20% of our donation goal unfortunately, but the state of the economy is working against all fundraising efforts everywhere. A little something is better than nothing.

You may have noticed that the online auction items have dwindled off in part due to companies backing out of donations at this time and due to Ebay policies on gift certificates. Currently, one item is a portrait of yourself for a fraction of what it would normally cost. Next week will conclude the final listing, so take a look.

There are some very exciting projects coming down the pike that you are sure to enjoy, so please stay with me as I resume this blog and continue to think and work creatively.

DV Awareness Activities

There are lots of events happening now that Domestic Violence Awareness has begun.

One event that I must mention was the Herberger showing of Domestic Violence...the Musical? Since working with John and Linda King, I was very excited to see the performance on Sept. 22nd and it was awesome. Please take a look at the website and the photos from that show. I strongly encourage you to bring this one hour enlightenment to your community. It's one of the most powerful ways to teach people "why she doesn't just leave".



A very fun event that Bravery had the opportunity to participate in was the Girls Night Out at Dolce Salon and Spa, Arrowhead location in Peoria. What a fun night that was. Little did I know that we would be hosted at a three story building with a live band on top with wine and food, musician at the first floor with spa services, and a Bravery gallery on the second floor. It was a wonderful evening with a program featuring Ali Vincent, the first female winner, of the hit TV show The Biggest Loser.

Although the evening sports lots of girly activity, GNO is important because it raises money for programs that provide shelter and services to victims. So far there are 12 of them happening this month around the country. Way to Go!

Coming up next Monday is the Mesa Community College Domestic Violence Awareness Conference that you all should definitely visit. Visit the webpage that features the program with all the workshops and keynote. This is going to be a knockout experience. It's a community event open to the everyone and I guarantee you will learn something new and interesting about domestic violence. Additionally, 9 of the original portraits from Bravery are on display in the lobby of the Paul Elsner Library throughout October.


I have decided to add a little more to my plate and participate in the Purple Ribbon Study Circles that was created by the Purple Ribbon Councel. This is a pilot program in which community and industry people come together for one meeting a week for one month and discuss the issues about domestic violence and how to help solve them. YES! It takes only a couple of hours a week and refreshments are provided. I will write about this more in upcoming posts as it's an important tool for problem solving. If you are interested in more information about it and want to participate, please email Sowmya Ayyer.

Speaking of which, stay tuned because after the events are over, I will be sharing a lot of new useful information gleaned from all of these activities. In the meantime, I hope to see you.

Faith and Fire

Sometimes the stars seem to align for us. We become determined to take action, go through the motions and before we know it, success. That faith and fire inside can propel us to do amazing things and that is just how I would describe the Art Salon for a Cause.

People left the salon enlightened, disturbed, encouraged, and supportive of domestic violence issues. A few survivors came out of the DV closet and shared their stories with me and one woman in crisis came to me for help, which she is getting. Bravery is working.

Our three day event managed to pull over 160 people who enjoyed wonderful live music, delicious gourmet (even homemade) food, and beautiful art in every room of the 5,500 sq foot luxury home. We had wonderful sponsors, volunteers, and we received media attention from the East Valley Tribune, AZ Republic, The Wrangler News, KJZZ radio, East Valley Radio Station, and all the other websites that helped promote our event. Most amazing to me is the $1,500 in scholarship money from the silent auction.

Earlier this week, Bravery cohosted the Arts and Advocates reception at Cup O' Karma (formally Into the Bean) and awarded the very first Bravery Scholarship to Melissa Nudi. She is a mom, DV survivor, and an MCC student who plans to enter the medical field. Bravery raised $500 and MCC matched the funds to give her $1,000. I am a huge advocate of education and am so honored to help another person in this capacity and Melissa is a perfect example of what Bravery is all about.

The other scholarship will be given through Tempe Dollars for Scholars and will go to a Tempe High School student to attend college. Currently, we are working on candidates and will announce him/her in the coming months. I would very much like the Bravery Scholarship to become a staple of the program because an education is one of the keys to a better life and has become more expensive (college credit prices have doubled in the past decade).

I've been getting emails about the online auction through Ebay Giving Works and I will admit that many of the wonderful donations were sold in the silent auction, but the online auction will resume next week. If you have something you would like to contribute on behalf of Bravery to help us reach our goal, please feel free to participate. If you haven't already, you can subscribe to the auction blog to stay updated on coming items.

Most importantly, please share Bravery with others by sending them links to the website, subscribe to the blog, donate, and bid online. Together we can make a difference...all it takes is a little faith and fire!

Art Salon for a Cause

Next week Bravery is coordinating and running the first Art Salon for a Cause. This event came as a wonderful opportunity for bringing domestic violence awareness and showcasing ALL 29 portraits from the Bravery series.

I am so pleased to be sharing this event with two amazing professional and successful artists, Jim Covarrubias and Ralph Brekan. We are all benefiting charities with the art sales and donations collected onsite.

Furthermore there will be live music each day, refreshments, and tons of beautiful artwork to look at in an amazing multimillion dollar home in the Trovita private, gated community. This event is FREE admission and to top it off a Bravery Silent Auction will be available on Friday evening. What's even cooler is this beautiful home is on the market for sale too!


Some of you are aware that Bravery has started the ongoing online auction with Ebay Giving Works and so far, after muddling through the learning process, I have managed to raise a good amount from the first week. Unfortunately, I have some gift donations from generous companies that I can't put on Ebay because they are gift certificates and they are too valuable. Isn't that nuts?! SO, the best solution was to have a silent auction, so that YOU can come and see these great items for yourself and take them home with you immediately! The monies collected from the silent auction will go into the very first Bravery Scholarship fund, which will go to a domestic violence survivor from the Bravery Project program and Tempe Dollars for Scholars. So help us help survivors break the cycle by sending two people to college for a shot at a better life. It's all tax deductible.

I will also be collecting donations at the event as well and any amount, whether it's 1 dollar or 5 dollars, or anything that you can afford will go to help the beneficiaries provide services to survivors and help them overcome domestic violence for good!

If you like what you see in the Bravery portraits and want one for yourself, remember that a $500.00 donation to Bravery will get you a custom portrait of yourself, your pet, your kids, whatever you wish. Excellent for Christmas.

Now that I sound like an infomercial, just remember that you are most welcome to attend the salon just for the sake of enjoying the food, entertainment and great art. You don't have to spend a dime, just have fun and come (with friends) and say hello to me! If you didn't receive an evite from me, pop an RSVP in email so I can get a count.