THE VISTA VERSE Volume 2 Issue 10

The Vista

Verse

OCTOBER 2012 IN THIS ISSUE

VISTA Rose describes the second annual Weld Project Connect

Page 3

VISTA Paige raises awareness and funds at the SAVA Soiree

Page 4

Very Valuable VISTA: Christina McKasy of Promises for Children

Page 5

THE VISTA VERSE | Issue 10 2

OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS

Happy birthday to VISTA members

October 3: Lydia Leffelman of Faith Community Service Fund and

October 21: Chris Heim of Senior Resource Services

October – In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness month, A Woman’s Place has art shows dispslayed in 5 locations around Greeley including Café Panache, Centennial Library and Zoe’s Café.

October 12 – Friday Fest w/ Retro, 6PM Downtown Greeley. FREE Movie at the Kress: Something Wicked This Way Comes, 9:30PM

October 13 – The Weld Food Bank 7th Annual Blue Jean Ball to thank food donors. 1108 H Street, 6:00PM

October 14 – FREE Movie at the Kress: The Walking Dead Season Premier

October 18 – The Global Refugee Center’s simulation A Walk in their Shoes, 5:00-8:00PM

Happening in October

October 19 – Friday Fest w/ Turn 4, 6PM Downtown Greeley. FREE Movie at the Kress: Abbot and Costello Meet Fankenstein, 9:30PM

October 20 – Half of burritos at Qdoba on Centerplace Drive or 11th Ave. 100% of the proceed will be donated to Partners Mentoring Youth of Weld County.

October 25 – VISTA monthly meeting, 9AM

October 26 – Friday Fest Zombie Crawl Special, 6PM Downtown Greeley

October 27 – How Do YOU Make A Difference? Each year on the fourth Saturday in October, volunteers from coast to coast vow to improve their communities on Make a Difference Day, a national day of service.

October 31 – Halloween!

October 5 – Rose celebrates the first snow of the season outside United Way

THE VISTA VERSE | Issue 10 3

The Second Annual Weld Project Connect on September 28th brought together members from all over the community for the common mission of “Neighbor helping Neighbor”. Weld Project Connect offers on-site services directly to individuals and households struggling and in need due to foreclosure, job loss, age, health problems and other issues that can interrupt life. Just a few of the services available at this year’s Project Connect included: flu shots, health screenings, haircuts, birth certificate vouchers, and veteran’s services. Over nine hundred guests received services at this year’s event.

The support from the community was outstanding, with hundreds of volunteers willing to be navigators, and many others providing services or additional help. Many VISTAs also took time out of their day to participate in some aspect of the event. Some represented the services of their respective agencies, while others volunteered with the Vulnerability Index Survey,

interviewing members of the community to pinpoint those most at risk in regards to housing

and health. Guests left with a little more optimism for the future knowing that so many members of the community cared. Project Connect could not have had such a huge impact without the wonderful sponsors and volunteers who showed their support of this event.

Weld Project Connect

by Rose Kinane, VISTA, United Way of Weld County

Above: VISTA members Christina, Rose, and Lisa at Weld Project Connect

Above: VISTA members Lydia, Erin, and Christina at the volunteer lunch before the start of the event

Right: VISTA Melody at the Weld County School District 6 booth

THE VISTA VERSE | Issue 10 4

The Sexual Assault Victim Advocate (SAVA) Center commemorated its longstanding service to the northern Colorado community at its first annual SAVA Soiree on September 20, 2012 with 500 community supporters in attendance. Guests at the SAVA Soiree had the opportunity to support SAVA through the purchase of a $20 ticket for a “mystery prize box” filled with great items including ski lift passes, theatre tickets, a year’s supply of New Belgium beer, and gift cards to other local businesses. Anticipation was so high for these gift bags that the 70+ cache sold out within 25 minutes. Guests also competed in a high-stakes game of Heads or Tails for a trip for two to Costa Rica. The lucky man’s wife jumped for joy as he was the only one of three finalists to choose “tails” on the last coin flip.

One of SAVA’s signature projects,

“Faces”, was featured throughout the event. The Faces Project gives a face and a voice to the problem of sexual violence in our community through compelling black and white portraits of local survivors and their supporters. Maria Montano, the photographer behind the long-running Faces Project, was given SAVA’s first Innovation in Advocacy Award for her passion and dedication to helping survivors know that they are not alone through the Faces Project.

The keynote speaker for the SAVA Soiree, a sexual assault survivor and SAVA client, David Braley, spoke on his journey from “victim” to “survivor.” His emotionally powerful speech was peppered with bits of humor and shed light on the struggles of male

survivors of sexual assault. In a recently published essay, Mr. Braley said “I would be lying to say it was easy and straightforward to work through what happened to me as a child. But I can say with confidence, there was no way I could have done it

alone. I feel deeply thankful that SAVA Center was there to help me. The staff at the SAVA Center are highly trained in the subject of helping people work through the trauma, the shame, the anger, and the grief of being sexually assaulted. They know what they are doing and they can help you. SAVA truly helped me get my life back.”

The SAVA Center is the only organization in northern Colorado dedicated to the needs of those affected by sexual violence. SAVA operates a 24-hour rape crisis hotline and offers free and sliding-scale therapy to individuals as well as facilitating support groups for sexual assault survivors. Each year, SAVA offers comprehensive crisis intervention and therapy services to over 600 victims of sexual assault in northern Colorado and provides sexual assault prevention education to more than 6,000 students in the Poudre School District. The SAVA Soiree raised over $20,000 which will be used to continue SAVA’s tireless work to support sexual assault survivors in our community.

The First Annual SAVA Soiree by Paige Ball, VISTA, Sexual Assault Victim Advocate (SAVA) Center

VISTA members Erin, Rose, Christina, Paige, Ally, Sarah and Lisa

THE VISTA VERSE | Issue 10 5

1. What is your favorite thing to do in the fall?

Going to apple orchards (sadly there seem to be none in Colorado) and pumpkin patches, wearing sweaters, and eating and drinking all things pumpkin flavored.

2. If you could live in any TV show, what would it be?

Well I do not watch TV (except for the Real Housewives which I would definitely NOT want to be a part of), but if I could choose a book/movie it would be Harry Potter.

3. What was your favorite activity as a child?

I liked to play tennis with my Dad, swim in our lake, hangout with my neighbor friends, and go to Cup-n-Cone for ice cream.

4. If you could go anywhere where would you go & who would you take?

I want to take the Camino Inca to Machu Picchu with my college roommates (shout out to Bonnie and Megan). It is a four day hiking trail that ends at Machu Picchu and then I would like to visit Brazil, Ecuador, and Argentina.

5. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?

I lived in China for a summer and I have pictures of really strange food items (sea horse, lizards, snakes, etc.). However, I don’t remember eating any of it. I probably blocked it from my memory.

6. Why did you become an AmeriCorps VISTA?

I thought that AmeriCorps would be a great balance from going from a full time student into the ‘real world’. Turns out that it is.

7. What do you miss most about home?

Minnesota lakes, my dog, and my parents (in that order).

8. What do you love the most about being in Colorado?

Colorado is the most beautiful place that I have been to in the United States. Also, I really like the staff at the United Way (holla at my officemates Caroline and Vanessa).

The Vista

Verse

For more information, contact Lisa Monsen | VISTA Leader United Way of Weld County

Lisa@unitedway-weld.org 970-304-6179

814 9th Street | PO Box 1944 Greeley, CO 80632

Very Valuable VISTA: Christina McKasy, Promises for Children

VISTA members Jeff, Christina, Rose, and Ally