Food will be served and a cash bar available. The Claudia Burson Trio will be providing entertainment.

Tickets are $30 and available online or by calling NWAWS at 479-246-9999.

“Like many people, we both know and love women who have been victims of abuse,” the Adamses say. “It’s absolutely crucial that women in these situations have someplace safe to go for help. The Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter provides an opportunity for women and children in abusive situations to find a way out of their painful present into a more hopeful future. We’re proud to support Fresh StART and the other wonderful initiatives of the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter.”

Fresh StART is the signature fundraising event of the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter—an art auction featuring the works of local professional artists and works made by women and children through the shelter’s art program. All funds raised from the event support the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter’s services for victims of violence, including emergency shelter, advocacy, support groups, and community education and outreach.

For more information about Fresh StART or the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter, please call (479) 246-9999 or visit www.nwaws.org.

The tournament runs from September 5 through September 11, 2011 at the Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers. See the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship page for details on players, dates, and maps.

This tournament is exciting and a great opportunity to see professional athletes perform up close! The course is beautiful and there are food and drink vendors, making it a great day trip for your family.

Tickets are $30 and will be available online soon.

“The past few weeks [at NWAWS] have completely changed my life for the better. You all have helped me realize who I can be and who I am. You’ve helped me stop listening to all the lies I was convinced of before. You all made me believe I am worth the effort to be healthy, mentally and emotionally. I am so overwhelmed by everyone’s encouraging and dedicated spirits to help me refuse to go back to being abused!”

People sometimes ask how we know if the person we are assisting really is a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault. As the Executive Director, I always respond, “We are in the believing business.” So often someone—adult or child—who has experienced the trauma of violence of any kind is not believed. By the time we are talking to potential clients, they most likely have already talked to friends, family, co-workers, or even law enforcement, and at each turn they may have been greeted with anything from skepticism to outright denial.

It is our job to believe, to be compassionate listeners for all who need to tell their story.
Our training and experience teach us compassionate listening within the shelter. The more difficult front is our community at large. Our culture is often skeptical of those who come forward to talk about their sexual assault or the years of abuse they have suffered. Ending Violence Against Women International (EVAW) has just launched a campaign called Start By Believing that aims to change the way we respond as a community and as a culture to reports of violence. If the first person that a victim reports to has a negative response, then the trauma can worsen.

How can we improve our reaction to someone who reveals to us domestic violence or sexual assault? We can begin with simply believing the person and suspending our own disbelief.
• Allow her or him to talk.
• Use validating statements like, “That must have been very difficult,” or “It sounds like you were really scared.”
• Encourage her or him to seek professional services or file a police report, but only if the victim wants to.
• Avoid using words like “should” or “ought to.” These words tell someone what to do as well as diminish and invalidate a person’s feelings.
• Express your own anger or hurt with someone you trust, not with the victim.
• Be patient! What seems like a clear path to healing may not be the path a loved one chooses. Healing from trauma can take a very long time, sometimes years.

Please join us in our “believing business.” Go to Start By Believing to learn more about this campaign and EVAW. If you know of someone who has been or is being hurt by violence, please feel free to call our staff at 479-246-9999 for guidance in assisting that person.

NWAWS is launching our first Mobile Giving campaign today and we want you to be part of it! Today (Wednesday, July 6^th) only, everyone who donates $10 to NWAWS via text giving and joins our Mobile Giving Community will receive a free art print made through our children’s art healing program.

Here’s How it Works  

From a smart phone, text “ARTWORK” to 50555 and then when you receive a reply message, follow the link to the information form. Fill out the form and click the “Donate $10” button at the bottom of the page. We will mail your art print to the address you provide. You will then be part of our Mobile Giving Community and will receive occasional texts from us about the latest news in the shelter.

From a regular cell phone, text “SHELTER” and your name and address (i.e. “SHELTER John Smith 1555 Blueberry Court, Rogers, AR 72757”) to 50555 and then reply with “Yes” to confirm your donation. When asked, opt in to receive future alerts from us. You will then be part of our Mobile Giving Community and will receive occasional texts from us about the latest news in the shelter.

Here’s Why We’re Doing It

All text donations received will fund services—including safe shelter, food, clothing, and transportation—to the women and children who come to us for help. There are 117,000 people affected by violence in Northwest Arkansas, and we need your help to reach as many as possible.

When I moved to Northwest Arkansas from Mexico City over 10 years ago, I felt the need to get involved in the community. Every board needs diversity in gender and origin. When I found the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter, I knew I had a unique perspective to offer. Coming from a Latin American country, I grew up in a culture that values family union. It was difficult for me to understand someone beating his wife, girlfriend, or kids. I joined the Shelter’s Board of Directors in 2001.

The Shelter is important to me because it gives women a safety net—an avenue for them to seek help and shelter. The Shelter helps women get away from an abuser, find a safe place, and identify and overcome the problems they face. We help them envision the future and a better environment for themselves and their children. This is important because most people associate with people like themselves, so many people who grow up in a violent environment get into relationships with people with similar values. They find themselves repeating the pattern of violence. We help women and children break that cycle.

In the decade that I have been with the Shelter, we have had many changes. We are now in our third location because we have expanded in response to the increase of domestic violence. What I am most proud of is that all the changes we’ve gone through have been seamless from our clients’ point of view. There has never been a break in the services we provide to victims of violence. We are now at the point where we are focusing on expanding our education and prevention. We are going into schools and speaking to kids about abusive relationships.

Domestic violence is a problem everywhere. It doesn’t matter where you come from—domestic violence goes across all socioeconomic levels and cultures. There are so many stigmas associated with domestic violence. Victims are held back from seeking help by all the “what ifs.” What if I lose friends? What if I am blamed for the abuse? Many people don’t want to deal with domestic violence in the community. They think it’s not their business and they don’t want to talk about it. I don’t know why not. I am with the Shelter because we need a lot of people to know about domestic violence, to be involved, and to volunteer their time. If it’s not your business, whose business is it going to be?

Please RSVP to Melanie Palmer at (479) 246-0353.

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