$100 Sponsors

•       Andrews Van Lines – 310 S. 7^th Street, P.O. Box, Norfolk, NE
•       ANSIR4U- 1800 West Pasewalk Avenue, Norfolk, NE
•       Bank First- 100 North 13^th Street, Norfolk, NE
•       Davis Kassmeier Chiropractic- 1502 North 13^th Street, Norfolk, NE, 402.371.6415
•       First National Bank- 1500 Market Lane, Norfolk, NE
•       Frontier Bank- 301 South Main Street, Madison, NE, 402.649.0379
•       Go Figure for Women- 2612 West Norfolk Avenue, Norfolk, NE, 402.649.0379
•       Good Life Counceling (Lori)- 405 Elm Street P.O. Box 2315, Norfolk, NE
•       Hairitage- 1401 Riverside Blvd. # B, Norfolk, NE
•       Henningsen-402 North 3^rd Street, Norfolk, NE
•       Heritage Financial Services, LLC- 315 North 5^th Street, Suite 400, P.O. Box 1541, Norfolk, NE
•       Insurance Associates- 1900 West Pasewalk Avenue, Norfolk, NE
•       J & B Clark Farms
•       Langan Dental Health Center, PC- 100 Riverside Blvd., Norfolk, NE
•       MP Global Products LLC- 2500 Old Hadar Road, P.O. Box 2283, Norfolk, NE
•       Norfolk Daily News (Les Mann)- 525 West Norfolk Avenue, Norfolk, NE
•       Norfolk Transmission & Muffler Service- 1001 South 13^th Street, Norfolk, NE
•       Northeast Nebraska Imaging- 301 North 27^th Street # 15, Norfolk, NE
•       Staullbaumer Construction-76098 Road 424, Cozad, NE, 402.340.0471
•       Stratton DeLay & Doele- 200 West Benjamin Avenue P.O. Box 888, Norfolk, NE
•       Telebeep Wireless- 2402 Taylor Avenue #300, Norfolk, NE
•       Tielke Sandwiches- 1700 Square Turn Blvd., Norfolk, NE
•       Tyson Foods-Madison, NE
•       Wendy, PMHNP and Cory- 1407 Koenigstein Avenue, Norfolk, NE

Other Donors of the Awareness Walk

•       M K Just Baked Cupcakery,  100 mini cupcakes- 125 West Norfolk Avenue, Norfolk, NE
•       Mid City, Blueray player- 1900 Center Drive, Norfolk, NE
•       Norfolk Chamber, advertisement for event/bags- 405 Madison Avenue, Norfolk, NE
•       Stadium Sports, $100 off total price of shirt-418 East Douglas Avenue, O’ Neill, NE
•       Steve and Karen Warner, hotdogs & buns- 2009 Sunset Avenue, Norfolk, NE, 402.371.2678
•       Stephen Smith M.D., a pair of Husker football tickets-301 North 27^th Street, Ste. 5, Norfolk, NE
•       Target (Lori), Gift Card ($100)-1510 Market Ln., Norfolk, NE
•       Romans II, 15 Ib prime rib- 904 West Omaha Avenue, Norfolk, NE
•       Fair Play Golf, pair of 18 hole rounds- 55427 837 Road, Norfolk, NE
•       Dr. Pepper, bottled water- 2001 Riverside Blvd., Norfolk, NE\

Written by Sammy

NCFE and Early Learning Connections provide many opportunities throughout the year for community members to become educated and help prevent child abuse.  One community training is Darkness to Light – Stewards of Children training which teaches adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse.  Click on the links below to view upcoming training opportunities.  Please take time to visit the display and take action to help prevent child abuse in Northeast Nebraska.  If anyone in the community wants to become more involved or is interested in joining the council please ncfe@care2.com.

List of upcoming Stewards of Children trainings

Bright Horizons upcoming Stewards of Children training

Please visit awallace0611.avonrepresentative.com and enter coupon code DENIMDAY2012.  If you would like more information please contact Amanda at Bright Horizons at 402-336-1774

Written by Amanda Wallace

Here are a few ways your business/organization can participate in the event:

• NEW IN 2012:  You can ask your customers if they would like to donate $1.00 to Bright Horizons and then their name would go one a teal ribbon paper to be displayed in your business.  Bright Horizons would provide the ribbon note pad.
• Ask customers to round up their purchase to the nearest dollar.
• Your employees can pay for the privilege of wearing blue jeans on Fridays in April ($1.00 to $5.00 per employee per Friday) and that money is donated to Bright Horizons.
• Bright Horizons can provide you with a donation can to sit on your counter for customers to drop donations into.
• Some businesses that currently allow employees to wear jeans on Friday have sold coupons that their employees can purchase.  This coupon allows the employee to wear jeans on any day during April.
• You can make a donation to Bright Horizons.

We encourage you to be creative and bring awareness to this worthwhile cause. The donations we receive are vital in providing the day to day services that we make available to victims of sexual assault and or domestic violence. Any way that you are able to provide support is greatly appreciated, thank you!
For more information please contact us in Norfolk at 1-402-379-2026 or in O’Neill at 1-402-336-1774.

The featured lunch speaker was Sugar Ray Lenord, Olympic Gold Medalist, World Champion and Child Abuse survivor.  His words carried a powerful message that we as a society need to create an environment where children feel safe to disclose abuse.  The staggering statistic is that only 8% of children disclose sexual abuse.  What can we do about this?  I as a person, who frequently comes in contact with middle school age children, will be more conscious of my attitude.  I want to express that if a child were to confide in me about abuse, I would believe them.  I would take care to insure that they are comfortable with reporting to the proper agencies.
Finally my afternoon session was spent with Dr. Jill Murray.  She has become the leading expert on the subject of teen dating abuse in the U.S. and Canada. She has appeared on more than 350 television shows—including twice on Oprah, 20/20, Montel, Dr. Phil, Good Morning America, and several CNN shows—speaking as the guest expert in the field, as well as more than 300 radio talk shows. She has been interviewed by more than 250 newspapers and national magazines.

I received great information to pass on to teens in abusive relationships. As with anything there is no cure all, but as an advocate I can plant a seed of what love is.  Dr. Jill puts it that Love is a behavior.  It is easy to remind someone in an abusive relationship, “hey is that a loving behavior”? She gave us lots of good information to use and questions to ask, such as do you cry often in your current relationship?  If so, you are in abusive relationship.  If you are ever afraid to share information about your day with your partner you are in an abusive relationship.

Overall the training was excellent and I learned a lot of great information.  Unfortunately the content is upsetting but real.  Our kids are suffering abuse.  We owe it to ourselves to look for the warning signs and report.  Reporting is not being a busy body or getting an innocent person in trouble. It is keeping a child safe by sending someone over to investigate your report.  If there is no crime being committed, great, but you have done your part to keep a child safe.

Written by Amanda Wallace

Written by Angie

BRAVO members with Mayor Bill Price signing a proclamation declaring that the City of O’Neill recognizes February as Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.  Pictured above from left to right bottom row: Stephanie Nemec, Hannah Janousek, Mayor Bill Price, Tasha Lechtenberg, Kasey HoffmanFrom left to right standing:  Liz Wallace, Desi Pinkerman, Elizabeth Price, Brandi Walters, Jean Zakrzewski, Sarah Pribil, Miranda Pribil

Written by Maranda Winter, Junior at O’Neill High School

Stalking is a crime in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, yet many victims and criminal justice professionals underestimate its seriousness and impact. In one of five cases, stalkers use weapons to harm or threaten victims, and stalking is one of the significant risk factors for femicide (homicide of women) in abusive relationships.

Victims suffer anxiety, social dysfunction, and severe depression at much higher rates than the general population, and many lose time from work or have to move as a result of their victimization.

Stalking is difficult to recognize, investigate, and prosecute. Unlike other crimes, stalking is not a single, easily identifiable crime but a series of acts, a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause that person fear. Stalking may take many forms, such as assaults, threats, vandalism, burglary, or animal abuse, as well as unwanted cards, calls, gifts, or visits. One in four victims reports that the stalker uses technology, such as computers, global positioning system devices, or hidden cameras, to track the victim’s daily activities. Stalkers fit no standard psychological profile, and many stalkers follow their victims from one jurisdiction to another, making it difficult for authorities to investigate and prosecute their crimes.

If you believe you or someone you know is a victim of stalking; or if you have any questions about your situation, please call Bright Horizons toll free at 1-877-379-3798 to speak with an advocate.

Written by Sara

Bright Horizons has been chosen to receive a $20,000 grant from The Mary Kay Foundation as part of the organization’s annual $3 million national domestic violence grant program.  Bright Horizons is one of 150 domestic violence organizations participating in the program.  The grant will be used to make some necessary safety and security updates at shelter.

“This grant is such a blessing to Bright Horizons in a variety of ways,” said Linda Olson, Executive Director.  “Not only does it make up for a deficit in funding this year but also gives us hope and strength to continue what we do.  Domestic violence is not going away and deserves very serious attention.  Programs to help battered women and their children require a lot of resources.  That’s why we are so thankful The Mary Kay Foundation is helping us help families in northeastern Nebraska.”

Domestic Violence Outlook

According to the second “Mary Kay Truth About Abuse” national survey conducted in March 2011, domestic violence shelters indicate the economic downturn has increased demand for services.  Shelters also report, the ability to raise funds and provide services will be hampered into 2012.  Due to the economy, the survey also revealed:

• 80 percent of domestic violence shelters nationwide (more than three out of four) report and increase in women seeking assistance from abuse, and most attribute this to financial issues.
• 76 percent of domestic violence shelters (three out of four) indicate their funding has decreased.
• 65 percent of women in shelters can’t find employment due to the economy.
• 56 percent of shelters note the abuse is more violent now than before the economic downturn.

“In light of the economic downturn and alarming increases in domestic violence, The Mary Kay Foundation’s mission is more critical than ever before.  Bright Horizons has helped so many women and their families in the northeastern Nebraska area.  We know they will use these funds to benefit even more domestic violence survivors and their children and help end domestic violence,” said Jennifer Cook, The Mary Kay Foundation board member.
About Bright Horizons

Bright Horizons serves victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking and their families.  All of their services are free and confidential and available 24-hours a day 7 days a week.  Bright Horizons serves Antelope, Boyd, Holt, Knox, Madison, Pierce, and Stanton counties.  They have an office and shelter in both Norfolk and O’Neill.   They provide individual advocacy, support group for adults and children, shelter, assistance with protection orders and criminal justice and legal advocacy.  They also provide education in the community on these issues.

About The Mary Kay Foundation

The Mary Kay Foundation was created in 1996, and its mission is two-fold: to fund research of cancers affecting women and to help prevent domestic violence while raising awareness of the issue.  Since the Foundation’s inception, it has awarded $28 million to shelters and programs addressing domestic violence prevention and more than $16 million to cancer researchers and related causes throughout the United States.  To learn more about The Mary Kay Foundation, log on to www.marykayfoundation.org or call 1-877-MKCARES (652-2737).