Sponsor Families in Need for Christmas

The Christmas season is here and everyone is cheerfully (but frantically!) running around preparing for parties, gift exchanges and dinners. But there are many clients here at the Partnership who aren't so cheerful. Many are not expecting a visit from Ole St. Nick this season because of crisis in their lives. That's why the Partnership does a large-scale gift drive every year to collect gifts for our clients who are not as fortunate. This gift drive is called the Holiday Cheer Campaign.

Elder men and women living at home alone, victims of domestic violence living in shelter with their children, and many others who are dealing with family or personal crisis need help to provide a little bit of Holiday Cheer this year.

Anyone can sponsor an individual or family simply by calling Partnership Volunteer Coordinator, Rosemary Miller, at (423) 697-3830 or emailing her at rmiller@partnershipfca.com. Rosemary will match you with a "Wishlist for Santa" and you shop for the client just as you would shop for your spouse, best friend, or child. Drop your items off at the Partnership's 1800 McCallie Avenue office by December 15 and our own little elves will deliver the presents. It's that easy!

Of course, if you do not like to shop you can still help out. Simply visit partnershipfca.com and make an online donation to be used to purchase the client's wishlist items. Same end result - no shopping required!

Many are in need this year, and sponsorships are lower at this point than they have been in previous years. We sure could use your help.

Merry Christmas!

Domestic Violence Kills

Many of you have heard about the tragic murder of a local woman at the hands of domestic violence. The Partnership's Crisis Services is still reeling from the news. We want to tell as many people as possible that help is available to them and their families. We want them to know about our 24/7 Crisis Hotline that provides confidential, often life-saving assistance, to victims of domestic violence. Victims do not have to suffer. Please call (423) 755-2700 if you are being abused. Someone is available at all times to help you and your family get to safety. You don't have to hurt anymore.

CRISIS HOTLINE 423-755-2700

Celebrate Recovery Today - National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month

There are over 23 million Americans currently being treated for drug and alcohol addiction. They are on the road to recovery. This is the 20th year celebrating National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. Partnership Counseling Center joined the celebration today starting with a march across the Walnut Street Bridge and ending with a community presentation at Miller Plaza. Both city and county mayor offices recognized today's celebration with proclomations.

More important though, have been the stories recovering addicts have shared publicly today. As I sit here writing this now, a local artist is sharing his story of recovery and how CADAS helped him rebuild his life. A previous recovering addict, who was an attorney previously, shared his story of addiction to meth. A local nurse shared how she quite smoking after 35 years and reminded the audience that nicotine is also a drug. One consistent message of all the recovering addicts was that help is out there.

The Partnership Counseling Center is one of the many resources in Chattanooga. Cal 423-697-7130 to schedule a confidential appointment.

DWTSC Thank You to Supporters

Thanks to everyone who participated in some way in Dancing with the Stars Chattanooga! Saturday night was amazing! We had nearly 900 people in attendance, packing the Tivoli and Tivoi Centre for what had to be the best after party. Our own Lynda Hood raised over $7,000 to win the Fan Favorite Award - with all her proceeds benefiting the Partnership's Sexual Assault Center.

Alexis Bogo won the Dancing Champion Award, receiving high scores from the judges and a ton of votes from the audience. Her Fred Astaire instructor and partner was Kyle Barel. Way to go guys.

It was a close race for everyone. And everyone did such a great job. Josh McManus called on his Elvis alter ego, Ed Harrison was a Womanizer, Kelly Brexler nailed her finishing position (as seen in Sunday's Times Free Press!), and Dr. Marc Cromie pulled out all the stunts to Bring Sexy Back.

And if you haven't hears already, our guest star Maxsim Chrmerkovskiy auctioned off his pants for a whopping $2,100 -- and then sold another pair for the same price! He and Nicole Volynets were such professionals, and their dances were amazing!!

Can't wait to start planning for next year. Not sure how we'll top nearly 1,000 people in one of the city's best venues - with one of the best DWTS performers. But I bet you we'll do it!

Last week for tickets and voting!

Hi guys! This is the last week to buy your tickets to the much anticipated event, Dancing with the Stars Chattanooga. Tickets are selling fast so don't miss your chance to see Max from ABC's Dancing with the Stars as well as your local dancers. This is also the last week to send in your fan vote for your favorite dancer.

So, don't miss out and visit dancingwiththestarschattanooga.com now!

Check Out Our Moves

Our six local star dancers have been rehearsing for weeks in preparation for the June 26th DWTSC event and we have a little rehearsal footage for you to see! Each day this week, and each week leading up to June 26th, we'll have a little sneak peek for you. These are just little glimpses of our dancers' progress from beginning to end of their practices at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio. Music has been edited so the final performances will be surprise. Click on the video links to the right and ENJOY!

Dancing with the Stars Chattanooga - The Beginning of Fan Favorite Voting

Our dancing stars are practicing in back-to-back sessions now. Working through choreography with the instructors at Fred Astaire, trying on their dancing shoes for the first time, deciding on their music selection (which is going to be great, I have to tell you), and thinking about costuming. And let me remind you that each of our stars have full-time jobs. So it's not as if they have a lot of free time right now. Yet they still keep showing up to practice and take whatever is thrown at them, all to make sure DWTSC is a great event and a great fundraiser for the Partnership. And, I suppose, to make sure they don't trip up in front of 1,600 people at the Tivoli.

You would think that's enough to handle, right? But we're talking about our Chattanooga Stars. And these folks always go the extra mile. That's how they've become community leaders in their own fields. So it's no big deal for them to already be getting geared up for the DWTSC Fan Favorite Award contest.

The Fan Favorite Award will go to the dancer who receives the most pre-event votes for them. The contest puts the "fun" back in "fundraising" by allowing fans to make a donation that will directly support a specific program area of the Partnership, while also voting for their favorite dancer. The results are updated nightly on each dancer's bio at www.dancingwiththestarschattanooga.com . Fans can vote by text, by online donation, or by giving donations directly to the dancer if they so choose.

And each dancer seems to be developing their own campaign. Take Ed Harrison for example. He's set up a new Facebook page and has already received the first two online votes of the event! Ed is also donating his two free Green Room tickets (a.k.a. best seats in the house!) to one of his supporters who makes a donation over $20. We will randomly select a Fan before the event to receive the tickets. So make sure to check out his page and show your support.

Check back here regularly for event updates and comments from our dancers!

Day 6 Friday

Friday My Last Day Tennessee Here I come

The Mix Club for Kids

I think today was my favorite day. Samuel came and picked me up and took to me to the Mix Club that he works at some afternoons near Duha. It is like a Rec Center and right in the middle of the Pentagon. Great name huh? The Pentagon is a housing project that mostly Gypsies live in and there are a lot of drugs in the area. Samuel says people in the community are afraid of people who live in the Pentagon. Aren't we all, maybe for different reasons.

Anyway, I was quite alarmed to hear the first rule of the club. Children must smoke outside. .... Yes you heard it right. It is a reality here. It is illegal to sell to children under 15 but many children under 15 smoke. Wow. Again the walls were painted, you can see where they painted the outside. Samuel gave me a cd of songs that 2 boys, ages 14 and 16, made singing gypsy and slovak songs. It was amazing. They were so good. Very professional. If I were smart enough I would put some of it on the blog. I think it can be done... maybe.

Then we visited my young friends Rene and Kevin from my last visit 3 years ago. They are now in a children's home outside Bratislava. I did not know if they would remember me, but I was hoping. Of course I took them Tennessee Volunteer Football hats. What kind of person would I be if I didn't.... right? They were very pleased. Rene said he would come to Tennessee and play foot ball. Rene remembered me, he is the same age as my son Noah, but Kevin who is the age of my son Joel did not. Rene had used up most of my video tape during my visit to Duha and remembered using my camera. The other children at the home had many questions about America. They wanted to know if I knew Tu Pac and 50 Cents. Apparently rap is very big among teens. Samuel says among gypsy children rap and gangs are a very popular image of America. Not much to be said for that.

I gave the boys my card and told them to learn English and they can email or write to me. I hope they will finish school.

The last event of my day (before packing and flying home to my wonderful family) was to meet Eva and Igor her husband in the old city for a very important reception for the former Prime Minister (I think- anyway he was very important) who had written a book with the former PM from the Czeck Repbulic. It was a policical event and a book signing all in one. Igor works for him which is how I got a special invitation. It was very interesting. After the speeches, they christened the book. I can't think of any other way to say it. They took water and poured it over the book like a christening.

Here is a famous actor I don't know and the former Prime Minister getting ready to pour water on the book.

Last but not least, I saw the people watcher in his window again today. I have looked for him every day to no avail, but today he was there. A very nice ending to a great week. I am very thankful to the Partnership, Chattanooga Rotary Club, Bryan College and Dennis Miller who helped make this week happen. I hope some community change begins to occur and that maybe I have planted some seeds. Chow - See you in Chattanooga

Day 5 Bratislava On the Downside Now

Flowers in the park

Brana di Zivota "Gate to the Life" was a great visit today. I met with the Director Gabriella and her staff. Two of them spoke English which helped. They have a similar program to the Partnership shelter and serve 12 women with children. They also have a children without parents shelter and house young people aging out of shelter care.

As throughout my trip, the thing that I was interested in was how they collaborated with other programs in the community to lobby for funding and to create a coalition to speak for victims rights. That is a very new concept here, so maybe I planted some seeds. I hope so. Education and prevention of domestic violence; rape; homelessness and other social issues are not high on priority lists partially because there are few staff to do the work (which I totally understand). But I am also not sure there is full recognition of how prevention can be related to education efforts. They do not do psycho-educational groups on domestic violence with the women in their shelter with topics about the cycle of abuse; indicators of abuse; effects on children; safety planning etc. These issues are usually worked on one on one in meetings with the psychologist. I encouraged them to do the classes with all women they work with. Very important concept because domestic violence impact everyone.

They would like for me to send them our support group program on domestic violence. I am very excited about that.

Eva and a few of her class

In the afternoon I taught a class for my friend Eva Havelkova at the University Performing Arts. I talked about the Partnership and our project in Slovakia, but I focused my topic on the history of the oppression of women; domestic violence; rape and dating relationships. They were quite amazed at some of the things I said. They do not talk about those issues here and especially dating violence. I brought some cards I received from the Tennessee Coalition against Domestic and Sexual Violence created through the TNBLUE.org website. the students had never seen anything like it. We briefly talked about rights in a dating relationship... again a very foreign concept.

I focused on how important my understanding of my history was to how I create change in my community. Many of the students here do not even learn about being under communism and it was only 20 years ago. They do not know about oppression and it is not taught to them to my understanding. So.... I gave them a lesson in oppression and civic responsibility. I asked Eva later if I could be arrested for the things I may have said. Not since 1989.

Later in the day as I was walking back to the boat I saw some of the most beautiful flowers in bloom and then a saw some people rowing. Life here is not as fast paced as at home. Even though the week will soon be over, the hours are not frantic ,filled with due dates; PQI reports; grants due; too many meetings to attend; and never ending work with no time to complete it. It has been so nice to put that away for a week and focus on one thing at a time and enjoy each moment of time not worrying about the next one. However, I miss my family and can't wait to seem them Saturday. It seems like a month since I hugged and kissed my boys.

Day 4 Wednesday.

Bratislava Day 4

check out the artwork on these shelter walls.

A very busy day. I was up at 8 and it is not almost midnight. I have not slowed down today and tomorrow will be similar. Dasa took me to Majak today. Wow. I met the social worker, who explained their program and showed me around. Check out the walls. Its that way all over the shelter. They have 60 women currently being sheltered and 25 children. My staff won't believe this but the social worker is the only one who works with them like our case managers at the Partnership. So the ratio is 1 to 60 compared to 1 to maximum 5 or 6. Hmmm. We think we are overworked Ouch. The program is very similar in ways to ours.

One thing that struck me was the expressed need to control things. We also discussed the cycle of violence and in many cases alcohol and drugs are blamed on domestic violence here. I shared my first encounter with the Lenore Walker books on domestic violence and the cycle of violence. I shared that I believe that those things exacerbate the behavior but they do not cause it and if we let it be an excuse we are not holding abusers accountable.

We also discussed the importance of education as a key to prevention and changing the environment of complacency in Bratislava. No one seems to think domestic violence is a big deal, not my problem. Again the issue of funding came up. With no coalition of programs, there are no strong lobbying voices to help speak out for social issues, funding and services.

It seems that economic growth is more important than social issues. I think when the social issues are sleeping in the mall entrance or asking for handouts in the mall, maybe things will change. I think when women and children die at the hands of abusers because no one thinks is their problem; I think when someone important's family is impacted by domestic violence, things will change. I think when the daughter of an important person is raped, things will change. I ask myself, why does it have to be this way. And then I think...isn't that what happened here in America; Tennessee and yes Chattanooga and sometimes still happens.

It was great to see this very large shelter and know that women are being helped at least for now.

After my visit, I went to buy tennis shoes and chocolate. My feet will be eternally grateful. Then I met my great Friend Eva Havelkova and Dasa and we went to see the opera Faust. It was a tragedy. Very sad. I had forgotten my college literature. Even with the Italian song and Slovak translation it was still sad. Tomorrow I go to Brana de Zivota and visit another shelter and then will lecture at Eva's class at the University. Chow