Domestic Violence: A Social Issue Behind Closed Doors

I attended a panel on Domestic Violence on Thursday. The panelists that spoke at this event were: Ann Tapp, Executive Director of the Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Non-Violence, Jackie List Executive Director of Safe Shelter of St. Vrain, Jesse Cain Probation Officer for the Boulder Probation Department and Tracey Schlafer Executive Director of AMEND in Denver. I learned a lot from these panelists. They are so passionate about their commitment to end domestic violence. Domestic Violence can be physical, sexual, mental and emotional abuse to a person. Ann Tapp, defined Domestic Violence, as an individual who uses powerful dominance with whom they are intimate with. There are 1800 reports in Colorado from Domestic Violence, but sadly there are many victims that do not report their perpetrators out of fear. The behaviors that a person does when causing violence to another is by using power, control and coercion. A common trait of a perpetrator is to be manipulative. Notice that I am not talking about women or men in a category. From what panelists said, it is true that women are 70-90 percent victims. The facts are that women can also be perpetrators. Although their is a low percentile, both women and men can play opposite stereotypical roles in Domestic Violence. I went to this panel through Restoring the Soul. They create faith and community partnerships to develop Boulder County. They encourage faith congregations to collaborate with service agencies. This non-profit has no religious association but encourages community development. If you are interested in learning more about this issue or want to volunteer to help end Domestic Violence please go to the following websites to learn more information.

Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Non-Violence (SPAN)

www.safehousealliance.org

Safe Shelter of St. Vrain Valley

www.safeshelterofstvrain.org/

http://www.courts.state.co.us/

AMEND Denver

www.amendinc.org

(303)832-6363

Thanks for reading & have a lovely weekend!

Rachelle

Student Staff

Center for Urban Connections

Save Time and Stress,Co-op it!

You may have been to local farmers markets or potluck dinners..but have you been to a co-op communal dinner where, according to the New York Times where you can save 75 dollars that you might spend on going out to lunch?

If your interested in saving money and eating new types of food consider doing a co-op. A dinner swap is a trust between two households to provide prepared meals for each other. The goal is to have less time spent in the kitchen and change up the variety of food you eat. This is also a great way to connect with individuals and eat good food! Copy and paste the link below to read more about having a co-op in your area!

http://tinyurl.com/393nbx3

Have a great day!

Rachelle

Student Staff

Center for Urban Connections

We Are Hiring for Fall 2010!

Hi there!

Our Office, The Center for Urban Connections is hiring positions for this Fall 2010! If you are applicable for work study please consider applying for our Student Staff and/or our Web/Graphics Student Staff position! This link, will lead you to more information such as description of the position, qualifications,and the application process.

http://www-banner.mscd.edu/pls/prod_web/bwmswkvj.P_DisplayMainPage

If you have any other questions please contact our office. We are in Tivoli 243 and our phone number is (303)352-7129. If you would like to know more information our e-mail address is urbanconnect@mscd.edu.

Have a lovely day!

Rachelle

Student Staff

Center for Urban Connections

Ethiopia Book Drive Collects Seven Tons

A three-week textbook drive on campus has resulted in the collection of an estimated 14,000 pounds (or seven tons of books) to benefit Aksum University, according to Psychology Professor Mary Ann Watson.

“It was a great success,” says Watson, who along with four other Metro State employees traveled to the university, located in Ethiopia, in March and discovered the need for books.

The 309 boxes of textbooks are being stored in two rooms in the Department of Psychology. Next up will be an inspection of the boxes by the Department of Defense Funded Transportation Program, after which the program will send transportation with pallets to the Plaza Building for loading. It is estimated that it will take two or more months for the books to reach Ethiopia by ship.

For more information about the textbook drive or the College’s partnership with Aksum University, contact Ali Thobhani, executive director of the Office of International Studies and chair of the African and African American Studies Department, at thobhana@mscd.edu.

This is a great example of integrating acts of engagement at our school. If you are interested in any volunteer opportunities please come to the our center Tivoli 243 or call us at (303) 352-7129!

Volunteer Opportunity at the Denver Zoo!

Are you a lover of animals, nature and people?

If your looking for a volunteer opportunity over the summer look no further than our local Denver Zoo! All volunteers are a huge part of the Denver Zoo and provide assistance with administrative,special events,education programs and community outreach. If interested, please submit an application and follow the link below.

http://www.denverzoo.org/involved/volunteer.asp#started

Have a great day!

Rachelle

Student Staff

Center for Urban Connections

High Fructose Corn Syrup Take A Hit While Natural Products Become Popular

We have all seen commercials or advertisements promoting high fructose corn syrup or those against it. I found a interesting article that showcases statistical evidence and products like Rudi's Organic Bakery ( a local organic bread company) that have made consumers switch to purchasing products that are health-conscious. Between 2003 and 2008 more than 11 percent of products that are considered high fructose corn syrup have decreased in consumerism.This article also shows that 50 percent of parents try to avoid high fructose corn syrup diets and less than 20 percent were aware packaged bread like Wonder Bread 100% Whole Wheat contains artificial ingredients like high fructose corn syrup and dammonium phosphate. One quote that I liked was said by Curt Ellis producer of "King Corn" he states,"I think what we are seeing is a real awakening of public interest and public consciousness of the food we eat." This quote speaks to me because I have seen many documentaries about the treatment of food,in modern day. It is frustrating that many consumers are not aware of the ingredients they are putting into their body. There is a stereotype going on that only individuals who have money eat organic,while places like SAME Cafe in Denver give everyone an opportunity to eat great organic food. Many will be aware by reading the ingredients and buying local,creating a major effect on big companies producing bad ingredients at a cheap price. If this happens, percentages will go down and many corporations will give the consumer what they want or close because they are not in demand.King Corn is a documentary educating people how corn has become through government a dominant U.S. crop. One may think these documentaries are trying to say more than they can handle, but in all truth, consumers have the biggest say in the production because it is YOU who consumes these products. Articles like these help people become aware that major health issues such as diabetes play huge roles in consumption patterns and that we can change our ways and voice. Please click on the link to this article and re-awaken your knowledge about food.

http://www.dailycamera.com/natural-organic-news/ci_15228141

Thanks for reading!

Rachelle

Student Staff

Center for Urban Connections

10 Things that You Can Do to End Domestic Human Trafficking

Some of the student staff at the Center for Urban Connections attended the Boulder Creek Festival, over the memorial day weekend. We found a booth that interested us and we want to help them find volunteers as well as educate our readers about prax(us) and some things that individuals can do to help this cause

A couple of them are:

Understanding the root cause of domestic human trafficking. In addition to that, a general understand of what reproductive justice,immigration reform,labor rights and homelessness to name a couple.

Volunteering with organizations such as: Prax(us),the Polaris Project,or Colorado Network to End Human Trafficking (CoNEHT).

Join or start an advocacy group in your community.

Be aware of your environment. Learn who is most vulnerable to trafficking in your community and work on ways to address it.

The link to the Prax(us) website is: www.praxus.org

Please check it out and help end domestic human trafficking!

New Volunteer Opportunity

Hey Colorado HRC would you like to be in the Pride Parade?

HRC Colorado is looking for enthusiastic volunteers to carry the Huge HRC Flag for the Denver Pride Parade celebrating it's 35th Anniversary. There is no better way to show your Pride than through volunteering and walking with your fellow Coloradoans in celebration of community, heritage, family and culture.

We are looking for 30 smiling faces to carry our HRC Flag along the parade route. In addition, we are also looking for people to walk in front of the flag and behind the flag. What better way to celebrate all the of the LGBT milestones we have accomplished and those on the horizon.

When: Sunday June 20th
Time: 8:30 a.m
Where: Cheeseman Park (Parade Start)

Since your volunteer efforts will be representative of what Colorado HRC truely has to offer we ask that you wear a dark blue, yellow or white shirt! Of course as always if you have HRC attire we love that too!

For more information please contact:
Nader Kawas naderkawas@yahoo.com

Volunteering is on the Rise

An article posted in March's New York Times talks about jobless New Yorkers who want to volunteer instead of looking into the job market. These individuals are going to non-profit organizations to do such things as volunteering at a soup kitchen. I hope that reading this article will help inspire you to do more volunteering! Come to the Center for Urban Connections if you have any questions. We are located in Tivoli 243 and our phone number is (303)352-7132.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/16/nyregion/16volunteers.html

Have a great day!

Rachelle

Student Staff

Center for Urban Connections