Petoskey Middle School friends who attended Meg Wilson’s birthday party brought donations for the Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan (WRCNM) Safe Home, instead of traditional birthday gifts and plan to continue their efforts to help women and girls. Pictured presenting the donation is (L to R) Brianna Kimbler, Kennedy Buck, Kendra Shaw, Jenny Tompkins, Meg Wilson, and Natalie Koeller with Chris Krajewski, WRCNM Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Program Director. Missing from photo are Jessica Edwards and Shannon Cartwright.
If you think teen girls only talk about clothes, shopping and boys; these local girls will change your mind. The close-knit friends who attend Petoskey Middle School discuss everything from books to the Holocaust to women’s rights. Recently they gathered at the Safe Home operated by the Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan (WRCNM) to donate cash and personal care items for survivors of domestic abuse.
The donation is the result of a no-gift birthday party for one of the friends in the group, Meg Wilson. The girls had all decided it would be a great idea to forego traditional birthday gifts for something more meaningful. The idea got these energetic and articulate young women thinking about how they could make a further difference; one that might help women and girls dealing with gender inequality, sexism, and even domestic abuse, sexual assault and dating violence.
So what’s a girl to do? They plan to move forward with an organization called, “The Women of the Future, Helping the Women of Today.” One of their goals is to build awareness of the group
The Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan (WRCNM) received a large donation of pajamas, mittens and hats to benefit the women and their children who seek safety from domestic abuse at the agency’s Safe Home. The donation was made by over 400 Girl Scouts, troop leaders and parents who participated in this year’s Troop Mackinaw event. During the weekend gathering, Girl Scouts explored and enjoyed the Mackinaw City area, attended the Lumberjack Festival and earned a community service patch for their donation to the WRCNM Safe Home. The event was organized by Heather Tamlyn and Kelly Simmons of HK Events in Mackinaw City. Pictured during the donation presentation are Troop Mackinaw attendees and three Lumberjack Festival representatives. Chris Krajewski, WRCNM Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Program Director was in attendance to address the Girl Scouts and accept the donation.
For information on WRCNM programs and services, call their administrative office at 231-347-0067 or visit the agency’s website at wrcnm.org.
Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan (WRCNM) received dozens of fully stocked purses from Handbags of Hope, a project created in Southeast Michigan. The donation coincided with Mother’s Day and will benefit survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault at the WRCNM’s Safe Home and in the counseling program. Handbags of Hope organizers make purse deliveries twice a year to domestic abuse programs and women’s shelters throughout Michigan. The WRCNM has been a regular stop on the bi-annual donation circuit.
Accepting the donation are WRCNM staff Danielle Ross, Leslie Turovaara, Lisa Devergilio and Jackie Bobcean of Handbags of Hope, Sue Bissell and Gail Kloss.
We thank Julie Mercer for choosing to write about the Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan for her entry in the Harbor Springs Kiwanis Club Essay Contest. Her essay earned the Women’s Resource Center a $50 contribution from the Harbor Springs Kiwanis Club. Her essay is printed, below.
The Women’s Resource Center is committed to equality, justice, and the well-being of women. To that end they will engage and encourage our community to work with them toward these goals. If I received $50 to give to a charitable organization I would chose the Northern Michigan Women’s Resource Center (WRC). I would choose this charity because I think it is important to our community to have a place for women and children to go for help. I also have had personal experience with WRC. I hope you would have a heart for this amazing charity and donate $50 to them.
The Women’s Resource Center has been part of our community for a long time supporting women and children. This charity was founded in 1977 by a group of eight women. In February the organization will have been open to the public for 35 years. WRC will hopefully be open for many years to come.
Many people have benefited the Women’s Resource Center over the past 35 years. $50 could benefit this organization by providing contribution to all the services of the agency. This money could also help run the shelter,
If you want to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day a few days early, you are in luck! The Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan will host their annual FUNdraiser with a St. Paddy’s day theme on Thursday, March 15 at cava in Bay Harbor.
The event begins at 6 p.m. and will feature an array of creative hors d’oeuvres prepared by cava’s culinary team. Attendees may participate in the silent and live auctions bidding on items such as MSU football tickets; roundtrip tickets to Beaver Island; an authentic gourmet Italian dinner for six; an American Spoon Foods gift basket filled with their award-winning artisanal fruit preserves; 18 holes of golf for two including golf cart at Harbor Point Golf Club; two VIP guest passes aboard Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry; restaurant gift certificates to Whitecaps and Palette Bistro; an interior/exterior car detailing from Tri-Rivers Collision; and a sailing excursion for four aboard “Brilliant” an Ensign sailboat with WRC Executive Director Jan Mancinelli as your captain and WRC Finance Director Gail Kloss as your first mate. Many more items will be up for bid during this festive FUNdraiser.
“The event is fun and celebratory, however the dollars raised during this event are absolutely critical to the agency in helping us reach out to those in the community who are seeking and needing our services,” said Jan Mancinelli, WRC Executive Director. “We look forward to seeing many of our friends and supporters in the community at this annual benefit and hope to see some new faces, as well.”
Proceeds from the event will benefit WRC programs and services which help thousands of families every year. The WRC has been committed to caring for women, children and families in northern Michigan for 35 years
Last year, the Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan (WRC) launched a campaign to engage a vital sector of the community in the movement to end violence against women and girls. Although the nonprofit agency calls it the 100 Men Campaign, that did not stop them from gaining the support of 125 local men during the first year. The men who contributed helped fund a variety of awareness, education and prevention initiatives for local boys and men. Every donor also agreed to take a public stand against sexual violence by having their names published in local newspapers.
According to Jan Mancinelli, WRC Executive Director, the campaign’s first year was a success. “This was a first time effort, and although we were hopeful, we had no idea what kind of support we would receive from men in our local communities,” said Mancinelli. “The fact that 125 men agree these crimes are a problem and are taking steps to do something about it is very encouraging. It’s fantastic!”
The Gaylord office of Legal Services of Northern Michigan is being recognized by the Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan (WRC) for their work in the area of domestic abuse survivor services. They are the recipients of a framed poster depicting what is known as the “power and control wheel”. This wheel is a widely-used model developed by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project to help survivors put names to the behaviors of an abusive partner. The abusive behaviors or tactics represented on the wheel are those most universally experienced by abused women.
This recognition program was devised by the Community Violence Prevention Team, along with the WRC who assisted in the selection process. The program recognizes individuals and organizations dedicated to education, advocacy or supportive services with respect to violence prevention or assisting victims of violent crimes such as domestic abuse, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking.
The Gaylord office of Legal Services of Northern Michigan, at 1349 South Otsego Avenue, is being recognized for their dedication to survivor services.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse or sexual assault, contact the WRC’s 24-hour, toll-free crisis line at 800-275-1995. WRC victim support services are available in Gaylord, Mancelona, Cheboygan and Petoskey.
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