Safe Passage News

Mother's Day is May 10!

2009-04-29T07:26:00.002-04:00

Give the gift of peace at home:
Donate to Safe Passage's annual Mother's Day fundraiser!

Mother's Day is May 10!

Make a donation to Safe Passage, and we will send a beautiful card to anyone you'd like to honor this Mother's Day.

All proceeds from this fundraiser support Safe Passage's services for women and children who have experienced domestic violence.

Donations must be received by May 5 to ensure that cards arrive by Mother's Day. To participate, fill out a form (click here) and return to:

Safe Passage
Attn: Sarah Smith
43 Center St., Suite 304
Northampton, MA 01060.

To make arrangements by phone or email (or if you have any questions), contact Sarah at (413) 586-1125 x19 or sarah@safepass.org. Thank you for your support!

Join Safe Passage for our 8th annual Spring Gala!

2009-04-03T10:02:00.008-04:00

Stories of Strength:
An Evening with Ellen Story to benefit Safe Passage

Sunday, May 17, 2009

5:00-8:00 p.m.

Hotel Northampton

Please join Safe Passage’s staff, board, and supporters at our 8th annual Spring Gala! Stories of Strength: An Evening with Ellen Story to benefit Safe Passage will be held on Sunday, May 17th, 2009, at the Hotel Northampton.

Massachusetts Representative Ellen Story has a long history of advocacy for human rights, women’s issues, and domestic violence funding. Serving her ninth full term in the legislature, Representative Story has become a well-known, much-admired, and prominent figure in Massachusetts politics.

The Spring Gala will also feature the debut of a new book entitled “The Prison I Call Home”, co-authored by Safe Passage Board President Gail Kielson and three area women who are survivors of domestic violence. The authors will read from select passages of the book, sharing their personal stories of strength.

These challenging economic times often create additional barriers and fear for women in abusive relationships, and Safe Passage has experienced a significant increase in the number of people seeking emergency assistance, counseling and legal services during the past year. Your support is even more critical this year.

We hope you can join us! Tickets for the event are $50 per person. To purchase tickets, either call Sarah at (413) 586-1125 x19 or click here to purchase online (if link does not work, please click "donate" above and follow the link to our secure donation page).

Many thanks to the generous sponsors of this event!

Advocate sponsors:

Citizens Bank

Fazzi Associates

Gravity Switch

Table sponsors:

Integrity Development and Construction

Law Office of Kim E. Zadworny, LLC

Valley Fabrics

Supporter sponsors:

BMC HealthNet Plan
Daily Hampshire Gazette
Florence Savings Bank
Northampton Area Pediatrics
Northampton Family & Cosmetic Dentistry
Running Fox Studio

Paloma House

5th annual Hot Chocolate Run

2008-12-08T10:30:00.003-05:00

The 5th annual Mayor Higgins' Hot Chocolate Run was an enormous success! Safe Passage thanks each of our participants, volunteers, and sponsors for helping to make this our biggest and best Hot Chocolate Run ever. More than 3,000 runners and walkers helped us raise over $60,000 for our services for women and children who have experienced domestic violence.

Many thanks to our generous sponsors for their help in ensuring the event's amazing success!

Click here for race results!

We have a few extra mugs available to our participants on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you participated in the event and did not receive a mug, please email Sarah (sarah (at) safepass.org).

Mark your calendars now for the 2009 Hot Chocolate Run on December 5.--and watch hotchocolaterun.com for details!

Safe Passage's wish list

2008-11-01T15:02:00.004-04:00

Safe Passage is currently seeking donations of holiday gifts for the children and families we serve. We are particularly looking for the following:

New, unopened toys for children of all ages
New winter coats for boys and girls of all ages
Gift cards to toy, department & clothing stores (so that the parents we serve may purchase gifts for their children)
Gift cards to grocery stores for holiday meals

Please contact Sarah Smith at 586-1125 x19 (or email: sarah [at] safepass.org) to arrange your donation or get more information.

Year-round, Safe Passage gratefully accepts donations of kitchen/household items, toiletries and diapers, books, and other items for the families using Safe Passage's services. These donations help us meet the needs of the families we serve and allow us to target our limited financial resources toward direct services. Please check our current wish list (click here) and call us at (413) 586-1125 x19 to arrange your donation. Thank you!

We have a winner!

2008-09-15T16:00:00.001-04:00

Safe Passage thanks the staff of Happy Valley (at 229 Main St., Northampton) for hosting our Quilt Raffle over the past few months and for selling hundreds of tickets. We also thank everyone who generously purchased tickets to the raffle. The raffle raised over $800 in support of Safe Passage's programs.

Thanks again to Heather Lavallee for creating and donating this gorgeous quilt to Safe Passage.

Congratulations to Mark, the lucky winner!

Join Safe Passage's Mailing List

2008-05-10T12:13:00.007-04:00

Want to learn more about Safe Passage? Sign up for our mailing list to receive our newsletters and mailings. Just fill out the following form and click "submit!"

create form

Kids' show with THE NIELDS!

2008-05-05T14:59:00.002-04:00

You're invited to a kids' music concert by the Nields

Sunday, May 18th at 11 a.m.

Universal Kids - 33 Hawley Street in Northampton

Families are invited to stay and play for free in the new climbing structure and playspace at Universal Kids!

Kid-friendly snacks and drinks will be available and a raffle will be held.

To attend, bring your child's artwork and a donation in any amount for Safe Passage.

Stories of Strength: An Evening with First Lady Diane Patrick to benefit Safe Passage

2008-03-21T15:24:00.020-04:00

On May 1, 2008, as Safe Passage welcomed Massachusetts First Lady Diane Patrick to the Clarion Hotel in Northampton to help us launch our next 30 years of service to women and children who have experienced domestic violence. Stories of Strength: An Evening with Diane Patrick to Benefit Safe Passage celebrated our community’s incredible support of Safe Passage and the strength of domestic violence survivors.

First Lady Diane Patrick delivered a moving speech that held the audience breathless for over 20 minutes. Our live auction featured auctioneer Kelsey Flynn, who led the audience in bidding on a variety of donated items, ranging from a garden package to a multi-course beer dinner to Red Sox tickets. Attendees enjoyed an inspiring performance by Evelyn Harris, who closed the evening by leading the audience in song.

This event raised $22,000 for Safe Passage. This money helps us to continue providing the information and support women need in order to make positive and empowered choices for themselves and their families. We extend our sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to and attended this event.

Thanks to our generous sponsors:

Leader:
FamilyFun, Wondertime and Disney Worldwide Outreach

Activists:
Clarion Hotel & Conference Center
WRSI The River
WEIB: 106.3 Smooth FM

Advocates:
Baystate Health
Citizens Bank
Fazzi Associates
Gravity Switch

Table sponsors:
Western Massachusetts Legal Services
Integrity Development & Construction, Inc.
Lightlife Foods
Northampton Family & Cosmetic Dentistry
SEEdebate.org
Attorneys Kim Zadworny, Courtney Mallon, Kari Nykorchuk, Linda del Castillho, Beth D. Cohen, and Susan Moran
Gail & David Kielson

Supporter sponsors:
Andy's & the Oak Shoppe
Cooley Dickinson Hospital
Daily Hampshire Gazette
Finck & Perras
Holyoke Community College

Safe Passage announces selection of La Wanza Lett-Brewington as our new Executive Director!

2007-09-17T15:07:00.000-04:00

Gail Kielson, President of the Board of Directors of Safe Passage, announced today that Safe Passage has selected La Wanza Lett-Brewington to serve as the organization's new Executive Director, effective October 3. Safe Passage is a Northampton-based agency providing shelter and community support and advocacy for women and children who have experienced domestic violence.

In announcing the selection of Lett-Brewington, Kielson said "Safe Passage is very excited to have found a new leader who is a strong voice for social justice in the region and who will build upon our established programs in advocacy, counseling, shelter, and legal assistance."

Ms. Lett-Brewington comes to Safe Passage having most recently served as the Director of Five College Consortium Violence Prevention Project at the Everywoman's Center at UMass. Previously. Lett-Brewington served as Director of Community Education at the Everywoman's Center. She has extensive experience in agencies addressing violence against women in Hampshire and Franklin counties, having also served as Director of Shelter Programs for New England Learning Center for Women in Transition (NELCWIT). Ms. Lett-Brewington said, "domestic violence is not just a 'woman's issue.' When someone is hurt, it affects our community as a whole. My goal as Executive Director will be to raise awareness and work towards the prevention of domestic violence so that together we can meet Safe Passage's mission to create a community where violence is not the answer."

Ms. Lett-Brewington, who holds a BA and M.Ed. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, was a member of the Governor's Commission on Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence. Board President Gail Kielson noted, "La Wanza's experience at the state level will help Safe
Passage to continue our efforts to bring more visibility to the issue of domestic violence and to advocate for more state funding to appropriately address victim support and prevention programs in communities throughout Hampshire County."

Safe Passage's Executive Director Search Committee included members of the organization's board and staff as well as participants from the community. The committee, which met throughout the summer and conducted interviews in August and early September, received support from Florence-based consultant Dan Kirsch who advises non-profit organizations on fundraising, executive searches and management.

Kielson co-chaired the search with Safe Passage board member, BethAnn Albro-Fisher. Kielson thanked everyone involved with the search and noted, "Safe Passage is grateful to the entire Search Committee for their commitment and input throughout the entire process."

Ms. Lett-Brewington succeeds Marian Kent, who was Safe Passage's Executive Director from 2004 until June 2007. Ms. Lett-Brewington will join Safe Passage in time to oversee the organization's signature community event, Mayor Higgins' Hot Chocolate Run, a 5K run and 2-mile walk on December 1, 2007, in downtown Northampton.

Goodsearch for Safe Passage!

2007-07-01T10:47:00.000-04:00

Goodsearch is a search engine that distributes money to nonprofits for every search. Last year, users raised about $20 for Safe Passage. Would you like to help us raise a lot more in 2007? Our friend Kelsey Flynn wrote an article about using Goodsearch for Safe Passage--click here to learn more!

Recognizing the Artists whose work is displayed in our website

2007-01-01T17:22:00.000-05:00

Gayle Kabaker graduated from the Academy of Art in San Francisco and became a fashion illustrator. After moving to Western Massachusetts, she continued her fashion illustrator career but also broadened her horizons to include general design and logo design. Click here to learn more!

Jo Smith is a working artist in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts. She works in a variety of media including acrylic, watercolor, gouache, oil sticks, ink, wood and glass. She studied art in New York and Kenya, Africa. She has taught high school art in independent schools, and earned a graduate degree from Springfield College in Art Therapy. Jo currently has a studio in Florence, MA, working as a graphic designer, and has a small art therapy practice in Northampton. To see more of her work or inquire about art therapy you can phone her for a studio appointment at 413-949-0932. Click here to learn more!

Nora Valdez is an Argentine artist working and exhibiting since 1977. Since 2000, she has lived and worked in New England. Her work has received funding from a variety of institutions including the New England Foundation for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Georgia Arts Council. From the beginning, Valdez has utilized sculpture and installations to create images that reflect on the nature of change, the life of the individual and the natural of societal forces that buffet our souls. Her thematic concerns are also reflected in her involvement with the community: doing public art projects and giving workshops at a variety of urban institutions. Art becomes not just a way to explore issues of human rights but to have a direct effect on them as well. Click here to learn more!

Northampton's Standard Design (aka Tom Pappalardo) designed and built this website. Click here to learn more!

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