A poster contest was held to bring awareness on the effects of alcohol use and the winners were honored by the Midfield City Mayor Gary Richardson and Gateway. There was also an event held at the Midfield Public Library and the Midfield Community Center titled Walk the Line. Participants were able to wear drunk gargles and walk an obstacle course to show alcohol impairs your ability to function.  Check out all of the pictures on our Facebook page by clicking here. 

Money raised through the Macy’s Thank-a-Mom challenge will support our violence prevention and education programs focused on critical issues—from bullying and digital abuse to domestic violence and sexual assault. You can help Macy’s, a Gateway sponsor, raise thousands of dollars, without spending a dime! All it takes is two minutes. Here’s how it works:

Visit the Macy’s Thank-a-Mom Facebook app and choose Futures Without Violence as the charity recipient. Celebrate all of the Moms in your life! Send up to 15 e-cards via Facebook, and 10 cards via email per day!

http://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/

If you haven't heard them already on the radio, check out our recent radio spots promoting Gateway's Off the Wall fundraiser! Special thanks to Gateway Board member James Gettys and Cox Media Group for arranging our radio spots. Interviews feature Gateway CEO Jim Loop and Gateway Board member Jeremy Long!

Here's their interview on 95.7 Jamz with Mary K: Gateway on 95.7 Jamz.mp3

And their interview on the Valerie Hicks Powe Show on WAGG: Gateway on the Valerie_Hicks_Powe_Show.mp3

The event will take place Saturday, April 27 at Veterans Park located at 4800 Valleydale Road in Hoover. Registration for the run is from 7 a.m. until the race begins at 8 a.m. Registration for the walk is from 8 a.m. until the walk begins at 9:30 a.m. Pre-registration is available at http://www.firstgiving.com/walkmehome/shelby2013. The cost for all registration is $30.00. Registration must be completed by April 13th to receive a shirt.

Non-runners and non-walkers are welcome to enjoy live entertainment, resource booths, vendors, refreshments, crafts, speakers and a presentation by the Hogs and Harleys. Medals will be awarded following the run and walk to the top 5 participants in each age group, and trophies to the top runner or walker in each age group. Each participant will receive blue ribbons that will be hung on the trees in the park to highlight Foster Children.

The Walk Me Home 5k was developed nationally by the National Foster Parent Association to raise awareness for foster care, promote fostering, and raise funds needed to support the programs and services directly benefiting the Greater Birmingham foster children and youth. For more information visit nfpaonline.org.

Rachel Pitman
678-642-1858
rachelpitman4@gmail.com

eCO also hosted an education seminar for the community. On February 25th, members and the community gathered at the Homewood Library for Make a Plan Workshop: Budgeting 101. Doug Horst, Program Director at Gateway Financial Freedom, broke down the elements of a spending plan. First, he shared the benefits of a spending plan.  Read more here NEWS_RELEASE_-_America_Saves_Week_2.pdf

Please Join Us in Recognizing

National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

February 2013

Dear Colleagues,

February is National Teen Dating Violence Prevention and Awareness Month (TDVAM), a national effort to raise awareness about dating violence, promote programs that support young people, and encourage communities to prevent this form of abuse from continuing. 

This year, the Family Violence Prevention and Services Program is honoring TDVAM by reaching out to young people, advocates, service providers and community partners to promote healthy communication, relationship building, and peer support.  Our efforts this year are designed to raise awareness, to help others make a difference in the lives of young people, and to help reduce the prevalence of dating violence by promoting healthy relationships.

We applaud the efforts of our grantees and colleagues to promote healthier relationships for youth, and support integrated service models as exemplified by the work of adolescent health, pregnancy prevention, and domestic violence programs. 

Staggering statistics illustrate that we all need to do more to create safe environments for young people to discuss their experiences, to raise awareness about the National Dating Abuse Helpline, and promote comprehensive community-based services. About 1 in 5 women and nearly 1 in 7 men who ever experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner, first experienced some form of partner violence between 11 and 17 years of age (Centers for Disease Control, 2010 National Intimate Partner & Sexual Violence Survey). In an effort to respond to this national crisis, FVPSA grantees provided support to 13,843 youth victims of dating violence through shelter, counseling, and advocacy services in 2011.

Please use this month as an opportunity to build your knowledge, strengthen partnerships, and reflect on ways your agency can connect the young people in your programs with dating violence resources and support. We invite you to participate in several Federal awareness events this month, such as a Webinar on Promoting Healthy Relationships and Preventing Teen Dating Violence, jointly hosted by Futures Without Violence, the Office for Women’s Health, and the FVPSA Program, on February 20th. Please see the attached calendar for additional details about this and other events.  

Sincerely,

Marylouise Kelley

Director, Division of Family Violence Prevention

Family Violence Prevention and Services Program

www.acf.hhs.gov/fvpsa

You Can Help Someone Today

If you or someone you know has been the victim of dating violence, free and confidential help is available 24 hours a day through the National Dating Abuse Helpline.

•     Call 1-866-331-9474 or TTY 1-866-331-8453.

•     Seek online support at www.loveisrespect.org through the live chat feature.

•     Text ‘loveis’ directly to 77054 to begin a text chat with an advocate.

On February 7th, 2013, Jim Belk, Gateway Therapeutic Foster Care (TFC) foster parent recruiter introduced the MBEMA, a local ministerial association, to the work of Gateway. He is pictured here with Richard D. Schwein, Special Agent in Charge, Birmingham Division, FBI; Host pastor Timothy Woods, Hopewell MB Church; and Bishop Calvin Woods.

Contestant Ashlee Feliciano did a nice job closing the show and introducing her family, who fosters and adopts "medically complex" children,“Ashlee Feliciano comes from a large family that includes both biological siblings, as well as in-need foster siblings. She auditions today for them, and they indeed will be cheering her own.” They brought the entire extended family into the audition room. Watch her video by going to:  http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/ashlee-feliciano-auditions/17wgpt483?cpkey=3e6d62d2-8438-4d5e-96cc-aac71622b9a2%257c%257c%257c%257c    

Jan. 14, 2013—The National Council for Behavioral Health is offering an evidence-based training program to help citizens identify mental health problems in young people, intervene in mental health crises, and connect youth with care.

The program, Youth Mental Health First Aid, focused on youth 12 to 25 years, is being rolled out across the country after a year-long pilot. The adult Mental Health First Aid program has been delivered to more than 80,000 Americans through a network of 2,500+ instructors. The youth version provides an ideal forum to engage communities in discussing the signs and symptoms of mental illness, the prevalence of mental health disorders, the effectiveness of treatment and how to engage troubled young people in services.
The launch of Youth Mental Health First Aid coincides with the Born Brave Bus Tour hosted by Lady Gaga and her mother Cynthia Germanotta’s Born This Way Foundation. The National Council is a partner on the bus tour which is comprised of interactive “tailgate” events in the 27 U.S. cities of Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Ball tour, during which young people will meet to share stories of bravery and empowerment. To read more, click here!

Annual_Report.pdf