10 things you can do this weekend to help Dove

in no particular order
1. recycle your beverage cans
2.  clean out your kid's clothing for donation
3.  turn in your yellow community caps from Pepsi products
4.  make a donation through PayPal
5.  think about volunteering
6.  mark your calendar for upcoming events
7.  like us on facebook
8.  save coupons to give to RSVP for military families
9.  memorize the domestic violence program hot-line number
10.  check out the website for learning about all these things
www.doveinc.org

Volunteer!

Dove offers individuals with a variety of volunteer opportunities.  Some require mostly "on the job" training, like sorting and hanging clothing at our Children's Clothing Room;  weighing cans at our recycling center;  picking up coats in the fall with our coat drive;  helping with the  Baskets at Christmas time; doing the Point-in-Time Survey.

Some volunteers opportunities are weekly, as volunteers at MAX who help those seeking assistance, one or two afternoons a week.  Sometimes a group of friends or co-worker or members of a club get together and decide to tackle a special projected needed around one of the program sites.  And there are about 19 neighborhood groups that work with the Community Services program, volunteering in the neighborhoods with fun activities for families and making a postive impact on their corner of Decatur.  RSVP, Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, send more than 650 volunteers out into the community to do 100's of things that help keep local not-for-profits open and thriving.

And some require a more formalized training.  With about 5 hours of training, you can become a BABES, Beginning Awareness Basic Education Studies Volunteer.  We are currently taking registration for a March Domestic Violence Education and Volunteer Training.  That is a 50 hour training, equipping a person to be able to do direct service volunteering.

Others join advisory committees, serve on the Board of Directors, choose to be a liason between their work or organization and Dove.

What would work for you?  Are you looking for new ways to become involved in the community?  If so, spend some time looking around the web site to see the services offered by the program and then give us a call!    www.doveinc.org

Random Acts of Kindness

“The best part of life is not just surviving, but thriving with passion and compassion and humor and style and generosity and kindness.”

Maya Angelou (1928)

Kindness. It’s a word we hear far too little of these days. The news is filled with violence and death and often leaves us feeling drained and pessimistic. Is the world truly as bad as the media portrays?

There is an old saying in journalism that “if it bleeds, it leads,” and that certainly seems to hold true with every news outlet I access regularly. But right now, I’m putting forth a challenge to you. February 11-Feburary 17 is Random Acts of Kindness Week. I plan to do several random acts of kindness throughout that time period…won’t you think about doing the same?

And instead of keeping it a secret, why not write about it here? Leave us some comments on what kinds of random acts of kindness that you plan to do/have done (even if it’s not specific to that week).

I’ll give you an example.

Several months ago, a friend and I went to dinner at Fuji’s. As anyone who’s been to the restaurant knows, the food is delicious, but a tad on the pricey side. You get the option of sitting at a private table, or around a large grill where you’re entertained by the chef doing tricks and cooking your food in front of you. The thing about the grill is, if you are only there with one other person, you’re likely to be sharing your grill with others—which honestly is part of what makes it fun. Even when you don’t know the people.

Well, that evening, a couple and several children—about eight, if memory serves correctly—joined us at the grill. The kids ranged in ages from infant to about fifteen years old. The father apologized in advance for the fact that our dinner was going to be ruined by the chaos their family brought. My friend and I simply smiled, and assured him it wasn’t a problem. After all, part of being out in public is dealing with occasional chaos.

All of the children behaved like perfect angels. They were polite, and they did not yell or fight or talk loudly. As they were leaving, the mother again apologized for the chaos. I told her it was no problem—they hadn’t ruined our evening at all! My friend and I stayed a little longer, catching up and finishing our meal, and then flagging down the waiter for our tickets. To my astonishment, he informed us that the family who’d been sitting with us at the grill had paid for both of our meals!

I don’t know who this family was, but I appreciate and think about their act of kindness regularly. Now I’m not saying that you should buy a stranger’s meal (unless you really want to and can afford it, of course). I’m saying that kindness comes in many forms. It doesn’t necessarily have to involve money at all. A kind word or smile is often all a person needs from you in order to brighten their day.

What act of kindness will you perform today?

Volunteering Part of Your New Year Plans?

The holiday season has passed – a whole new year ahead of us.

What are your intentions for this new year?

      Have you always wanted to know more about domestic violence?

What causes domestic violence?

     What is domestic violence?

How are the children affected?

     What are the barriers that prevent one from leaving their abuser?

What are some of the warning signs or characteristics of an abuser?

     Would you like to be an advocate for victims of domestic violence and/or their children?

If you would like to know answers to these questions and more -- would like to learn more about domestic violence and our program, please sign up for our upcoming Domestic Violence Education and Volunteer Training.

Our training begins on Monday, March 4th, ending on March 21st. Sessions are held Monday through Thursday evenings from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. Cost is $150.

Registration is going on now through Monday, February 25 at noon. There is a phone interview and a check list of information to share. Call 428-6626 to start the process.

A registration meeting will be held at noon on February 26. Payment is due on or before this time. There is an overview of Dove’s programs and Mission. You will also complete the paperwork needed to take the training.

Volunteers are needed to assist with the programs in Macon, Shelby, DeWitt and Moultrie Counties. Volunteers are encouraged to become involved in many areas of the programs, from direct service to clients to community education on the issue of domestic violence.

What are your intentions for this new year?

Is this the year you make a commitment to change?

Teri Ducy, Program Director

Dove’s Domestic Violence Program