Monday, March 29, 2010

Clothes SWAP

The FOCUS Women’s Resource Center Clothes SWAP will be April 17 from 1-4 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn at Pantops. Bring a clothing item to swap or bring a lot to swap! Items to swap include: dresses, pants, shirts, jewelry, bags, shoes, boots, scarves, hats and more. Admission is $5. There will be door prizes and a 50/50 raffle. You can visit with women-owned businesses while you shop!

For information about FOCUS, call (434) 293-2222 or visit http://avenue.org/focus.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Let The Goddess Quest Begin!

The Women’s Initiative invites everyone to the second annual GODDESS QUEST. Attendees will enjoy a delicious meal, create their own films as they go “in search of the goddess” on the Downtown Mall and will end the evening with gilded trophies in hand. Most importantly, this event will raise critical funds to support our mental health services for underserved women. The Women’s Initiative brings counseling service, social support and education to women in need in the Charlottesville area.

When: April 24 at 6 p.m. SHARP

Where: At City Space—Charlottesville Design Center
100 5th Street NE on the Downtown Mall

Tickets: $100 per person or $1,000 for team table of 10

RSVP: Send check in the envelope by Monday, April 12

Past praise: “What a masterful combination of being the entertainment and being entertained.”

Sponsors:

Atwood Architects, Inc.
DKW Development, LLC
Great Eastern Management Co. Inc
Eloise Inc.
Martin Roofing & Sheet Metal
McGuire Woods, LLC
Piedmont Virginia Parking Co.
Quantitative Investment Management
Rainworks Studio, Inc.
Signature Financial Management
T&N Printing
Vandeventer Black, LLC

Co-Sponsors:
Studio Art
Grelen Nursery
Metlife
Crutchfield
Festive Fare

Committee Members
Co-Chairs: Bill Atwood & Nina Ozbey
Mary Blanton, Erin Conroy, Kerry Day, Kathy Foulk, Joyce Holt, Barbara Lee, Deb MacDonald and Sherri Barrow Moore

No heels or ties, please (rain gear if necessary)

http://www.thewomensinitiative.org

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Women Build Hike for Habitat

Women Build of Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Charlottesville area is holding its 4th Annual Women Build Hike for Habitat on the morning of May 1. This event raises funds to support Women Build’s construction of houses for low-income members of the community. The Charlottesville area Women Build was founded in the fall 2001 and since then volunteers have raise funds for, and are now helping in the construction of its seventh area home. Hike for Habitat will raise funds to construction an eighth house.

Participants, who are asked to raise at least $50 each, can choose from 10 guided hikes of all levels. Some of the offerings including kayaking, bird watching, wildflowers, and dogs! (descriptions below) Please register by Friday, April 16, by calling (434) 293-9066, emailing , or downloading a registration form at http://cvillehabitat.org/womenBuild.shtml. Breakfast will be served before the hike, and lunch and water will be given to you before you embark.

All donations to Women Build are tax-deductible. You can bring your donations (checks made out to Women Build; or pay via credit card) on the morning of the hike. However, if you’re doing the canoe trip, registration and payment must be completed by April 16.

Women Build works to recruit, empower, and train women to build a simple, decent, affordable home. Along with learning construction skills, the work site provides a unique opportunity to build leadership skills as well as team building. Our mission is to provide a setting in which women are comfortable learning and applying building skills. For more information, call (434) 293-9066.

The details:
Date: Saturday, May 1, 7:30 a.m. (Rain Date Sunday, May 2). Meet at Blue Ridge Mountain Sports (Barracks Road Shopping Center). Light refreshments will be provided

Who: Everyone is welcome to participate, whether female or male, old or young, athletic or couch potato-ish.

Location: On the morning of the hike, Saturday, May 1, meet at Blue Ridge Mountain Sports in the Barracks Road Shopping Center promptly at 7:30 a.m.

Safety:  Your guide will be carrying a cellular phone and first aid kit, is familiar with his/her portion of the Trail, and is aware of all possible access points in the case of an emergency.

Perks: Breakfast and lunch provided. Prizes awarded to the participants raising the most money!

Hike Descriptions

John Holden, Blue Ridge Mountain Sports (BRMS) designed and arranged leaders for a great selection of hikes.  This year he has extended the participation limit on the kayaking/canoeing trip, added a ‘Dog’s Day in the Mountains’ hike, and added an exciting hike into the Shenandoah National Park. These hikes are described in detail below. 

What to bring: Hikers are expected to wear adequate footwear for their particular hike (no flip flops). It will be 10–15 degrees colder in the mountains in early May so please bring a jacket and rain gear. Special equipment is listed for each hike. Some hikes will cross streams so you may want to have an extra pair of shoes to change into after your hike. Women Build will provide breakfast, lunch and water.

Dogs on a leash are welcome on all hikes except for the ‘Birds of the Rivanna Trail’ and ‘Kayak or Canoe’ Trip.
Women Build reserves the right to change, modify or cancel any particular hike.

1. St. Mary’s Wilderness——Easy
Drive time: 1 hour
Hike: 4 Miles Round Trip (RT)
Hike time: 2 hours
Special Equipment:  Extra shoes and daypack
Appropriate for families with children 9 and up.  This is a kid-friendly, easy and adventurous guided hike. There will be several stream crossings so wet footwear for adults and kids will be part of the experience. Three waterfalls will be visited and kids will receive a free copy of “Hikes for Kids in Shenandoah National Park,” a whistle, and a small light. Donation of $50 (or more) includes parent and child.

2. Hiking on Wheels——-Riverview Park——Easy
Check in at Park:  10 a.m.
Hike:  2 – 3 miles RT
Hike time:  1 – 1½ hours
Special Equipment:  None
This hike is designed for those in strollers and wheel chairs, as well as hikers. It will be on a paved path that is easily accessible. Easy for small children to walk and babies to ride. For this hike, we will meet at Riverview Park at 10 a.m., so families with small children do not need to check in at BRMS. Donation of $50 (or more) includes parent and child. If we have a large turnout, we will split into age groups (strollers/toddlers and “big” kids). 

3.  Wildflowers of the Blue Ridge——Blue Ridge Mountains——Moderate
Drive time:  1¼ hours
Hike:  2 – 4 miles RT
Hike time:  2 – 3 hours
Special Equipment:  Hiking footwear and daypack
Hike with a wildflower expert on trails within the Blue Ridge Mountains, location will be determined based on seasonality factors. Hike provides opportunity to learn native Virginia Wildflowers first hand. All participants will be given a wildflower book.  Sorry, no dogs on this hike.

4.  Birds of the Rivanna Trail——Rivanna River North Trail——Easy
Drive time: 20 minutes
Hike:  4 miles RT
Hike time: 3 hours
Special equipment:  Binoculars, bird book, daypack, and sturdy footwear
Visit a new area of the Rivanna Trail. This is a wild place and a superb habitat for a variety of birds. Hikers will get early start, 7 a.m. from BRMS. Sorry, no dogs on this hike.

5.  Ramsey’s Draft Hike——Moderate/Difficult
Drive time: 1.5 hours
Hike:  4-6 miles RT
Hike time: 4 hours
Special equipment:  Extra shoes, walking stick, daypack
Amazing hike; considered one of the best day hikes close to Charlottesville, this is a level hike that uses three trails and passes through a wilderness area of tall trees and open forest. This hike has 14 stream crossings but is still suitable for beginners. John Holden will lead this hike.

6.  Appalachian Trail – Humpback Rocks——-Moderate
Drive time:  1 hour
Hike:  4 miles RT
Hike time: 2 – 3 hours
Special Equipment:  Daypack
This is a beautiful hike along the Appalachian Trail with additional points of interest after Humpback Rocks. Moderate with several steep sections. 

7.  Ragged Mountain Natural Area——Easy
Drive time:  20 minutes
Hike:  3½ miles RT
Hike Time:  2 hours
Special Equipment:  Daypack
This hike is a local favorite, close to town and with a very mountain-like feel. Easy with a few short climbs.  This group will travel through tall hardwood forests around scenic ponds. Suitable for kids able to sustain several moderate uphill climbs of 10 minutes each. The area has nice views and offers a water and mountain experience.

8.  Shenandoah National Park – Hawks Bill Summit——-Moderate
Drive time:  90 minutes
Hike:  2.8 miles RT
Hike Time:  3 hours
Special Equipment: Daypack
Hike to the highest summit and the best views in the Park where Peregrine falcons are often seen. The hike will use a combination of three trails in an almost circuit. We will spend an hour viewing this magnificent summit with its stone shelter, open ledges and spectacular views. Expect to be away for ¾ of the day. 

9.  Dog’s Day in the Mountains——Easy
Drive time:  30 minutes
Hike:  4 miles RT
Hike Time:  3 hours
Special Equipment: Daypack, extra shoes
Hike designed for dogs and their best friends. Free doggie snacks from Sammy Snacks. Hike 2 miles to Big Branch Falls in the Shenandoah National Park with 3 stream crossings each way allowing water dogs a chance to swim and drink along the way. The trail follows water its entire route. This hike is open to all dogs, and their friends, that love other dogs, on leashes.

10.  Kayak ‘or’ Canoe Trip——-Paddle the Rivanna River from Crofton to Palmyra
Drive time:  45 minutes
Paddle Time:  2 – 4 hours (depends on the current) 
Limit:  12-14 participants
This is a hands-on guided trip with some instruction for beginners. This is a great trip in beautiful, clear, mostly flat water. The banks are very wide and wildflowers, cliffs, and relative wilderness makes this a fantastic day.  Sorry, no children or dogs.
BRMS will provide kayaks, canoes, paddles, and lifejackets.  Participants must be good swimmers.
Special Equipment:  Quick-dry clothes and water-friendly footwear, sun/rain protection
Space is limited so please register for this trip by April 16.  We are asking for a minimum donation of $80 per person.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Celebrating Women in the Arts and University

In third grade, Danna Thomas’ heroines were Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald. They were vocalists who gave her goose bumps when they played the infamous “blues notes,“ the third-year University of Virginia student said.

In fourth grade, she began playing the saxophone, but the jazz instrumentalists she admired were all men. “Traditionally they played the horn instruments,“ Thomas said.

She went on to play in a summer music institute for aspiring jazz musicians during high school. She was the only female instrumentalist among the 65 members, who included teenagers and adults. The father of a fellow musician told her she was not what “a lead alto sax player is supposed to look like” meaning a lead alto player should not be a woman, Thomas said. That ran counter her own belief that women are capable of accomplishing anything.

Today, an Echols scholar at U.Va., she plays lead alto sax with the Student Jazz Ensemble. And she combined her interests in feminism and the arts with an interdisciplinary major in arts administration and a minor in Studies in Women and Gender.

While searching the Web one day, she stumbled on “Minds Wide Open: Virginia Celebrates Women in the Arts,“ [link to: ]http://vamindswideopen.org/] the first statewide initiative to honor the contributions of women to arts and culture. More than 230 organizations around Virginia are staging “Minds Wide Open” events between March and June.

Her first reaction? “U.Va. needs to participate,“ she recalled. She soon began laying the groundwork for “Minds Wide Open: U.Va. Celebrates Women in the Arts,“ [link to: ]http://www.virginia.org/site/description.asp?attrID=61940] to be held March 27 at 1 p.m. in Old Cabell Hall.

“Danna is an outstanding and entrepreneurial student who has created her own interdisciplinary major in arts administration and is using her command of the tools of community building, policymaking and business,“ said George Sampson, a lecturer who is responsible for launching the arts administration program and is Thomas’ adviser for an independent study focused on the event. “By initiating and producing the U.Va.‘s portion of the ‘Minds Wide Open’ celebration, she perfectly illustrates how an understanding of arts administration’s skills and philosophies can, in this case, help honor and benefit women artists and the University in general.“

Thomas aimed to design a “student-initiated event that brings together all the arts at the University, and extends beyond the traditional arts-related departments to include areas such as Studies of Women and Gender and poetry,“ she said.

She chose March because it’s National Women’s History Month. She also noted that 2010 is the 40th anniversary of full coeducation at U.Va., which added a “deeper dimension to the project and brought a focus and special significance to the U.Va. event,“ she said.

Elizabeth Hutton Turner, U.Va.‘s vice provost for the arts, was part of that first group of women to attend the University and applauds Thomas’ efforts to commemorate the anniversary and to design a day that “brings into concert” a celebration of women in the arts at the University.

“She is producing something that is great for all of us,“ Turner said.

In the fall, with the backing of the Student Council’s Student Arts Committee and the Arts & Sciences Council, Thomas began recruiting fellow students to work behind the scenes, as well as arts faculty, administrators and students to support and participate in the celebration and to “pay homage to women who have changed the world with their art,“ Thomas said.

The event is scheduled to include artist performers, gallery exhibits and a reception that features work by members of the University and Charlottesville-area communities.

The lineup includes members of the Free Bridge Quintet, with U.Va. jazz music performance teacher and vocalist Stephanie Nakasian and student musicians; performances by U.Va. dance and drama students; a collaborative performance by representatives from several of U.Va.‘s female a capella groups that showcases the power of the female voice; a reading of Maya Angelou’s poem, “Phenomenal Woman,“ by Allyson Boate; and performance by The Webbsters, a folk band that includes seven females and one male member drawn from first-year undergraduates living in the Webb House residence hall.

Art displays will feature a life-size depiction of the female body by Flora Lark Baily; a work focused on gender and feminist issues by Rachel Callahan; works celebrating the female body by Vi Dong; and an interactive “constellation”-based piece by fourth-year Sarah Wade.

Community participation includes a performance by the Charlottesville Ballet Company and art works that interpret the event theme by fourth-grade girls from Albemarle County.

The event will also showcase faculty and University leaders discussing the 40th anniversary of women attending the University and the historical importance of women in the arts.

The event is the only student-initiated “Minds Wide Open” event to be staged so far in Virginia.

Organizers of the statewide initiative were so impressed with Thomas’ proposal for activities on Grounds that they recruited her to jump-start initiatives at other colleges.

Thomas is committed to highlighting women in the arts through other avenues. She was just crowned Miss Virginia Dogwood 2010, and will be competing for the title of Miss Virginia in June, in the hopes of becoming the next Miss America.

“My platform for the Miss Virginia competition is of course, ‘Minds Wide Open: Virginia Celebrates Women in the Arts,‘“ she said. The Miss America organization has been celebrating women in the arts since 1935, when the talent portion of competition was introduced.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Clothing Drive A Success

Robbins Staffing Solutions held a very successful Career Clothing Drive in February and early March, thanks to the generosity of Charlottesville women. Joyce Robbins, president of Robbins Staffing Solutions, said as of today the drive has netted about five van loads of clothes, shoes, handbags, scarves and even some jewelry.
Women are also the beneficiaries of the successful drive as items were donated to FOCUS Women’s Resource Center and Clothing Closet.
“It is with huge gratitude that I personally thank all of you for your donation to the Robbins Staffing clothing drive in support of FOCUS,” says Robbins. “Our mission this winter was to fill the racks in our effort to help women in need get a boost for their career path.”
FOCUS offers a Career Clothes Closet at the Focus Flea where those who receive FOCUS career services can shop for “free” for an appropriate outfit for a job interview or business meeting. Robbins adds, “Many women in need of a job find it difficult to summon self-confidence during the interview process (or even while at the job itself) because they cannot afford or do not have professional or suitable clothing.”
After this year’s clothing drive, Robbins hopes that isn’t a factor. She says that even bad weather couldn’t slow down the wave of donations from the community. “There were so many beautiful choices, not simply the out-of-date or worn stuff donors were tired of, but sophisticated business outfits, fashionable shoes and jewelry and great-looking purses,” Robbins says.
For more information about FOCUS, visit http://focus.avenue.org.
Robbins Staffing is “committed to our philanthropy program of elevating the career marketability of women in need,” Robbins says. “Our next clothing drive is planned for September.”
For information about Robbins Staffing, visit http://www.robinsstaffing.com or find it on Facebook by searching for Robbins Staffing Solutions.

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