Night for the Nest Co-chair says bring your friends and enjoy!
Many individuals and groups around Lexington know about and support The Nest—Center for Women, Children & Families. Board member and Night for the Nest co-chair Patty Breeze is hoping even more folks will be lending support on August 6 by attending the event at Normandy Farm.
“The event is helping to raise money for a great organization in the city . . . What more fun way to do it than with an event that includes food, music and auction items,” Breeze says.
Breeze, owner of Breeze Financial LLC, is passionate in her support for The Nest. She has devoted more than ten years to service on the board and previously chaired the board of directors. This is her second year to lead the event planning.
“I feel it’s a very worthy cause. It’s helping people, especially children, who find themselves involved in many challenging situation, sometimes for no fault of their own.” That prompts Breeze to choose The Nest as one way to give back to the community. She also appreciates the fact that at The Nest people can receive free services, whether for crisis situations, parenting classes, counseling or child care.
She says people should come to the event because, “It’s going to be an even bigger party than last year . . . They will learn more about an organization they might want to be involved with and they’ll have fun.”
So buy an entire table of tickets and take your friends to Normandy Farm on August 6. You’ll be supporting a good time and giving your friends an evening they’ll thank you for.
Add a comment July 11, 2011
Eat, dance, tour and support A Night for the Nest
We’re almost ready to begin the countdown! Since the cold days of winter the Board of Directors and Staff at The Nest Center for Women, Children & Families have been pooling ideas and energy to plan a fun-filled celebration for our annual Night for the Nest. This year’s evening will be August 6 at beautiful Normandy Farm on Paris Pike, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Besides giving us an opportunity to celebrate all of the people who support us through donations and volunteering, the event also provides attendees a chance to tour beautiful Normandy Farm. Honorary event hostess and board member Nancy Polk says guests will see the farm’s equine graveyard with a full-size statue of Man o’ War’s sire Fair Play, who, along with Man O’ War’s dam Mahubah, is buried here. Elsewhere on the 262-acres Thoroughbred breeding farm, the Normandy barn is fashioned after the French style of Normandy, France with a tower and porcelain figures atop the structure for good luck. There are bird figures and even cats who appear to be playing. Viewers of the movie “Seabiscuit” saw the barn used in that film as the stable at Pimlico for War Admiral.
The event itself will be held in the courtyard of the U-barn. Farm tours will be available during A Night for the Nest. There will also be drinks, hors d’oeuvres, cash bar, silent auction, Caribbean vacation raffle and entertainment from the band, Catch 22. The band features Fred Siegelman, mayor of Versailles, and five other talented Central Kentucky musicians. The band plays classic rock and rhythm and blues, including covers of tunes by Bob Seger, Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, Zac Brown Band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds and many more.
Event tickets are $75 per person or $500 for a table for eight. Vacation raffle tickets are $25 each and only 500 will be sold. Breeze Financial is sponsoring the raffle which includes one week in the Caribbean plus airfare up to $1,000. The total prize value is $4,600.
Event sponsors this year include Austin Mehr Law Office and Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Georgetown. Proceeds from this event support the work we do daily with families. The Nest—Center for Women, Children and Families is a nonprofit Lexington, Kentucky-based social service agency that provides a safe, accessible and healing environment for children, while developing the strength and self-sufficiency of women and families through education, support, counseling and advocacy.
For ticket information, please call (859) 259-1974 ext. 34 or visit the website at www.thenestlexington.org/donatenow.php.
Add a comment July 5, 2011
Lending Support to Fathers
As an organization that strives to provide resources to keep families healthy, the particular concerns of fathers recently came to our attention. In our society today, fewer than half of all children live in a traditional nuclear family with both of their parents. Other children live with single parents, step-families, co-habitating couples, etc. According to the Centers for Disease Control, even fewer children of poverty, 25 percent, live in a traditional family.
Most often, it’s the mother who is living with the children. In our work, however, we meet many fathers who express a sincere desire to truly be a “dad” to their children. They love their children but maintaining a relationship with them isn’t always easy. Work takes time and energy. Relationships can be difficult. If they don’t live with the mother of their children, communication can suffer and more problems ensue.
The Nest recently tried a new approach to helping fathers by holding a parenting class just for them. The small group of men all had children, primarily with a woman with whom they no longer maintain a romantic relationship. But, they didn’t want to lose touch with their children.
Parenting coordinator Kim Beatty facilitated the group and said she wanted to, “Let them know they can get the same support and assistance the mothers get.” In talking with the fathers she discovered they feel they are not treated the same way by the legal system.
These are the sorts of things they would be unlikely to express in a parenting class where women were present. “They said they liked the fact that it was all guys here. They could open up and talk about things they wouldn’t if there were women in the group,” Kim says.
One of the issues the men discussed was what happens when they get a new girlfriend. The men have found that’s typically when there are more problems with spending time with their children. In the group they could share their experiences and potential ways to address the problem.
Kim enjoyed offering this opportunity to fathers. “It gave me a different outlook on the parenting group,” she says.
It also helped the men expand their own outlooks.
As the shape of the American family evolves, The Nest will continue to seek the best ways to help families become a stable and happy part of Lexington.
Add a comment June 16, 2011
Child care staff fills needed gap for families
Anyone who has spent an extended period of time with children knows what joy they can bring. On the other hands, there can also be a certain amount of frustration and energy drain.
Our Child Care Program recently received a call from a mother of two children who said, “I just need to be away from them for a while.” It’s not the first time we’ve heard such sentiment. That’s one of the reasons we offer a “respite” program. Offering parents, who are often single mothers, a time away from their children can help promote family happiness and prevent child abuse.
When families bring their children to The Nest, they also receive support in the form of child care teachers who provide a listening ear and share resources that might be useful. Those of us who work on other programs for The Nest recognize the essential work these staff members are doing as they provide nurturing, loving care to the children. They also teach lessons, adapting them to individual needs with resourcefulness and creativity. The preschool program meets state requirements and is working toward receiving it’s state rating that indicates the high quality program it provides. These teachers and care givers provide a joyous atmosphere in which children are not only safe, but they also are learning and growing so they’ll be prepared when it’s time for them to enter school.
We salute our child care staff and want to say how proud we are to be a part of a program where they contribute so much to preventing child abuse. Thanks for what you do Jenny, Shelly, Angie, Tammy, Blair, Laura and Faith!
Add a comment April 29, 2011
Grandparents raising grandkids
Verlene and Annisah
As part of Child Abuse Awareness Month, we want to recognize some very special people in our society today who provide loving care for so many. These people are grandparents.
Some children grow up looking forward to a visit to Grandma and Grandpa’s house. It’s a time for ice cream, card games and outings. It’s a chance to be spoiled by those people who so love you but no longer have to take the strong disciplinary role they did as parents. It’s a time to just be a kid.
Many children today have very different experiences with grandparents. According to the Pew Research Center, one in 10 children in the U.S. lives with a grandparent. The most recent Census data reveals that more than 2,000 grandparents in Fayette County have responsibility for their grandchildren.
We see some of these grandparents at The Nest. They typically come to us for respite care or emergency assistance. They didn’t expect to be raising another child and they often don’t have as much stamina to keep up with the child as when they were younger, so they appreciate a caregiver break even if it’s for a couple of days a week.
For some grandparents, raising the child themselves is the only choice they can make if they ever want to see the child again. Otherwise, he or she might be sent into the child welfare system. Verlene is one such grandmother. She’s been raising her granddaughter since she was four month old. Anissah will be three-years-old this summer.
“I’m worn out but she’s so precious,” Verlene says. Although she didn’t think she would be getting down on the floor again to color with a child, she says “It’s really a joy.”
It is draining, but Verlene recognizes that it’s good for her. The 65-year-old says she doesn’t have to go to the doctor as often as she did previously. “She’s actually pulling me up. She’s given me a little energy.”
Because Verlene has fewer responsibilities than she did when her three children were young, she says, “I have the time with her I didn’t have with my babies.” That allows Verlene to give more thought to decisions she makes for her.
Verlene’s youngest daughter (not the child’s mother) takes her sometimes on weekends to give Verlene a rest, but during those times Verlene misses her.
Like many grandparents, Verlene has had to learn about the legalities connected with being a grandparent parent. She’s not able to get public assistance to help her with expenses related to raising the child and she doesn’t have the money to hire a lawyer to pursue legal avenues, which could be complicated, partly because Verlene doesn’t know where the girl’s mother is.
When Verlene’s sister told her about The Nest’s child care program, she checked it out because Verlene says, “She needs to be around kids.” Verlene sees how smart her granddaughter is and brags about how after she reads a story to Annisah, the little girl repeats the story back to her.
Sometimes, like when her potty training efforts aren’t rewarded, Verlene can feel tired and frustrated. Still, she says, “I wouldn’t give it up for nothing.”
Add a comment April 22, 2011
Prevent child abuse
Here at The Nest we’re keenly aware that when pressures of any kind build, they can create an unhealthy environment in a family. Being out of work for a long time, always coming up short when it’s time to pay the bills, receiving a serious medical diagnosis, trying to cope as a single parent—these are just some of the things that families who come to us experience.
When the family is unhealthy, the children are in danger. Life’s pressures don’t always lead to child abuse, but when we help families create a plan for dealing with whatever they are experiencing in life, we aim for the kind of family stability in which children can thrive.
April is child abuse awareness month. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, Kentucky has a 16% child victimization rate compared to 9% nationally. Families who have community support, good parenting skills, an ability to nurture their children and knowledge of where to go when they need help are more prone to creating a healthy, stable home for children. Here at The Nest, we try to help by offering:
Child Care that helps when parents need a break and when parents are trying to make things better for the family by looking for a job or continuing their education. Our child care professionals also provide parents with information about child development and education while offering a compassionate and safe place for care.
Domestic Violence Counseling supports parents who want to create a healthier family environment for their children and themselves.
Crisis Case Management alleviates immediate needs so parents can attend to more long-term goals that add family stability.
Self-Help Parenting helps parents develop the skills they need to raise happy, healthy children.
We are dedicated to providing these services to people in need. To find out how you can support our mission, visit us at www.thenestlexington.org. To learn more about child about prevention, visit www.pcaky.org.
Add a comment April 14, 2011
The Nest participates in The Clothesline Project
Art and healing came together at The Nest this week when clients and staff members participated in The Clothesline Project. The Clothesline Project began in 1990 in Massachusetts as a way to raise awareness about domestic violence. For the past eight years, Chrysalis House has brought the exhibit to Lexington.
“The Clothesline Project has empowered women (adults and teens) to tell their stories of how violence has impacted their lives,” says Tonya Jernigan, Domestic Violence Coordinator at Chrysalis House. “The use of art allows for healing and is an effective tool for consciousness raising surrounding issues of violence against women in the community.”
Survivors of domestic violence, as well as others touched by the problem, use T-shirts as a canvas for their feelings. The T-shirts are then displayed in a colorful and touching visual testament to suffering and survival.
Jernigan worked with Nest counselor Elizabeth Morton to bring the exhibit to the Nest. She also offered the chance to create T-shirts to participant’s in The Nest’s Relationship Recovery Workshop, a support group for victims of domestic violence. Morton says that in this group, women have not only been presented with strategies to use in moving forward but they’ve also made friendships that have helped them take some of the steps they need to change their lives.
Every year, women are killed by men who claim to love them. According to the Men’s Rape Prevention Project in Washington DC, 58,000 soldiers died in the Vietnam War. During that same period of time, 51,000 women were killed, primarily by spouses or boyfriends. In Kentucky, one in three women experience domestic violence, which can be between siblings as well as partners
The Clothesline has been displayed at other agencies in Lexington and will be at Take Back the Night on March 30, 2011 at the Courthouse Plaza. The Clothesline is also traveling to Louisville in April for Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Add a comment March 25, 2011
Thanks for the Generosity
What would you like to see the city of Lexington do in 2011 to help strengthen all of its families? Here are some thoughts from Sheri Estill, The Nest’s Director of Crisis Case Management, on what Lexington residents have already done.
I am continually amazed by the generosity of people in Lexington. Both professionally and personally I have been truly humbled to know that in these tough economic times, people have gone out of their way to think of ways to serve others. Whether by time and talent, or items to be given to a child in need, or a monetary donation, you have stepped up and I thank you, very much. I wish you could also hear the thanks our clients share when I am able to help them out of a crisis. It is your generosity that allows me to do that.
My hope is that in this new year, you will remember that the “need” continues even after the holidays. Whether there’s snow on the ground or rain puddles in the park, there are always people whose load is lightened when you are generous.
Add a comment January 17, 2011
Utilize Lexington’s Treasures in 2011
What would you like to see the city of Lexington do in 2011 to help strengthen all of its families? Here are thought from The Nest Communications Director, Beth Dotson Brown.
In 2011, I would like to see Lexington’s leaders set an example for us all by recognizing that every citizen has a gift to contribute to this city. Lexington is like a treasure chest filled with gold. Open the chest and you’ll find some coins that shine, shouting their worth. Others hide in the pile, dulled from neglect or overuse. They await someone to help them recover their luster. Take the time to remove the tarnish and you’ll find a treasure beneath.
A lot of the people who come to The Nest for services are like those dulled coins. They are weighed down by overwhelming utility bills, violence they don’t know to escape from, cries of need from their children and other situations that seem too difficult to solve. Through our holistic approach to assistance, we try to help them find their way to the first step of healing and strengthening their entire family.
Ask many of these people what gift, what talent or idea they have to share with their fellow citizens, and they’ll sit in silence. Instead, ask them to tell you about their lives. Listen as they share stories. Their strengths will shine through. Their talents will begin to dance to before you. The lessons that have made them strong will become examples that you realize others need to hear.
Lexington is filled with people who haven’t yet been asked to contribute their talents to making this city a better place for families. They’re in that unassuming house on the corner and that apartment upstairs. So let’s begin this year with a spirit of openness that leads to truly hearing what the people around us have to say. Engage in conversation. Get to know the people you see every day. We might discover we already have everything we need; it’s just a matter of putting it to work to strengthen our whole city.
Add a comment January 12, 2011
Let’s help Lexington strengthen families in 2011
What would you like to see the city of Lexington do in 2011 to help strengthen all of its families? The staff of The Nest has been pondering this subject as we move into the new year with optimism. Here are some thoughts from staff member Elizabeth Morton, counselor.
Lexington provides an extraordinary amount of support to Lexington families in matters of food, shelter, counseling, childcare, places of worship and entertainment, education, transportation, health and healthcare, to name a few. The organizations that provide many of these services for free or minimal cost are often nonprofits that barely hang on themselves. Yet the staff and donors continue giving with a much bigger picture in mind…that of a world free from abuse, neglect, starvation, homelessness and rich in compassion and service.
In Lexington, this looks like counseling and child care at The Nest, homeless shelters at the Salvation Army and Catholic Action Center, free transportation on LexTran for domestic violence survivors, food boxes at God’s Pantry and hot meals in more than 10 locations county-wide, in-home parenting services from the HANDS program and so much more. When corporate, federal and family budgets are being cut the demand for these sorts of nonprofit services increases often as their funding dries up.
In 2011, Lexington can make the world a better place by nurturing and supporting the many groups in our town who already give so much, so freely. In 2011, Lexington’s citizens, businesses, government, students, workers and visitors, everyone who makes this such a dynamic city, can volunteer time and resources, give money, food, furniture, coats and household items to organizations who serve our community. If you are receiving services, thank the people and groups who are giving to you and pass-on the generosity in some way.
Everyone has something to give and offer. Be generous. Be intentional. What you do matters.
Add a comment January 5, 2011
