Ex-wife of D.C. sniper to speak at Alternatives to Violence's April fundraiser
Mildred Muhammad will speak about her experience escaping domestic violence
Loveland Reporter-Herald, January 21, 2020
By Carina Julig
Alternatives to Violence, Loveland’s domestic violence shelter, announced Tuesday that the ex-wife of 2002 Washington, D.C., sniper John A. Muhammad will be the keynote speaker for its fourth annual Purple Ribbon Breakfast in April.
Mildred Muhammad will speak about her personal experience of being a domestic violence survivor. She has written several books about domestic violence and served as a consultant with the U.S. Department of Justice.
The breakfast will be held on April 2 at the Embassy Suites in Loveland. It is ATV’s largest fundraiser of the years, and supports its domestic violence shelter and other programs.
Individuals and businesses are invited to become sponsors of the event. Sponsorship costs $1,000 and includes a table for 10 and recognition on all promotional material. Those wishing to volunteer or participate can call the ATV office at 970-669-5150.
Colorado domestic violence deaths rose in 2018, report says
Director of Loveland's Alternatives to Violence says awareness, prevention are crucial
Loveland Reporter-Herald, December 16, 2019
By Carina Julig
The director of Loveland’s domestic violence program says a new report about the increasing number of deaths from domestic violence highlights the need for awareness and prevention.
The number of people killed in domestic violence incidents in Colorado rose 10% from 2017 to 2018, according to a report released Friday by the Attorney General’s Colorado Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board.
The review board was established in 2017 to track data on domestic violence fatalities and make policy recommendations on how to prevent further deaths.
In 2018, 43 people were killed in domestic violence incidents in Colorado, the report said. Of those, there were 26 primary victims, two children, four other adults and 11 perpetrators. That was an increase from 2017, in which 39 people were killed in domestic violence incidents, including 18 primary victims.
The youngest victim was 3 and the oldest 64, the report said. The plurality were women killed by current or former male partners, and 63% of all victims were killed by gunshot wounds.
One victim, Greg Baker, was from Larimer County. Baker was allegedly shot and killed by his wife, Nancy Baker, in their Fort Collins home in October 2018. Nancy Baker pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in his killing, and her court case is ongoing.
Kari Clark, director of Loveland’s domestic violence program Alternatives to Violence, pointed out that domestic violence does not discriminate based on race, gender and other socioeconomic factors.
“It is often a misperception that just because the victim is male, it is not domestic violence,” she said.
Clark said the report is troubling.
“That it’s increasing in number is disturbing,” Clark said. “We’d like to see all deaths from domestic violence go away, but in the meantime it’s important for us to educate the general population about red flags for abuse.”
Red flags identified by the report include the perpetrator feeling a loss of control, having a history of possessiveness or previous domestic violence assaults, having access to firearms and experiencing estrangement or separation from the victim.
The fact that many of the perpetrators had previously been arrested on domestic violence charges highlights the need for more prevention work from the judicial standpoint, Clark said.
As policy recommendations, the report suggested creating an abuse prevention program for youths, studying treatment programs for teen dating violence offenders and enforcing domestic violence offender treatment sentences.
NOCO Businesses support Pastels on 5th
Get Creative with Giving
NOCO Style, November 2019 Issue
By Lisa Kennedy
On a warm Saturday afternoon, Kelsey Priestly leaned over a square etched into the sidewalk, drawing. Shippers’ Supply Custom Pack, the Loveland business she works for, had purchased the square as a sponsor of the Pastels on 5th festivities. This year’s installment of the annual chalk-art gathering brought artists—professional, student, hobbyist—to town for a cause as grave as the two-day event was buoyant.
Since 1983, Alternatives to Violence (ATV) has been providing services and a safe haven to people affected by domestic abuse and sexual assault, as well as victims of human trafficking. Pastels has been a money-raising event for the organization since 2010. This year’s program brought in $45,000.
“We are so grateful,” says ATV Executive Director Kari Clark. Perhaps as significant as the funds raised is the fact that Pastels “lets people know we are here,” Clark adds. “It puts the word out on what we do. A lot of clients and people seeking services hear about [us] because of Pastels.”
Sheree Lambert, co-owner of Shippers’ with husband Jim, has been a Pastels sponsor from the start. “We love anything art related,” she says. “And then the cause! We hold ATV near and dear to our hearts. It was a no-brainer.”
The family-owned business provides all manner of goods and support to people sending packages, but its unique skill set is in packing, crating and dispatching art works to places near and far-flung. Many of the artists participating in Pastels “are good friends of ours that we wanted to support,” says Lambert.
Local businesses, church groups, nonprofits, school groups and individual sponsors were able to buy a square, or multiple squares, costing from $150-$1,000 per square. Approximately 150 artists participated this past September, according to Vicky Bryant, the longtime ATV volunteer who launched the community gathering as a way to fundraise for an organization she believes in deeply. “I had a childhood riddled with domestic abuse, and ATV really needed a good fundraiser,” she says.
Northern Colorado’s businesses, large and small, like to give and—more vitally—like to give back. Community groups, local nonprofit organizations, even a daughter’s softball team can be beneficiaries of that largesse. Companies can qualify for tax breaks and boost their standing within their community i.e. customers with their charitable efforts. In the parlance, it’s a “win-win.” But for many business owners the motivation runs deeper than extending its brand or saving on taxes. Think of it as community-building with “give where you live” as the mantra.
One of the most innovative examples of that may be the business model Mission Homes constructed. The brainchild of David and Stephanie Gregg, Mission’s mission is community-driven and Christian-centered. Not only does the homebuilder create much-needed affordable houses in its backyard of Berthoud, 25 percent of the net profit from a sale goes to nonprofit organizations that were curated by a cohort of locals with philanthropic chops. And the couple know their way around the region. David Gregg, an architect, was once Berthoud’s mayor; Stephanie Gregg has been woven into the community’s philanthropic fabric for years.
The charitable partners on Mission’s “MVP” list range from local to regional to international.
“Some have been around forever,” says Stephanie Gregg, of the 10 charities. “But some of our nonprofits are really grassroots. They’re just starting. They don’t have big fundraising efforts to support their charities. Mission Homes affords them a big benefit.”
During closings, Berthoud buyers can choose which local organization they’d like to donate to. “Part of our thinking behind having our buyers select the Berthoud charities the money goes to was to create a culture of giving, a pay-it-forward culture that was more than what we established,” says David Gregg. “At the closing table, buyers are very appreciative of getting to choose the charities, but a number of realtors and lenders who attend those meetings have chosen as well.”
Many businesses, Mission Homes among them, look to the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado for guidance when it comes to growing, protecting and dispensing their funds, and for direction setting up charitable foundations and endowments.
Hydro Construction is among the businesses whose holdings support a foundation managed by the Community Foundation. The Fort Collins-based, employee-owned water-treatment company has been in business for more than 40 years and its core values of ethics, honesty and teamwork undergird their charitable vision. As Hydro has grown, so has its ability to fund organizations and charities its employees hold near and dear, allowing it to “give back to the communities in which we work and live in,” said Hydro’s president, Stan Javernick.
Javernick gives an example that underscores the familial feel of the company. “An employee could come in and say, ‘I’d like to give $50 or $75 to sponsor my son’s or daughter’s team, would you be willing to match?’ Hydro has a [program] where we’ll match it dollar for dollar.”
And forget those holiday bonus mugs and thanks-for-your-decades watches employees get for sticking around. Hydro doesn’t have much turnover. So, the company seized an opportunity to honor milestones of five, 10, 15, even 25 years. “With each of those milestones there’s a certain dollar allocation that you get to donate to any 501(c)(3) organization of your choosing,” Javernick says. And Hydro has extended that philanthropic practice to its clients as a way of acknowledging the longevity of the relationship. “We send them a letter letting them know the company would like to donate to a registered charity of their choice on their behalf.”
For companies like Hydro and others, charitable efforts aren’t simply about writing a check and disappearing until the next season of giving. It’s also about the ways in which a business can improve the quality of life of its employees.
“A big driver for me was that we have a lot of creative, amazing, artistic people on our staff,” says Nate Frary, a franchise owner of Dutch Bros. Coffee, which bought its first Pastels square this year. Frary owns four of the drive-through coffee joints. (He’ll soon be opening a second one in Fort Collins to make it five.) He’d been on the lookout for philanthropic opportunities and read about Pastels in the paper. “Giving someone a chance to draw and spend the day with other artists, that’s an easy one. And we’re always looking for any and every way to get involved in local communities,” he says. “It really comes down to us wanting to broaden our footprint and reach into the community.”
Frary’s commitment didn’t start, nor will it stop, with Pastels. When he and his wife relocated to Colorado from Washington state in 2016, he created an employee program with the hip handle “Street Crew.” “We live here, these are our communities, a lot of our employees are really into community service and giving their time and talents. We wanted to create another platform for them to do that,” he explains. “We wanted to show people that Dutch Bros. is not a coffee company. We’re really a people company that happens to serve coffee.”
On the Alternatives to Violence website there’s a short, inspiring slideshow about a recent fence project for their SafeHouse. It’s reminiscent of the communal barn raisings that went on in rural towns in Colorado. But a sturdy wood fence—good-looking to boot—has an additionally powerful meaning for the people who rely on ATV’s safe house.
There’s something touching and fortifying about a crowd of volunteers unloading pick-up trucks, toting lumber, setting posts all in order to build an additional measure of safety and security for their most vulnerable neighbors, as if to turn a curmudgeonly old saying on its head. Good neighbors, it turns out, can make good fences.
Peer workshops help Loveland High School students learn about teen dating violence
Organizers work with the Ashley Doolittle Foundation and Alternatives to Violence to teach teenagers warning signs
Loveland Reporter-Herald
By Carina Julig
October 27, 2019
Loveland High School students give a presentation about teen dating violence during health class on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019, at the school in Loveland. From left are Brady Zink, Arden Ferrowitz, Hannah Smith and Katrina Nelson. In partnership with Alternatives to Violence and the Ashley Doolittle Foundation, students at Loveland High School are leading peer workshops educating their fellow students on the topic. (Jenny Sparks/Loveland Reporter-Herald)
In a health class at Loveland High School one October afternoon, students learned about something not always discussed in school: domestic abuse.
Teams of Loveland High students delivered presentations last week on teen dating violence, part of a collaboration between the school and Alternatives to Violence, Loveland’s domestic violence shelter, to help young people spot the warning signs for abuse.
Students from Loveland High’s peer ambassador and peer counselor programs taught the program.
The hope is that students will listen to a presentation from their peers more readily than from an adult, said Marigaye Barnes, Alternatives to Violence’s outreach advocate.
Each year, Barnes trains students who volunteer about teen dating violence and walks them through the presentation. They then give the presentation in the school’s health class.
Earlier in October, students gathered at Trinity Lutheran Church for the training. While Barnes talked through some of the red flags of a controlling partner, one girl nodded her head and said that they were all too familiar from her last relationship.
Teen dating violence is pervasive across the U.S. According to the CDC, 26% of women and 15% of men experienced some form of intimate partner abuse before the age of 18.
Because young people are not always taught about what constitutes a healthy relationship, many assume that abusive behaviors such as stalking, reading through texts, put-downs and keeping you isolated from friends are “normal” parts of a teen relationship, or just chalk it up to jealousy.
Violence in an adolescent relationship also makes people vulnerable to further abuse. Youths who are victims of dating violence in high school are at higher risk for victimization during college, according to the CDC.
Barnes wants young people to understand that these behaviors are never OK. The presentation teaches students about the red flags for teen dating violence, what a healthy relationship should look like and how to help a friend you think may be in an unhealthy relationship.
Barnes works closely with the Ashley Doolittle Foundation. Ashley Doolittle had just graduated Berthoud High School in the spring of 2016 when she was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend, who was sentenced to life in prison in 2017. Her mother Ann Marie Doolittle formed the foundation in her honor to educate people about teen dating violence.
Barnes talks about Ashley in every presentation she gives to young people. At the request of Ashley’s family, she never uses her ex-boyfriend’s name. Ashley’s story is a powerful realization for students that teen dating violence isn’t just an abstract issue.
Barnes was a hospital nurse for 35 years before she decided she needed a career change and joined Alternatives to Violence four years ago. She said that Doolittle’s death was a wake-up call to her that teen dating violence was here in Larimer County.
“It happened in this school district,” Barnes told students at the training. “And we’re going to do everything in our power to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Marigaye Barnes of Alternatives to Violence trains students from Loveland High School in how to be ambassadors for domestic violence prevention on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Loveland. In partnership with Alternatives to Violence and the Ashley Doolittle Foundation, students at Loveland High School are now leading peer workshops educating their fellow students on the topic. (Jenny Sparks/Loveland Reporter-Herald)
Ann Marie Doolittle said that it was vital that students learn the warning signs of an unhealthy relationship. Ann Marie had seen snippets of Ashley’s relationship that concerned her, and her friends had as well, but none of them knew what they were seeing.
“Had we known what the signs were, I really believe Ashley could still be alive,” Doolittle said.
Senior Tamala Kamayu said that she volunteered to give a presentation because she felt like it was an important issue to talk about. If the statistics on teen dating violence bore out, that meant that a lot of students at the school district had been victims of it, and they deserved to have help.
“If I can save one person, I feel like that would be a win,” Kamayu said.
Junior Shannon Tyler said that she volunteered because she is passionate about teaching young people about healthy relationships. She is especially passionate about educating her peers about consent, which is an issue she feels isn’t covered enough in school.
“It’s up to students like us to cover this in the in-depth way that students need to learn about,” Tyler said.
In health class, junior Brady Zink explained to the students why the group was giving the presentation.
“Everyone was shown how to brush their teeth and to tie their shoes as a kid, but not everyone was taught how to love,” Zink said.
As an activity, students were sorted into groups to watch music videos for different popular songs, such as Christina Perri’s “Jar of Hearts,” Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” and Maroon 5’s “Animal.” They then went around and shared whether they thought the song represented a healthy or an unhealthy relationship, while the presenters passed out candy to those who participated.
“Everyone deserves healthy love,” junior Arden Ferrowitz told the class. “That’s the bottom line.”
If you need assistance regarding domestic violence, you can reach Alternatives to Violence’s 24-hour crisis line at (970)-880-1000 or its office at (970)-669-5150.
Alternatives to Violence works to advocate and educate about domestic violence in Loveland
Loveland Reporter-Herald
By Carina Julig
October 5, 2019
Kari Clark, Executive Director of Altenatives to Violence, sits on the couch in one of the common living areas at the safe house on Friday, Oct. 4, 2019. (Jenny Sparks/Loveland Reporter-Herald)
Domestic violence is something that rarely comes to mind for many people when identifying the problems that exist in their community. For Alternatives to Violence, Loveland’s domestic violence shelter, it is all too prevalent.
Domestic violence — also frequently called “intimate partner violence” and formerly referred to as “wife beating” — is defined as a pattern of behaviors that one partner uses to establish power and control over the other. October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, created to combat the many misconceptions that exist about the issue.
One of the most common misconceptions? That domestic violence is rare, or a thing of the past.
“It’s very, very prevalent,” said Kari Clark, executive director of Alternatives to Violence.
It’s difficult to estimate the prevalence of domestic violence — because it takes place behind closed doors, it’s often an invisible crime. But according to a 2014 survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 31% of women in the U.S. have been physically abused by an intimate partner at some point in their life.
Last year, Alternatives to Violence served over 800 people.
“And those were the ones who asked for help,” Clark said.
Domestic violence is no stranger to Larimer County. In October of 2017, Tanner Flores was sentenced to life in prison for murdering his ex-girlfriend Ashley Doolittle after she broke up with him. Doolittle had just graduated from Berthoud High School in June when Flores, then 19, shot and killed her in his pickup truck.
Clark is a pragmatist about domestic violence. She does not think it will ever fully go away, but she works to prevent tragedies like Doolittle’s before they happen.
Alternatives to Violence was founded in 1982. Originally called the Battered Women’s Task Force, the organization met out of a church basement, providing counseling and other services to victims of domestic violence.
The organization eventually changed its name and opened up an office. Today, the organization provides shelter, advocacy, education and resources to people impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking. Of the three groups, 83% of its clients are domestic violence victims. Clark estimates that 90% of people they serve are women, but that they serve people of all gender identities, and it’s a misconception that men are never victims of domestic violence.
The decision to open a shelter was made 10 years ago. Previously, people who needed shelter were taken to Crossroads Safehouse in Fort Collins, but the board wanted be able to house people from Loveland without making them have to move. Today, Alternatives to Violence operates an eight-bedroom 22-bed house for domestic violence victims and their children. The shelter is almost always 98% full, Clark said.
Alternatives to Violence contracts with the Loveland Police Department to serve as victim advocates, who meet with victims of violent crime to help them understand their rights and make them aware of resources they can access. The organization also has court advocates, who attend hearings with clients so they do not have to face their abuser alone.
When Alternatives to Violence opened a shelter, it transitioned from a counseling model to an advocacy model of providing help. People who are in the middle of a domestic violence situation need their immediate needs met more than anything, Clark said. Most of the people who arrive at the shelter have only the clothes on their back, without even a form of ID. The staff works to help them put their lives back together.
Another misconception Clark sees frequently is that domestic violence only happens to poor people. People with no means are more likely to need the services of a shelter, but domestic violence can happen to anybody. Additionally, domestic violence isn’t driven by substance abuse or mental illness, and treatment of those issues is not enough to make an abuser stop abusing.
Alternatives to Violence provides community trainings to inform people about what domestic violence is, and to teach people what warning signs for abuse are. Common red flags include jealous and possessive behavior, isolating partners from family and friends, sexual coercion, not allowing partners to work or have control over their finances, threatening to harm a partner’s pet or take away their children if they leave and refusing to take responsibility for their actions.
Before she worked in domestic violence prevention, Clark was the director of a substance abuse organization in Idaho. The organization had a strong partnership with the local domestic violence prevention group, and as Clark learned more about domestic violence, she realized the red flags had been there in some of her friends’ and relatives’ past relationships.
She wished she had been able to identify the warning signs while they were happening, and now works to empower other people with that knowledge. Domestic violence prevention is “not a happy passion,” Clark said — but it’s her passion. And she wants more people to join the fight.
If you or someone you know has been abused, you can reach Alternatives to Violence’s 24-hour crisis line at (970)-880-1000 or its office at (970)-669-5150.
For information about how to donate to or volunteer with Alternatives to Violence, visit alternativestoviolence.org.
Pastels on 5th brings street-level art to downtown Loveland
Annual fundraiser for Alternatives to Violence brightens up most sidewalk squares ever
Loveland Reporter-Herald
By Craig Young
September 14, 2019
Nathan Bedosky, 8, and his sister, Hannah, “wrestle on the trestle” in a 3D chalk picture on the sidewalk during the Pastels on 5th event Saturday in downtown Loveland. Denver artists Kyle Bannister, right, and Eric Matelski created the chalk art using iconic Loveland images such as the Devil’s Backbone, the “Redman” carving and the city’s history with railroads.
The artists creating temporary masterpieces on canvases of concrete in downtown Loveland had a variety of muses inspiring their work Saturday, but they all shared a love for art.
Alice Brown was celebrating life in her sidewalk square during the ninth annual Pastels on 5th, a fundraiser for Alternatives to Violence.
“This summer I had to deal with a breast cancer diagnosis,” she said. Now on the other side of surgery and radiation treatments, she said she wanted her artwork to celebrate that.
The colorful piece incorporates the word “life” in pink-ribbon-style lettering and has the words “family” and “friends” on the sides because both have been so important to her, the Thompson School District substitute art teacher said.
“And working with color makes me happy,” she said.
This was the seventh year Brown has participated, and she said she loves seeing students and teacher friends during the event.
“It’s just a wonderful experience all around,” she said.
On the square next to Brown’s, Brad Maston had written “God so loved the world,” part of the Bible verse John 3:16.
“I got recruited by The Church at Loveland, so I come down here and do this for them,” said Maston, a member of the church. “I come up with something every year — something that conveys God.”
Shortly after his neighbor, Brown, had commented about the hot sun, Maston set up a large umbrella to shade her as she worked.
Each sidewalk square was sponsored by a business, church, organization or patron of the arts, according to event director Vicky Bryant. The sponsors pay $150 for a 4-by-4-foot square, she said, and $1,000 or more for a 6-by-6 “canvas.”
Some artwork had no obvious link to the sponsor, while the artists on other squares worked in themes important to the sponsor, such as Maston’s creation for The Church at Loveland.
On a shady stretch of sidewalk along Lincoln Avenue, Christine Busch and her family were creating an ocean scene with a pirate ship for Keystone Financial Services.
Busch’s husband, Jeremy Busch, is a wealth adviser at Keystone Financial, and he said the Loveland business’s owner, Josh Nelson “just really loves pirates.”
Busch children Morgan, 13, Jordan, 11, and Madeline, 9, were down on the pavement, helping their mom with the drawing.
“We didn’t know this was going to turn into quite the family affair,” Jeremy Busch said. Christine Busch added: “But we realized they’re good at this.”
Interactivity was the goal of Denver artists Kyle Bannister and Eric Matelski, who created a large three-dimensional drawing that incorporated a number of Loveland themes.
Their work depicted the Devil’s Backbone, a heart-shaped “keyhole,” train tracks, the “Redman” woodcarving that sits in a field west of Loveland and the word “love” in red.
“We wanted to do something interactive for the people,” Bannister said.
Bannister was encouraging children to walk along the train tracks crossing the picture. He corralled siblings Nathan Bedosky, 8, and Hannah, 9, to stand on the tracks and try to wrestle the other “off the trestle.”
While the play-acting was going on, the children’s grandmother, Montana resident Lynn Bedosky, took pictures.
“We’re having a blast,” Matelski said. “It’s nice to have it wrapped up and be able to visit with people.”
Organizer Bryant said the 150 sidewalk squares on Fifth Street and Lincoln and Cleveland avenues were the most the event ever had used, and the spaces wrapped around to the north on Cleveland for the first time. Because many artists had brought helpers, she estimated that almost 200 people were working on the sidewalks.
She said the sponsorships alone had raised $40,000 for Alternatives to Violence, and the People’s Choice voting and vendor fees should bring in several thousand more.
The winners
Juried (with name of sponsor and cash prize amount)
1) Jennifer Chaparro (Jerry’s Artarama, $300)
2) Amanda Gress (Planning & Investment Center, $150)
3) Dion Weichers (Realities for Children, $100)
Young Artist award: Madison Atwood ($50)
People’s Choice (with name of sponsor)
1) DaLisha and Kailee Verdeyen (Blue Ribbon Auto Body)
2) Alex Scofield (The Coffee Tree)
3) Addyson Frahm (Loveland Sertoma Club)
Pastels on 5th to color downtown Loveland
Alternatives to Violence benefit set Saturday
Loveland Reporter-Herald
By Kate Powell
September 7, 2019
Pastels on 5th is dedicated to bringing color to the sidewalks of Loveland and returns Friday and Saturday for its ninth year.
The art festival draws creatives from across the country to decorate the sidewalk squares of Fifth Street alongside the Loveland Museum.
This year, approximately 150 artists will take up the chalk to benefit Alternatives to Violence, a nonprofit dedicated to aiding victims of domestic abuse, sexual assault and human trafficking. ATV also provides advocacy for these individuals, and information to the general public on these issues.
Co-coordinator Amanda Waddell said, “Pastels is bringing beauty and art to our streets that lasts for weeks and sometimes months, and it’s a really fun family-friendly event, to bring awareness to not only the services that ATV offers, but the fact that this is happening in our community and there are ways to help.”
This year, Pastels on 5th is extending its lineup to include Friday, Sept. 13. Coinciding with Loveland’s Night on the Town, the festival will include a marketplace with artisan vendors, an ATV raffle and information booth, music and dancing, and Tips and Tricks from artist DaLisha Verdeyen at 5:30 p.m. Then, at 6:30 p.m. the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes March to stop rape, sexual assault and gender violence will begin.
Kyle Bannister, a 3D chalk artist, will begin his piece in the evening on Friday and prepare for the interactive portion of the work on Saturday.
“I’ve been following his stuff for a while, and he is amazing. I think the community will really get into what he’s doing and what he has planned,” Waddell said.
On Saturday the main event opens at the Loveland Museum. Kids can head over to the newly expanded play area hosted by RJ’s Amazing Events, where guest superheroes and princesses will be available to tie balloons and help children find their inner Picasso. Live music will be playing throughout the day on the main stage, with local favorites like Big Thompson Brass, Dave Beegle and Macy Warner.
Attendees of all ages can choose their favorite piece of art and vote as many times as they wish, each ballot is $1. The Juried Art, People’s Choice and Kids’ Choice Awards will be announced at 4:30. While the chalk art will remain on the sidewalks until the rain washes it away, visitors can take home a piece of the festival at the artisan marketplace.
“I think it was crafted with Loveland in mind, and over the years it has evolved to fit our community so perfectly while remaining family-friendly and free, so it’s accessible,” said Waddell, “It’s a beautiful way to represent what Loveland is as an art community, and to remind people that we are doing this for a local nonprofit and for their community.”
Admission is free, but all donations go directly to Alternatives to Violence. Find out more at pastelson5th.org and head to the Loveland Museum on Saturday to participate in the fun.
Cover downtown Loveland in color
North Forty News
By Amanda Waddell
June 25, 2019
As summer finally shows up in Northern Colorado, the festival season begins.
But little do most realize that the planning and organizing for these well-loved downtown events take most of the year to prepare for the community’s enjoyment.
Take the always-awesome Pastels on 5th. The coordinators have been meeting and strategizing since January and will continue through October. Ten months to create and build the fundraising festival that covers downtown Loveland in color.
On 5th street in downtown Loveland, this chalk-art event has grown into a most impressive festival. Started by Vicky Paul-Bryant 9 years ago to benefit the local nonprofit Alternatives to Violence, the fundraiser took up only a block by the Loveland Museum & Gallery and attracted mostly Loveland-based artists. Now, the sidewalk squares cover several blocks, artists travel from all over to take part, and the day is packed with music, food, an artisan marketplace, and several family-friendly activities.
The 2nd Saturday of September brings Lovelanders together as artists and volunteers and neighbors connect for not only a community-focused event but also to highlight the important work that Alternatives to Violence (ATV) is doing. Supporting the survivors of domestic violence and other acts of violence, this non-profit has helped hundreds of community members with housing, counseling, legal aid, and other resources, all while opening a shelter and gaining a new Executive Director, Kari Clark.
The impact of local businesses sponsoring squares, artists displaying their creativity, and artisan and vendors providing goods and food, has shown up more and more every year. Last year the event could hand over a check to ATV for $50,000, with this year’s goal even higher.
So, how can you take part?
- Sponsor! There are several ways to sponsor – from donating of goods, money, or sponsoring a “square”. Anyone, individual or business, can get in on this.
- Create! Apply to be a chalk artist – either directly for a business or independently.
- Marketplace Vendor – Booths are still available in the Marketplace or makers of Artisan goods.
- Share! Spread the word, attend the event, enjoy the festival!
This year’s event, for the first time, will include the Friday night before, September 13th, and Saturday, September 14th to include the internationally known WALK A MILE IN HER SHOES, supporting domestic violence awareness. So, they will extend the fun and good feels, along with music, food, and art (think cool 3D artist, announcement coming soon:)).
This is true community – wonderful festivals, supporting wonderful causes.
For more info, check out www.pastelson5th.org or their Facebook page, by the same name.
Alternatives to Violence hopes to increase help
Reporter Herald
By Shelley Widhalm
November 24, 2018
Maryjo Morgan, a volunteer at Alternatives to Violence, talks to a visitor at the resource center who is interested in buying a raffle ticket for a drawing that was held Nov. 3 for a 2002 Ford Explorer. The raffle ticket sales served as a fundraiser for the nonprofit. (Photo by Shelley Widhalm)
As the new executive director at Alternatives to Violence, Kari Clark wants to ramp up volunteer numbers as more and more clients need the nonprofit’s services — especially now that the safehouse has been open for two years.
“We’re at a level now where it would be great if we have more volunteers,” said Clark, who started Sept. 24 after the former director, Glenda Shayne, took a position nine months prior with Meals on Wheels for Fort Collins. “But it’s always a challenge to find the volunteers to do the work.”
Volunteer roles
The challenge Clark faces is finding volunteers for the nonprofit’s volunteer advocate roles, including a new position of a safehouse advocate that provides support and advocacy for clients staying in the safehouse, which operates 24-7 and, at eight rooms, often is at capacity. The safehouse and a new resource center opened in Loveland in October 2016.
“What we need is and where we differ from some other nonprofits who rely on volunteer support is we rely on direct service volunteers,” Clark said. “There aren’t a lot of direct service volunteer roles. There aren’t a lot of volunteer experiences working with victims, working with people undergoing trauma.”
ATV, which provides prevention, advocacy and support services related to domestic violence, sexual assault and other types of violence, works with 10 regular volunteers who supplement the staff of 15. The nonprofit provides housing, resources, crisis intervention and victim and court advocacy for victims of crimes and their children.
The volunteers work in the resource center as greeters and handle administrative tasks, plus there are two court advocates that accompany the clients to court hearings and two victim advocates who work on the victim response team assisting on law enforcement calls.
Additional volunteers help out at fundraising events, such as Pastels on 5th and the nonprofit’s fundraising golf tournament in the fall, and do various chores around the facility including maintenance and yard cleanup. Those volunteers are called Friends of ATV, or general volunteers, and promote and raise awareness about the organization, volunteer with a specific project or join the volunteer list and respond when ATV has a need.
Volunteer advocates
Volunteers who work as advocates are required to undergo 40 hours of training to be able to work directly with the clients. The training, which includes shadowing, covers the basics of victim advocacy, provides information about domestic violence and sexual assault, and covers the mandatory reporting and victim compensation processes and the Crime Victims’ Rights Act.
“We do train our volunteers so that it’s easier for them to step into these roles and help,” said Patti Vissat, victim advocate coordinator for ATV who oversees the victim response team and serves as a victim advocate. “We just never know from one day to the next what that call is going to be, so training is important.”
The volunteer advocates can fill several roles, including:
Safehouse advocates: provide clients with support, advocacy, information and referrals.
“They help them through their day-to-day questions and concerns and to just be that support for them to help them in regaining their stability,” Vissat said.
• Victim advocates on the victim response team: respond on scene or by phone at the request of the Loveland Police Department, local hospitals or other first responder agencies. They provide crisis intervention, emotional support, safety planning and information following violent and other crimes.
• Child-care advocates: provide child care while clients attend financial and other classes or case management appointments and help with agency celebrations, such as Christmas and birthday parties.
• Court advocates: accompany clients to criminal and civil cases to provide emotional support, explain the court process, assist with paperwork and help the client work through the outcomes of the hearing.
The volunteer advocates assist 12 full-time advocacy staff, who are trained social workers with counseling and psychology backgrounds.
“It isn’t always easy,” Vissat said. “We’re looking for people that have that compassion, that have that understanding and can be in that moment and not have that judgment because of the situation they are in.”
Clark aims to have 20 volunteers on the victim response team by the end of 2019 and additional volunteers for the safehouse, which she says is a continual need, she said.
Volunteer stories
ATV appreciates the volunteers it does have, Clark said, adding she doesn’t have a total count, since a few help out once or infrequently and others attend specific events.
One such volunteer is Maryjo Morgan of Loveland, who has been with the nonprofit as an ad hoc volunteer since 2011. She raises funds and awareness, redid the organization’s website and helps with social media and marketing.
“I help whenever I’m needed,” said Morgan, whose husband, Frederick Richart, is president of the board. “We know someone who could have benefitted from what ATV offers. It makes a deep passion for wanting to work with the organization and help in whatever way I can, and why not use the talents that I have?”
Morgan promotes ATV by speaking up about the organization at the events and meetings she attends.
“On my own, I do a lot of promotion,” Morgan said. “We need a small army with a heart. It’s really what it boils down to.”
Clark pointed out that the board, which has eight members and two honorary members, also is heavily involved in ATV. Before she joined the staff, there was no director and the board took an active role in ATV’s day-to-day operations, so the doors didn’t have to close, she said.
“This is the most amazing board I’ve ever worked with,” Clark said. “They are a roll-up-the-sleeves kind of board, and they open up their checkbooks.”
Lori Gipson of Loveland joined the board three months ago after volunteering as a victim advocate and in the front office for six years.
“It’s overwhelming when you see somebody walk out of an abusive situation and give them tools they need to move forward in their life and have them become an upstanding member in the community and be able to hold their head up. It’s a good feeling when you feel like you helped save a life,” Gipson said. “If you’re really looking to make an impact in somebody’s life, this is an excellent place to do that.”
Jeanette Kolkmeier of Loveland has been volunteering in the office and doing other chores every Tuesday since May.
“I like helping the staff that does so much work helping the most needy people in our community,” Kolkmeier said. “I just feel like I’m doing a small part to help others.”
Larimer County has a large number of nonprofits compared with other areas, making it difficult to fill volunteer roles like those held by Morgan, Gipson and Kolkmeier, Clark said.
“All of our nonprofits rely on volunteer help, and so we tend to pull from the same people,” Clark said. “It’s important to volunteer with things that touch your heart.”
Kari Clark’s story
Clark served as the development manager at Crossroads Safehouse in Fort Collins for 1 ½ years before coming to ATV. For three years, she was the executive director of the Community Coalition for Substance Abuse Prevention in Sandpoint, Idaho, which had a partnership with a nearby women’s shelter. She spent more than 15 years producing major events and developing strategic and development plans and communication strategies.
“I wanted to take my shot at coming into an organization and helping it be great,” Clark said. “A large goal of mine is to increase the volunteer base and to always have a place that women, men, any identity gender and children, to make sure people experiencing violence have a safe place to stay and a safe place to go when they need resources.”
Philo gala nets $48,125 for Alternatives to Violence
Reporter Herald
By Paul Albani-Burgio
November 16, 2018
Kari Clark, executive director of Alternatives to Violence, looks at a handmade quilt hanging on the wall Friday as she talks about how volunteers make a quilt for every one of the organization's clients. (Photo by Jenny Sparks / Loveland Reporter-Herald)
Alternatives to Violence, a Loveland organization that provides services to women recovering from abuse and transitioning out of abusive relationships, received a major gift earlier this week from one of its longest supporters, Loveland’s Philo Club.
On Tuesday, members of Loveland Philo presented Alternatives to Violence executive director Kari Clark with $48,125 for the organization.
The money was raised during Philo’s Harvest Moon Gala, which it held at Ellis Ranch on Oct. 20. The gala was a celebration of Philo’s 100th anniversary and included a silent, live and paddle auction.
Kathy Loken, a Philo member who co-chaired the gala, said the organization “wanted to do something for the community” as part of its centennial celebration.
She said fundraising for Alternatives to Violence made sense, as Philo has supported that organization since 1982 and was the first sponsor of an apartment at its Transitional Living Center, a house in Loveland consisting of four apartments that serve as temporary homes for women and their children transitioning out of abusive situations.
Philo continues to sponsor that apartment, she said.
“It’s just a natural fit because they support women and children, which is what Philo is about,” said Loken. “So for this we wanted to raise money to help reduce their mortgage and make life a little bit easier for them.
The majority of the money donated from the gala will go toward the mortgage, Loken said. However, $4,450 raised by the paddle auction will be used to make improvements to the house.
Alternatives to Violence’s transitional housing program was the first in the state.
Clark said the donation will help the organization put other resources that otherwise would have gone toward the mortgage into the programs that “help the women we serve.”
“The Loveland community as a whole is amazing, but having the Philo women come together and decide to devote their 100th anniversary gala to us and the TLC was just a wonderful thing to happen,” she said. “I was able to attend the gala, and the success of it and support by our community members was very beneficial and life-changing for the people that we help with this money.”
Clark said she was surprised by the amount the event brought in, as Philo’s goal had been to raise $30,000.
Loken said Philo was also thrilled with the success of the gala and to provide the donation to the center “because they provide such a needed service to our community.’
“It’s just wonderful to be part of such a generous community,” she said. “Now we at Philo are excited to start our next 100 years of service.”
Alternatives to Violence Receives Grant Funding from the Allstate Foundation
For Immediate Release
September 2017
Loveland, CO
ALTERNATIVES TO VIOLENCE, INC. (ATV) AWARDED GRANT FROM
THE ALLSTATE FOUNDATION
The Allstate Foundation Provides Funding for Economic Empowerment for Domestic Violence Survivors Program
Alternatives to Violence, Inc. (ATV) announced today that it has been awarded a $25,000 grant from The Allstate Foundation to further its commitment to empowering victims of violence with the economic resources and knowledge they need to make informed decision about their financial future. This grant provides funding to help survivors of domestic violence live free and stay free from violence by building their financial security and self-sufficiency. This is achieved through financial and economic literacy workshops for victims of domestic violence served by ATV. This is the 11th year that funds have been provided to ATV to support the Economic Empowerment for Domestic Violence Survivors Program and the Loveland Community. “Giving back to the communities is a core value of Allstate and The Allstate Foundation. We’re proud to have been long time supporters of Alternatives to Violence. The Allstate Foundation is committed to helping survivors build their financial skills as a way to escape abusive relationships, get safe, stay safe and thrive.” Said Vicki Pitmon, local Allstate Agent. Another local supporter, BJ Hill echoed the same sentiment "Financial literacy is something that we feel very strongly about at the Swanty Insurance Group as evident through our relationship with Alternatives to Violence and our recent Financial Seminar for Women. We feel that there is a need for this form of education in our community to help people build a solid financial planning for themselves, and we are happy to be of help in this area."
About The Allstate Foundation
Established in 1952, The Allstate Foundation is an independent, charitable organization made possible by subsidiaries of The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL). Through partnerships with nonprofit organizations across the country, The Allstate Foundation brings the relationships, reputation and resources of Allstate to support innovative and lasting solutions that enhance people’s well-being and prosperity. With a focus on building financial independence for domestic violence survivors, empowering youth and celebrating the charitable community involvement of Allstate agency owners and employees, The Allstate Foundation works to bring out the good in people’s lives. For more information, visit www.AllstateFoundation.org.
Media Contact:
970-669-5150 # # #
Agency seeking funds to maintain its counseling services and safehouse for victims of violence.
By Sam Lounsberry
Reporter-Herald Staff Writer
POSTED: 01/19/2017 10:20:38 PM MST
An inaugural Domestic Violence Awareness Breakfast will be Wednesday, hosted by the advocacy group Alternatives to Violence at Embassy Suites, 4705 Clydesdale Parkway.
The event will be a fundraiser starting at 7:30 a.m. for the nonprofit, which has a mission of helping victims of domestic and sexual violence escape threatening situations to build better lives.
ATV's goal is to raise $20,000 to continue to maintain its outreach programs, free victim counseling services and safehouse, which opened its eighth and final room this week and is waiting to be filled by victims of violence needing a secure place to stay, ATV executive director Glenda Shayne said.
So far, the lofty fundraising goal has not been met, Shayne said, but only two tickets remain of the 120 originally available, and can be purchased for $39 each by filling out a form at www.alternativestoviolence.org.
Additionally, local businesses donated to sponsor tables at the breakfast event. Space for the breakfast was given to ATV free of charge by Embassy Suites, and attendees will have the opportunity to make additional donations at the breakfast.
The fundraiser's master of ceremonies will be Ann Clarke, founder of the Colorado Women of Influence group that recognizes women who have succeeded at high levels in business.
"My role is to make sure it is high energy and everyone has a lot of coffee, and everyone has their checkbooks out and laying down those credit cards," Clarke said.
Wednesday's breakfast will be the first opportunity Clarke and her organization have had to formally partner with ATV, but Clarke said her lifelong mission has always aligned with the goals of ATV.
"At our Women of Vision Gala in the summer, I have no doubt that this year we will have someone from Alternative to Violence as a Woman of Vision," Clarke said.
Prominent members of local governments are expected to attend the breakfast, Shayne said, including Berthoud Mayor Steve Mulvihill and his wife, and Loveland City Council members Leah Johnson and John Fogle.
Displaying an alliance with local governments seemed important to Shayne, which is why she reached out to members of local government.
"They're a part of our community, and everything that we do is for our community," Shayne said. "They have an investment in this and they want us to succeed. We want to show that they are very supportive of us."
Some ceremonies to be held at the breakfast are a performance by the Berthoud High School orchestra, the showing of a short video depicting the cycle of violence prepared by Karen Fournier of Starstream Productions as well as speeches by women who have recovered from periods of violence in their lives.
"The goal is for people to see that women who have gone through a lot of trauma have been able to come out on the other side. Victimization doesn't define them," Shayne said.
In the future, ATV may hold a dinner fundraiser, but for now breakfast felt like a good beginning.
"We thought we would start with a breakfast before moving on to a full-on gala," Shayne said.
Sam Lounsberry: 970-635-3630, lounsberrys@reporter-herald.com and twitter.com/samlounz.
Better Business Bureau Charity Accreditation!
January 1, 2017
Alternatives to Violence has earned the right to proudly display the BBB Charity Accreditation symbol on our website and all printed materials.
Alternatives to Violence in the News:
May 28, 2015
Alternatives to Violence earned the right to display this logo as a Gold Participant in the GuideStar Exchange program.
GuideStar's Mission is to revolutionize philanthropy by providing information that advances transparency, enables users to make better decisions, and encourages charitable giving.
For Immediate Release
July, 2016
Loveland, CO
ALTERNATIVES TO VIOLENCE, INC. (ATV) AWARDED GRANT FROM
THE ALLSTATE FOUNDATION
The Allstate Foundation Provides Funding for Economic Empowerment for
Domestic Violence Survivors Program
Alternatives to Violence, Inc. (ATV) announced today that it has been awarded a $25,000 grant from The Allstate Foundation to further its commitment to empowering Americans with the economic resources and knowledge they need to make informed decision about their financial future. This grant provides funding to help survivors of domestic violence live free and stay free from violence by building their financial security and self-sufficiency. This is achieved through financial and economic literacy workshops for victims of domestic violence served by ATV. This is the 9th year that funds have been provided to ATV to support the Economic Empowerment for Domestic Violence Survivors Program and the Loveland Community. “Giving back to the communities is a core value of Allstate and The Allstate Foundation. We’re proud to have been long time supporters of Alternatives to Violence and to give $25,000 this year. The Allstate Foundation is committed to helping survivors build their financial skills as a way to escape abusive relationships, get safe, stay safe and thrive.” Said Vicki Pitmon, local Allstate Agent.
About The Allstate Foundation
Established in 1952, The Allstate Foundation is an independent, charitable organization made possible by subsidiaries of The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL). Through partnerships with nonprofit organizations across the country, The Allstate Foundation brings the relationships, reputation and resources of Allstate to support innovative and lasting solutions that enhance people’s well-being and prosperity.With a focus on building financial independence for domestic violence survivors, empowering youth and celebrating the charitable community involvement of Allstate agency owners and employees, The Allstate Foundation works to bring out the good in people’s lives. For more information, visit www.AllstateFoundation.org.
Media Contact:
