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November 2005

Attendees:  Deborah Brown (Taunton Public Schools), Milly Burrows (AHS, Inc.), Valerie Calais (Arbour-Fuller), Barbara Clark (Kennedy-Donovan Center), Rosalie Kern (DSS), Anne Kotch (Hurricane Katrina survivor), Annemarie Matulis (SEMA-VAV), Lorraine Rosa (GATHER/GTHHSC)

Discussion Highlights:

Notification of Home Purchases – DV victims may have their deeds stamped “not for publication” at the time of the closing to prevent batterers from finding them.

Video “Breaking Peace: Babies Have Their Say About Domestic Violence” (an unborn child’s perspective) was well received at a November Community Crisis Intervention Training (CCIT). The committee viewed the research-based tape, and brainstormed ideas for its use as follows:

·        New Hope parent groups

·        Mom’s clubs

·        Use of clips for TV ads

·        PTAs

·        Batterers groups, men’s groups

·        High School health or child development classes (shown separately to males or females)

·        Pre-marital training programs and meetings

·        Teen parenting

·        Teen living program

·        Using one-liners with the New Hope number on calendars as “food for thought”, and pass them out to preschoolers parents.

Suggested Awareness Activities:

·        A “Did you know that” with a DV awareness fact, followed by “We’ve got better things to do”, ending with New Hope or GATHER information

·        School announcements

·        Church bulletins

·        Cable TV

·        Newspapers

·        A theme for the year with ideas for schools, police departments, etc.

Grants:

·        Office of Victims of Crime Grant was submitted for an early intervention workshop. The above mentioned tape could be used.

·        Project Safe violence prevention federal grant has been used successfully in New Orleans to send teams into schools to train teachers to deal with violence from hurricanes Rita and Katrina. When using a financial management agency, there must be clarity as to expectations and agency support.

·        501C3 Status has pros and cons, and requires a board and director. SEMA-VAV could be a 501C3 conduit.

December Meeting Topics:

·        The increase in GLBT violence, discrimination, and lack of sensitivity.

·        The Stand and Serve Dating, Sexual and Family Violence Resource & Referral Packet.

Next Steps:

Contact New Hope about returned emails.

Contact DPH about a new liaison for GATHER

Call Rich McMahon about the pros and cons of the 501C3 status.

Next Meeting: 12/15/05 (3rd Thursday of the Month), 3:30, Mass Info Tech, 9 Rear Taunton Green

Contact Person: Annemarie Matulis, 508-824-3227 or 508-922-7278 cell