A Timely Response by Volunteers from the Verizon TelecomPioneers

It took three very full SUVs to transport all the groceries donated to Laurel House today by members of the Verizon TelecomPioneers' Northeast Council Liberty Bell Chapter.

They arrived this morning, first thing, and soon our conference room table (and some of the room itself) was filled with jugs of apple juice, boxes of pretzels and crackers, condiments, oatmeal, pounds of pasta and rice, and industrial-sized cans of tomato sauce.

While we were organizing the groceries, one of our counselors came into the conference room. She had a client, she said, whose abuser just cut off her access to all the food in the house, for herself and her children. They were hungry, they needed help, they were working out a plan.

Could we help this family out with some food?

Yes. We could help.

Because so many people already have.

Dinner Was Served ... and Donated by Kildare's

Dinner at Laurel House's shelter was a special treat on Tuesday evening, thanks to Dave Magrogan and the staff of Kildare's , the Irish pub restaurant in King of Prussia.

Kildare's donated more than two dozen sandwiches - hot off its brand new menu - to Laurel House for last night's dinner. Kildare's was connected to Laurel House through NBC10 news reporter Tracy Davidson.

"We have 11 women and 12 kids here in our shelter," said Jenny Boyer, Housing Director for Laurel House. "At times like this, when we truly have a full house, we're even more grateful to people like Mr. Magrogan, Tracy Davidson, and the folks at Kildare's for making sure everyone has a great, delicious meal."

Laurel House's Tommie Wilkins to Speak at Saint Joseph's University Program 9/29 on Dating Violence

Students from the Rape Education and Prevention (R.E.P.P.) program at Saint Joseph's University have organized an awareness event scheduled for this evening, September 29, which will feature Laurel House's Tommie Wilkins as a speaker.

Ms. Wilkins, who is Laurel House's director of domestic violence education and training, will be speaking to the Saint Joseph's community about dating violence and healthy relationships. The Empty Place at the Table will also be on display.

The speaking event is part of a month long series of programs and activities at Saint Joseph's designed to raise awareness about interpersonal violence and safe dating. (Among the month-long events is the annual Kristin's Krusade, a 5K run/walk fundraiser scheduled for October 4 at SJU to benefit The Kristin Mitchell Foundation, named in memory of a SJU alumna who was killed as a result of dating violence.)

Laurel House is proud to be a community partner with Saint Joseph's University and its Rape Education and Prevention program, which distributes awareness materials around campus and organizes Take Back the Night events, among others.

We also thank Racquel Bergen, Chair of the Sociology Department at Saint Joseph's University, R.E.P.P. faculty liaison, and nationally-recognized expert on violence against women, for allowing us to be part of such an important effort.

Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Poster Contest Deadline Fast Approaching

Calling all high school student artists!

Thursday October 1 is the last day for Montgomery County, Pa. high school students to enter the 2009 Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Poster Contest, sponsored by Laurel House and many other community organizations (see list at end of this post).

“Dating Violence and the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline” is the theme for the 2009 contest. Entries must be postmarked by October 1, 2009. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will receive monetary prizes, and the 1st place winner's poster will be used as the Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention poster for Montgomery County schools from October 2009 to October 2010.

All winning posters will be placed on Laurel House's website. A copy of the official Contest Rules and Registration Form can be found here, or by pasting http://www.laurel-house.org/index.php?pr=Poster_Contest in your browser. All posters must have a completed Registration Form on the back of their entry.

Sponsoring organizations include:
Upper Perkiomen Domestic Violence Task Force
Montgomery County Teen Parent Task Force
North Penn Community Action Team
Domestic Violence Legal Network
Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library
Women's Center of Montgomery County
Victim Services Center of Montgomery County
Tri-County Community Network
Laurel House

For questions or more information, contact Tommie Wilkins, Director of Domestic Violence Training and Education at Laurel House, twilkins@laurel-house.org or at 610-277-1860, ext. 100.

Flea Market this Weekend at United Storage (Montgomeryville, PA) to Benefit Laurel House

This Saturday, September 26, our friends at United Storage in Montgomeryville, PA are planning a Flea Market to benefit Laurel House. The event begins at 8 a.m.

Cost is $25 per table, which will be donated to Laurel House. Additional vendors are needed and welcomed.

For more information or to reserve your space, call 215-591-9098.
United Storage is located at 1044 Bethlehem Pike (southbound on Bethlehem Pike between Stump and Hartman) in Montgomeryville, PA.

Hope to see you there!

King of Prussia Indians Football Association Score Points with Food Drive

Teamwork from the King of Prussia Indians Football Association resulted in a big win recently for Laurel House's shelter.

The football league learned of Laurel House's empty pantry and full shelter from our recent email and blog post, and rallied together to help tackle the problem.

A collection drive was held at the beginning of the football association's season earlier this month, and a friendly competition was launched among the teams. The goal was to collect the most non-perishable groceries for Laurel House's shelter (and the winning team got the extra points of receiving free water ice for a week).

A generous donation of $100 from the King of Prussia Indians' board kicked off the food drive and supplemented the non-perishable items with fresh meat, fruit, and vegetables.

Congratulations to the members of 75JV (the winning team pictured at the beginning of this post), to food drive organizers Fran Littlewood and Joelle Newell who delivered the groceries to Laurel House's shelter with help from cheerleaders Hannah and Jenna (all pictured here) and everyone who supported this effort.

You are all true champions.

Tracy Davidson Highlights Laurel House Poster Contest on Her Website

Awarding winning news anchor and reporter Tracy Davidson highlights Laurel House's Poster Contest on her website!

You can read the full article here.

Thank you, Tracy!