Thursday, June 16, 2016

I want a Dad

"I want a Dad", a Dad?  "I want a Dad like all the other kids" came the assertive request from a little six year old girl. I can never forget it. It pierced me to the heart. Ever so often when I see moms struggle with guilt over overwhelming responsibilities I remember her pleading face and say a prayer for all those little girls (and boys) who never had a Dad, not even a Grandpa or Uncle.
No matter how we sacrifice, we can never be Dad. We show our kids how to be mothers, girls, friends, divas, but we can never be the Dad that teaches a girl how she needs to be respected and valued by men by the way Dad treats her mother; a Dad that teaches boys on how to man up and not run from responsibility. Dad, as well as Mom, is a job description. Take one out and you have a substantial deficit. Process the void.
Dad per Websters: an idealization of one's father often projected onto someone to whom one looks for guidance and protection.
Mom per Websters: maternal tenderness or affection.
It's Fathers Day. Are you a Dad?

Thursday, June 9, 2016

Legal Aid for women in transition (free)

LONE STAR LEGAL AID
1415 Fannin Street
Houston, TX 77002
(800) 733-8394
Fourth largest service provider of free legal aid in the United States. Serves 72 counties mostly in East Texas.

VOLUNTEER LEGAL SERVICES OF CENTRAL TEXAS
816 Congress Ave. Suite 701
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 476-5550
Helps low-income clients access the civil justice system by providing volunteer attorneys who donate free legal advice and representation.

EXODUS MINISTRIES INC.
4630 Munger Avenue, Suite 110
Dallas TX 75204
(214) 827-3772
Provides a 20-unit apartment building for reentering mothers with child custody. 9-month program includes job, personal and financial counseling, and child care.

2000 ROSES FOUNDATION INC.
P.O. Box 227015
Dallas TX 75222-7015
(214) 941-1333
Provides safe transitional housing, education, job training and entrepreneurial skills to help women live successfully after incarceration.

GIRL SCOUTS BEYOND BARS (CENTRAL TEXAS)
12012 Park Thirty-five Circle
Austin TX 78753
(512) 453-7391
Program allows incarcerated mothers and their daughters to spend positive time together to break the incarceration cycle and enhance the bond between mother and daughter during incarceration.

BATTERED WOMEN’S JUSTICE PROJECT
c/o BWJP Defense Office
125 South 9th Street, Suite 302
Philadelphia PA 19107
Provides assistance and information to battered women charged with crimes and to their defense teams. Free newsletter. Does not offer direct legal representation.


free translating and legal for Asian and Pacific Islanders

ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN LEGAL CENTER
1145 Wilshire Blvd., 2nd floor
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(888) 349-9695

Provides legal services and education to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, especially those who speak little or no English.

Monday, June 6, 2016

what you can get for 1$ in Austin

http://do512family.com/2016/06/free-cheap-movies-for-kids-summer-2016/

and free in Denver:
http://www.denver.org/outdoor-summer-movies/

Saturday, June 4, 2016

Computer Classes (free)

https://www.denverlibrary.org/files/ctc_idealab_current.pdf

(free) lunches after schools close for summer

http://www.fns.usda.gov/summerfoodrocks
National Hunger Hotline at 1-866-3-HUNGRY (486479) 
TX http://www.squaremeals.org/SiteMap.aspx

CO Food Assistance: (855) 855-4626
new locations in Aurora, CO
Expo Center at 10955 E. Exposition Ave., and Meadowood Center at 3054 S. Laredo St., have the space to accommodate enrichment activities that the parks department is developing (like crafts and tutoring) to keep the kids on site while they eat their meals, and keep them occupied until they decide to head home.

your kids can make that (Soccer) goal

http://soccerassist.org/

Current partners of Soccer Assist include  Westlake Youth Soccer Association (WYSA) and Lonestar Soccer Club 
To be added to the invite list, please e-mail soccerassistatx@gmail.com.  Once on this list, when training days are announced, you will be sent an easy online registration link.

Thursday, June 2, 2016

PTSD not just in Veterans

It does not have to be the designated DV awareness month to hear more and more horrific stories about women, not exclusively veterans, PTSD.
When a woman needs to talk about what she is going through, she is usually just days, minutes, or moments away from serious harm. I have seen and heard of too many situations where she was told to "get over it", "that's in the past", "fear is the opposite of faith", 'everyone has problems", "she is making it up, he is such a wonderful (military) man", "we are sick and tired of hearing that story again", "there is nothing we can do about it now, we can not un-rape you", "if you are negative, I will not speak to you again" etc.
That is victim-shaming! What we hear is: help, help, please help. Some of these women are frozen in fear (panic attack), they are mocked by the predator when he sees them shaking: "do you need a drink?" When they have no place to go: "do you have Stockholm syndrome?" "You are so unstable, assertive one minute, and acquiescent the next" and the meanest of all, cruelty, abuse to their kids.

Speak up! Get out! No contact!

the links below may be the first step to  regain sanity.
http://www.lovefraud.com/
http://www.safehorizon.org/page/domestic-violence-statistics--facts-52.html
https://www.verywell.com/ptsd-in-the-dsm-5-2797324

Trolls, ignore, ignore, ignore

Trolls, aka bullies who high five each other when they collectively dehumanize someone to make themselves feel cool and "powerful" fool themselves that actions have no consequence.  What bullies say to you, they are actually saying to themselves.

I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it. George Bernard Shaw

need someone to talk to? http://www.bystanderrevolution.org/help

Dental Services around Austin (free)

https://stdavidsfoundation.org/dental-program/dental-program-faqs

Family Fun in Austin

I wish that our readers are inspired to have a site like this in their community. Thumbs up to: http://do512family.com/