The Wisdom of Walt Disney

 It's Halloween, a day for dressing up and make-believe.  Who better to conjure on a day like this than the master of imagination, Walt Disney. We at A Night Out are working toward something that sprung from imagining a better life for our ladies.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/ashleyperez/16-walt-disney-quotes-to-help-guide-you-through-life

Thank You To Saks Fifth Avenue

Where should we begin to thank Robin and Deidre at the flagship Michigan Avenue Saks Fifth Avenue for hosting an event for us last night?  When we walked into the private Fifth Avenue Club it was set up beautifully.  There were white chairs theatre-style, a fabulous spread of sandwiches, cheeses, chips, potato salad, cookies, brownies, soda. After they got food and sat down, Robin brought out a rack of clothes and showed how they could make many different looks from a few basics.  She showed different ways of using scarves. Some women came up to serve as models. There were 2 makeup artists from Guerlain who were just adorable.  They made the women glow, provided makeup and skin care tips. There was a very cool glitter spray that they used in their hair to make it sparkle. They tried on some jackets. They felt like models and they looked beautiful.  They were given totes filled with samples of fragrances and skin care products. So generous and kind. In addition to the 2 makeup artists, there were 3 staff members tending to every need and desire. They were personable and friendly and made the women feel special. We were blown away by the generosity of Saks. Below is a quote that Marla heard from Robin today :

"All I can say is Thank You, I am stillsmiling." Her reaction is the same one we all have after one of these evenings. We are the lucky ones because of how helping these brave women makes us feel.

Rounding Up Our Troops for Tomorrow

These yummy-looking, healthy treats designed and executed by our Shelley Skrypnyk,  director of child services are all ready to go for tomorrow's event.  While our 15 ladies have a great night out, Shelley and her volunteers will be looking after their 9 children with lots of fun activities and these adorable treats. Thanks to Shelley!!

"Bad Girls Gone Good"

The above quote was uttered by one of the graduates in the courtroom of the Honorable Judge Rosemary Grant Higgins'  yesterday where I had the privilege to observe the graduation of the women in her WINGS (Women in Need of Gender Specific Services) program. This 2 1/2 year old program was designed to help women convicted of felony prostitution by helping them get housing, take care of their children, deal with their addictions and increase their self-esteem, with the help of many social service organizations in Chicago. She ruefully pointed out the connection between domestic violence and prostitution. At the end of the proceedings, Judge Higgins announced to the 10 ladies in attendance-13 more graduates were absent because they were either at jobs or in school, that A Night Out, Inc. was giving them a graduation present of a night at Bliss Spa. There was loud cheering all around when the women heard, followed by hugs and grateful appreciation.

Volunteers Needed!!

Thank you for your interest in volunteering for  A Night Out!!  All volunteers are required to attend a brief training session before they can work an event. The training provides information about the domestic violence population and how we interact with them. Our next volunteer training session:    Saturday, October 19, 2013 484 Lee St. Des Plaines   12:30 PM   Please respond to this email as soon as possible to let us know if you are able to attend. We Need You!!!  The number of women we take to an event is determined by the number of volunteers available.  Please help us help these women. We can't do it without you.    Click Here: YES! I will be there!  or NO, Can't make it this time but please keep me informed of future training dates     A Night Out is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Donations to A Night Out are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.

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A Night Out,Inc. | 500 N. Michigan-Suite 600 | chicago | IL | 60611

Thought for the Day

"I set my star so high, I would constantly be in motion to reach it." ~ Sidney Poitier

Our Founder on Kick-Off DV Awareness Rally

"Yesterday I marked the start of Domestic Violence Awareness month by attending two events. Early in the day I attended the kick-off rally at the Daley Center. At dusk, I was at Oak Street beach for the Light Up the Lakefront event. I was so moved by the representation of those who couldn’t be saved from domestic violence and by the power of the people who stood up to fight to eradicate this horrible crime.

I walked home from both events with tears in my eyes. Tears for the thousands who lost their lives to domestic violence and tears for the survivors who are too afraid to speak out on their own behalf.

We must empower these people to raise their voices and be heard. We must reach out to those suffering and offer them our support. We must educate our children about domestic violence and abuse, so the cycle of domestic violent crime can be stopped.

Walking away from the rally in tears, the sun peaked out from the clouds to symbolize a glimmer of hope. Judging from the size of the crowds and the strong words spoken by Mayor Emanuel and others, it shows that we are moving in the right direction."~Marla Mogul

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

These are discouraging statistics because the sum of them suggest that there is shame and secrecy surrounding this issue. It's important to bring this issue out in the open and help those who need help the most.

• 22 percent of Americans report being victims of domestic violence; that's one in three women (30 percent), one in seven men (14 percent). Almost twice as many women as men report being a victim of domestic violence. In total, 54 million Americans are victims of domestic violence.
• 13 percent of Americans report being victims of sexual assault. That's 20 percent of women, 6 percent of men or 32 million people.
• 60 percent of Americans know a victim of domestic violence or sexual assault
• "Only 15 percent think it is a problem among their friends."
• 73 percent of parents with children under the age of 18 said that they have not talked with them about domestic violence or sexual assault
• 67 percent of Americans "have not talked about domestic violence with their friends."
• 73 percent "have not discussed sexual assault with their friends."
• Even though 75 percent of Americans say that they would step in and help a stranger being abused, the reality is most people do not help.
• Of the 70 percent of women who've experienced domestic violence and then told someone about it, 58 percent said that no one helped them.
• 64 percent of Americans say if we talk more about domestic violence and sexual assault, it would make it easier to help someone
• Men are less likely to discuss domestic violence than women

These statistics come from a new study "NO MORE Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Survey of Attitudes and Experiences of Teens and Adults," released yesterday by NO MORE, both an anti-domestic violence coalition and a symbol representing anti-domestic violence work. It was commissioned by the AVON Foundation for Women. It comes quick on the heels of a global study by the World Health Organization, which revealed outrageous levels of domestic and sexualized violence all over the world.

http://joyfulheartfoundation.org/news/60-percent-americans-know-survivor-domestic-abuse-or-sexual-assault-no-more-excuses