Harbor House of Central Florida, in accordance with HUD4010 Sec 3 and County requirements is seeking bids for the construction of a wall and gate at their shelter location.  Due to the confidential and secure nature of the facility, no details as to the location or scope of work can be made public.  Requests for proposal should be sought from Carol Wick, CEO at cwick@harborhousefl.com.  After the request for RFP has been made in writing, you will be sent a scope of work on which to bid.  All projects must be in compliance with Florida and US Fair labor standards.  Please read the following attached document for further information regarding this project.

Harbor House of Central Florida: Perimeter Wall RFP

 
Our domestic violence advocates often receive inquiries from concerned family members and friends who believe their loved one may be involved in an abusive relationship.  Participants are seeking information on the signs of domestic abuse and want to know what they can do to help.  In response to this need, Harbor House of Central Florida will hold bi-monthly informational and support group sessions to help answer questions and provide education on domestic abuse.  During group sessions, we will address the dynamics of domestic abuse, share experiences, get feedback, and learn how to safely help their loved ones. 

Please join us on the 2^nd and 4^th Wednesday of every month starting on May 30^th at the Heart of Florida United Way for our Family and Friends Support Group.

Click here for the flyer.

If you have any questions, please contact Jean Wilson, Outreach Services Manager, at jwilson@harborhousefl.com.

April 19, 2012
Guest Blog By: Dan Beckmann

Batterers find many opportunites to seize control of the situation.  Manipulation, coercion…even pets.  Animals are used as leverage as a pre-emptive strike to gain control of their victim.  And the statistics are alarming:

Nearly 90% of pets living in a violent home are either abused, or killed.  Of the victims who survive abusive relationships and find refuge in shelters, 57% have had a pet killed.  Which helps explain why half of domestic violence survivors will delay leaving – there’s been no safe place to keep their pets. 

 Until now.

Harbor House is building a kennel.  The first of its kind in Central Florida.  The tractors have cleared the area and raked the ground.  Concrete blocks stand at attention ten feet high, waiting to be laid into their proper places.  A shelter of a different kind is on the way.

Most victims who seek shelter at Harbor House, come with nothing.  Soon they can arrive with a little peace of mind – knowing, that not only will they be taken care of, but their pets will be provided for, as well.  Aside from the Paws for Peace Kennel, a new Donation Center will also be attached, allowing for personal items to remain safe and secure.  By removing the barriers domestic abuse victims encounter, this two-fold project aligns itself perfectly with Harbor House’s mission to end the cycle of domestic violence. 

And there are many ways for you to get involved:

Create a Tile – And Make a Difference:

For a donation of $100, you can design a personalized tile, complete with a picture of your beloved pet and a personalized message. 
     -  Visit www.harborhousefl.com and upload your favorite photograph of your pet.
     -  Write a 25 character personalized message.
     -  Submit your order and the 6X6 ceramic tile will be used to adorn the main entrance of the kennel.
     -  You can even order a duplicate to keep!

Your tile will be prominently placed right on the wall of the kennel so that all who benefit will share in the support provided by you and your pet.

Make a Donation:

All gifts to the PAWS Kennel are greatly needed and appreciated.

     -  All donations directly support the construction and operations of the PAWS Kennel!

     -  For a deeper impact, you and/or your organization can raise money to sponsor a room in the Kennel, such as the cat-run, patio, 
         visiting room, or even a pet kennel itself. A plaque will be displayed in your honor.

Join the PAWS for PEACE Walk:

Check out www.harborhousefl.com this summer to register your team.

About Dan Beckmann
Dan Beckmann is a Director of Photography, journalist and storyteller.  A former staff editor, producer and cameraman for the Today Show, Dan has traveled across the globe, covering some of the biggest news stories of the last twenty years.  Currently, he contributes regular Op Ed and My Word articles for the Orlando Sentinel, and writes a monthly column for the Homeless Coalition of Central Florida.     

Harbor House sees high numbers of women and children in our emergency shelter every summer.  We are already operating over capacity and pulling out the cots and air mattresses so families can be safe.

All it takes is a box – the rest will follow…

• 1000 pillows for survivors to rest their heads on at night.
• Diapers for the newborns and infants in our childcare.
• Cleaning supplies to keep our shelter looking like home.
• A great team-building project for you and your community to help these women and children have the resources to heal.

For the month of April and May, join Harbor House and K92FM for the Movers for Moms collection drive this Mother’s Day!

All you have to do is start the drive and drop-off items at one of the eight Centra Care locations (Orange County) and they will be delivered before Mother’s Day to our emergency shelter in high-lethal domestic abuse situations.

Click here to download our wishlist & get started!

Grab a box.
Gather your friends and co-workers.
Get a donation drive started.

Dr. Phillips Charities generously helped us build a supply warehouse.
Now, please help us fill it.

San Francisco Wine Country

Enjoy the breathtaking scenery and winery tours in the famous Napa Valley.
Become a connoisseur as you sample a wide variety of delicious wines when you explore the wineries and quaint towns with their unique boutiques and restaurants.  Two lucky winners will enjoy this and so much more.

The California Wine Country is the perfect place to unwind and relax.  Our winning couple will begin their delightful long weekend escape by jetting to the rolling hills and breathtaking vineyards of the Napa and Sonoma Valleys.  You’ll stay at a cozy bed and breakfast in the heart of the wine country and become a connoisseur as you sample a wide variety of delicious wines when you explore the wineries and quaint towns with their unique boutiques and restaurants.  There are all sorts of adventures to enjoy, from golf, to kayaking, Segway tours, bicycle riding, even hot air ballooning.  Back in San Francisco, why not explore the city the way locals do… taking San Francisco’s famous cable cars!  Stroll along Fisherman’s Wharf, sample delectable dishes in exotic Chinatown, see the crazy zigzagging Lombard Street, and perhaps take a cruise on San Francisco Bay before you retire to your deluxe hotel in the heart of the city.  This four day, three night trip includes your roundtrip airfare, your deluxe Wine Country and San Francisco accommodations, special sommelier tours of selected wineries, and great memories of fun and relaxation from your San Francisco and Wine Country escape. 

The Wine, Wonder and Pleasures of France

World class LIFE, LOVE, and EXPERIENCES await you in the City of Lights!
Fall in love all over again in Paris before slipping off to the beautiful French countryside.
This magical trip for two is the epitome of romance.

While many people travel to France, the two of you will delve deep into the excitement and romance of Paris and the French countryside.  You’ll begin by jetting to Paris, then you are off to the romantic Loire Valley wine country where you will enjoy delightful tastings at boutique wineries along quiet wandering roads.  Medieval castles dot the landscape and quaint restaurants serve the freshest food grown right there in the French countryside.  After three glorious days in the romantic wine country of France, you’ll head back to the excitement and beauty of the City of Lights!  Take time to wander the cobblestone streets of Montmarte, stroll the tree-shaded Champs-Élysées, and shop in some of the finest designer showrooms in all the world.  Relax and people watch at a sidewalk bistro sipping café au lait while nibbling delectable bon bons and pastries.  Your city tour takes you to major landmarks, including the Arch de Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower where you will enjoy a spectacular lunch.  Then relax in splendor as you cruise down the River Seine, and at night, cuddle to sleep in the Duquesne Eiffel, your chic hotel on the famous “Left Bank.”  Rated in the top 3 of all hotels in Paris, it is close to the city’s major attractions and the wonderful shops and restaurants that make Paris unique.  This seven day, six night trip for two is Cest Magnifique!  Includes round trip air, deluxe accommodations in Paris and the Loire Valley, extravagant wine tastings, your River Seine cruise, Paris city tour and Eiffel Tower lunch.  In all, you’ll enjoy an incredible seven days, six nights savoring the best sights, sounds, tastes and pleasures France has to offer.   

Bali Hai Will Call You

Imagine clear sparking water so blue it looks like a million gallons of sapphires,
beaches so pristine that every square inch of sugar white sand says, “Come, lie down here,”
and Cordon Bleu chefs awaiting your every desire.  Bali Hai will call you, and the two of you will answer. 

Bali Hai will call you, and the two of you will answer.  What couple hasn’t dreamed of a week in paradise?  Imagine your own South Seas Paradise, and then stop imagining and start bidding!  This trip deep into nature’s paradise is all you could ever want.  Imagine clear sparking water so blue it looks like a million gallons of sapphires, beaches so pristine that every square inch of sugar white sand says, “Come, lie down here,” and Cordon Bleu chefs awaiting your every desire.  Your accommodations at the 4-Star Ayodya Resort Bali make available all the beauty, magic and romance of the South Pacific, and you can enjoy every amenity and activity you could imagine such as snorkeling, sailing, surfing lessons, plus tennis, a massage and inner beauty center, even reservations at an 18 hole club.  As for dining, Ayodya Resort Bali features seven spectacular international restaurants to delight every palate.  Seven days, six nights in paradise, complete with round-trip air and the joys of a rekindled romance! 

Become A Spectacular Chef… in Tuscany 

Learn to cook in the heart of Classic Italy, Tuscany. 
Explore and savor the sights, sounds and tastes of the surrounding region
as you become a world-class chef.

Learn the art of fine Italian cooking from the culinary masters… and more! Your seven day/six night package for two begins with round trip air to Florence where you will see Michelangelo’s statue of “David” and marvel at the other magnificent artwork there.  From Florence, you will head to your deluxe villa accommodations set in the middle of a vineyard in Tuscany. Your cooking class will whet your appetite to explore and savor the sights, sounds and tastes of the surrounding region.  You can explore hilltop towns like Siena and Pisa and enjoy some of the best shopping in all of Italy in San Gimignano.  Or you can hunt for great bargains at designer outlet stores including Gucci, Ferragamo, Prada and Dolce and Gabana.  Every night, you’ll return to your vineyard villa where you can sip their private reserve wine under the stars.  Your trip includes round-trip air for two, six nights deluxe accommodations, your VIP admission into the Museum Academia in Florence, and your cooking class where you will learn to be a spectacular chef!   This is your chance to see, feel and taste all that has made Tuscany famous for 2000 years…. while you rekindle romance in one of the most romantic places on earth!

Presented by: American Fundraising Auctions

One of the questions that we often are asked is “Is help available for the abuser?”  Often times, this question comes from the survivor of abuse.  The answer is “yes”.  Batterers Intervention is a program that can be a very effective tool in changing the behaviors of abusers.  To help understand the program better, we asked one our local providers No Abuse to give more information about the program.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT BATTERERS’ INTERVENTION :

What is batterers’ intervention?

Batterers’ intervention is a psycho-educational program that does several things such as:  provides participants with information about stopping domestic violence, teaches participants that they are totally responsible for their abusive actions, challenges participants to acknowledge their abusive behavior, and teaches individuals how to change if there is a desire to do so.

How would my partner enroll in a batterers’ intervention program?

Most participants attend because they have been court ordered to do so.  Most participants admit that they would not attend if the court had not ordered them to.  Sometimes individuals will attend to convince their partners to return home or not to leave them.  It is important for victims to ask the court to order batterers’ intervention for the abuser so that they are given an opportunity to change. 

Will the abuse stop if my partner attends batterers’ intervention?

Anyone can change their behavior if they really want to by getting help and continue to work on it.  A batterers’ intervention program can be an effective means for this to happen, BUT  it can never guarantee that the violence will end and you will be safe even if your partner attends one.  To best protect your children and yourself, it is recommended that you contact Harbor House or the closest domestic violence shelter to you to find out services and options are available for you.

He wants me to go to counseling with him.  Would marriage counseling be better?

No.  Domestic violence advocates strongly recommend that victims not participate in couple’s counseling, family counseling or mediation because it might not be safe for you to talk about your feelings, plans, or thoughts in front of the abuser – who could hurt you later for what you have said.  Also, this type of counseling can help make the abuser believe that you are responsible for the abuse. 

My partner said that violence only happens when he drinks.  If he goes to a program to stop drinking, will the abuse stop?

Probably not.  Alcohol and drug abuse do not cause someone to be abusive.  If this were true, then everyone who used alcohol or drugs would be abusive.  Individuals who use drugs or alcohol and are violent have two distinct problems and need to have those addressed separately.

Are there batterers’ intervention programs available in this area?

Yes.  There are programs in Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties.  Groups are available in English and Spanish.  Groups are held during the day, evenings and weekends and meet for one and one-half hours per session.  Programs are required to use a sliding fee scale for their fees.

Thank you to our guest blogger
Paula Basil LMHC
CEO, A No Abuse Batterers’ Intervention Program

For more information please visit their web site at:  http://anoabuse.com/ 

Friday, March 16, 2012
Waldorf Astoria
7PM

The Diplomat’s Reception brings together residents of Central Florida and representatives from across the globe for one important reason: to end domestic violence.

In years past, Harbor House, its Board Members and the Central Florida Consular Corps have hosted this red-carpet, black-tie gala at Orlando’s most exclusive private homes. This year, the 5^th Annual Diplomat’s Reception will be held poolside at the equally exquisite Waldorf Astoria on Friday, March 16^th, 2012 at 7PM.

If you’d like to make your voice known in the fight to end domestic violence, we invite you to join Harbor House, its Board of Directors, Honorary Consuls from over 15 countries and International Diplomats and other prominent dignitaries for this special event.

Sponsorships, ticket packs and individual admissions are available. But hurry! This exclusive event sells out quickly!

Your support of the 5^th Annual Diplomat’s Reception will directly benefit survivors of domestic abuse who have fled violent homes to pursue safe, healthy and happy lives through Harbor House. Your purchase will save a life today and build for a better future tomorrow.

$125 per person | $150 per person (day-of event)

Your Event Ticket Includes:
Discounted Room Rates  |   Discounted Golf and Spa Packages

NEW! Preview our Live Auction Items Here

Champagne & Diamond Experience – Click Here

Our Sponsors
  
Orange County Sheriff’s Office

Bright House Networks
Eprosystem
Vicki Johnson Communications
Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce of Greater Orlando
     

For more sponsorship or event information, please contact mskim@harborhousefl.com.