Harbor House Breakfast Fundraiser

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Harbor House held a fund-raising breakfast at the First Baptist Church (3000 South John Young Parkway). I was invited by the second Vice President of the Harbor House Board of Directors to attend and sketch. When everyone filed into the room and sat down at the circular dining tables, the first order of business was the screening of a news story about domestic violence. The facts presented were staggering. Between 2009 and 2010 there was a 20% increase in domestic violence cases in Central Florida. As the economy gets worse, the violence in Central Florida is on the rise. Twenty six people died in the last 12 months due to domestic violence. 759 women and children were sheltered from the brink of deadly violence at Harbor House. There is a pandemic of violence by men against women and children in our state.

Carol Wick, the CEO of Harbor House said, “The city beautiful may be considered the happiest place on earth…until you go inside Central Florida homes.” She told the story of an event that happened in a quiet neighborhood apartment complex. Neighbors began to hear the screams of a woman calling for help inside an apartment. There were the brutal sounds of her body hitting the walls. Everyone knew what was happening, yet no one called 911. The next morning an elderly woman went to the manager and said, “You better check in that apartment because I think a woman was murdered.” The woman had indeed been murdered. This story makes me angry and outraged. Outrage is nothing without action. Some people simply say, “Well why didn’t she just leave?” In many cases women were trying to leave an abusive partner when they were killed. Had anyone in that apartment complex called the police, that woman would be alive today.

Carol talked about a new program called Project Courage which engages every member of the community to help stop the violence. This program creates support for survivors of abuse, holds abusers accountable for their actions and teaches all members of a community to recognize abuse, respond to it effectively and refer people to assistance. The glimmer of hope I clung to when confronted with the staggering facts about domestic violence was the idea that none of us is alone, as a community we can help stop the violence. By recognizing how we can help others, we become part of something much larger than ourselves.

Sultana Ali got up and said, “Batterers are the stealers of dreams. Not on our watch will this be allowed to happen anymore.” Everyone was asked to vizualize a world in which children do not have to fear going home, a world in which every member of the community actively helps stop the violence. Gifts donated at this fundraiser saved lives.

“So I fight with one hand and love with the other. In my dreams, I love with both hands and the fighting is over.” – A Survivor

Paws for Peace

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I drove towards downtown Orlando with the sun rising with a glorious orange glow from behind the skyscrapers. I parked behind the Day building near Panera’s. There was already a small crowd of people gathered on the east lawn registering for the dog walk around Lake Eola. Bright purple bags were handed out to each dog owner who registered. With all the frantic butt sniffing action and the occasional threatening barks, I decided to focus less on the dogs and more on the hard working volunteers. Former Democratic State Representative, Dick Bachelor spoke to the gathered crowd but the microphone cut out so I didn’t catch much of what was said. I knew that funds raised would go to help victims of domestic violence. 0ne speaker asked each person in attendance to tell five friends about how rampant domestic violence is. Three out of every four women will be victims of a violent crime during their lifetimes. Slightly more than half of female victims have kids under 12 in the house. Scattered all along the dog walk route were signs relating facts abowt domestic violence.
When all the dog owners and their pets were out walking, I decided to look at the colorful T-Shirts which were hung on clothes lines. The Women’s Resource Center supplies the shirts to Art Therapy courses at the Women’s Residential Counseling Center, the Howard Philips Healing Tree, the Victim’s Service Center and Harbor House. Harbor House helped organize the days event. The T-Shirts were boldly painted. This is what some of them said:
Silence the Violence 4-Ever.
I am afraid, help me.
Teach love, respect and equality not violence.
Judeth Johnson, age 40 of Orlando was beaten to death allegedly by her boyfriend.
Because of his choice to beat my friend, I too, am scared for life.
I have the right to live happy – unhurt and safe.
He should fry for what he did to her.
I deserve to be loved.
Scotty raped me on roofies. He’s dead now, call it karma. I love myself again.
What didn’t kill me made me stronger. No one deserves to be abused. Real men don’t hit.
If I cried for help, if I cried rape, would you believe me?
To dad, I made this shirt for you. What you did was wrong and dangerous. You hurt Jordan and you hurt mom. Please stop drinking. Why did you do it? I love you. -Taylor and Jordan
Mental abuse hurts.
We will never die as long as we are remembered.
U deserve true love.
There is light. Faith in god will heal your wounds.
Loyalty, Oppression, Violence, Enraged. This is the love I learned from you.
As I read, I felt a wave of anger and sadness that we live in a society that looks the other way as women and children are abused. The only thing I can do is tell you, and hope you tell others. Help stop the violence.

Stuffing Backpacks

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I went to the Children’s Home Society offices to sketch as 800 or so backpacks were stuffed full of school supplies. Amanda Chadwick greeted me at the door and walked me around the work space. As part of his “Available” project, Brian Feldman was in a back room removing unwanted marketing items from donated backpacks. Three young girls, children of Home Society workers, had volunteered as well. Their names were Corinne, Madison and Bailey. First all the backpacks had to be emptied of all the donated supplies inside, so that every backpack was guaranteed to have exactly the same supplies when they were stuffed. Brian goofed around and had the girls laughing the whole time. Brian would make a great dad. He found a tiny donated bicycle with rather deflated tires and rode it around the cubicles much like Butch Cassidy. The girls took great pleasure in throwing school supplies at Brian and Amanda would step in and insist we all get back on task. Somehow through all the play, the job got done. I only did one sketch because at noon I was going to meet a Children’s Society case manager and ride along to see a backpack get delivered to a child who needed it.

Backpack Delivered

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Amanda Chadwick introduced me to Elaine Pelletier, a caseworker for the Children’s Home Society. We drove off in Elaine’s car on a mission to deliver a backpack to one of kids she oversees. I can’t say his name so I’ll call him Sam. Sam is now under dependency based care, meaning he has a guardian. He loves to draw and Elaine said he doesn’t get alot of one on one attention. He is highly intelligent and loves to read. They are looking into moving him into accelerated classes for reading. He has had occasional outbursts where he broke things, but hey who hasn’t ? Elaine had never been to the address she had been given before so we had an adventure to find the place. We walked into the waiting room of what appeared to be a doctor’s office. Sam was given his backpack and he looked through its contents for a while. Elaine had explained on the drive over that he doesn’t react with much emotion. He posed calmly for the quick sketch offering suggestions for color and placement of some items. There is a definite fire in his eyes. Elaine’s primary purpose is to see that he gets the mental health resources that he needs and that he follows up with appointments. Sam seemed to enjoy the attention and he wanted a color copy which the receptionist kindly offered to make. His guardian also decided she wanted a copy. It is hard to imagine what Sam must have been through in his short life but I have high hope that he will find his way through this life.

Moving School Supplies

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Amanda Chadwick and Sarah Dillon had to move donated school supplies from a storage unit back to the Children’s Home Society offices. A ground floor office space had been donated by the landlord specifically for the back to school drive. An Enterprise moving truck had to be rented for the task. We all piled into Sarah’s huge pickup truck with the country music wailing and headed to the truck rental place. After a few minutes of paperwork, we all climbed up into the cab of the rental truck. There wasn’t a third seat, so I crouched behind the stick shift. There was a sliding door which gave access to the back of the truck so I forced that open and climbed back , giving me plenty of leg room. The back of the truck was rickety and noisy.
Sarah had some tight maneuvering to do since space was tight around the entry gates to the storage facility. When we found unit K-10 the hard work started. The unit was stuffed full of cardboard boxes full of school supplies. Much of the time Amanda lifted boxes and carried them to the truck where Sarah then arranged them in the truck. It was blazing hot. The transfer took just long enough for me to get the sketch one. When we got back to the Children’s Home Society, the truck had to be unloaded . Amanda called for some help and three or four women came from the upstairs offices to help. Not a single man was on hand to help out. I of course was busy sketching. I don’t think many people think about the hours of backbreaking work that goes along with the simple act of giving children the supplies they need to be successful in school.

Appeal Letters

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I visited the offices of the Children’s Home Society as the organization geared up to give away 800 backpacks to children in need as part of their back to school drive. Amanda Chadwick and Sarah Dillon were in a tiny corner office stuffing envelopes. This first step in the process involved sending appeal letters asking for donations for the cause. Past back to school drives had been a huge success thanks to the many kind donations from all over Central Florida. Many children all over the state are faced with starting school without the basic school supplies needed for success. People who donated a backpack this year were given a ticket to see Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 3 on ice.
Many of the children in the care of the Children’s Home Society have suffered from abuse and neglect and they need support to succeed both emotionally and academically. These backpacks full of school supplies can make a difference. Here are the supplies that are given away in each elementary student’s backpack. 1 dozen #2 pencils, 1 rectangular pink eraser, 1 box of colored pencils, 3 folders with 2 prongs and 3 pockets, 1 pack wide rule loose-leaf notebook paper, 2 glue sticks, 1 ruler with inches and centimeters, 1 pair Fiskars brand scissors, 1 plastic pencil box, and a new backpack.
All of these supplies are donated by people who open their hearts, giving whatever they can to help. Should you want to help with next years drive, contact the Children’s Home Society at 321 397-3000.

Adoption

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Amanda Chadwick from the Children’s Home Society invited me to the courthouse to sketch an adoption proceeding. When we entered the building we had to get past security. My portable artists stool raised a red flag and the guards got into a discussion as to how lethal a weapon it might be. Amanda’s bag needed a second search and a curling iron was found which was equally lethal. The guards were considering allowing the chair, but to cut the red tape, Amanda and I went back out to the parking lot to get rid of the contraband. When it was discovered that I planned to sketch, guards and lawyers got involved in letting me know how short the proceeding would be and how unlikely it would be that I would get a sketch. A lawyer introduced Amanda and I to the Joma family who would be adopting two children this day. The baby girl was only three days old when the family first began to care for her. The little boy, a toddler, was strutting around the courthouse like he was a lawyer himself. He was dressed in a very corporate looking suit. At one point he walked over and hugged his little sister.
The time spent in the courtroom was indeed brief. The judge quickly announced the completion of all the needed paper work and the family pledged that they loved the children and would raise them in a caring household. I glanced over at Amanda when it was over and she had gotten quite choked up. Even though she had worked for the Children’s Home Society for sometime, this was the first time she had witnessed an adoption firsthand.

Candidate Meet and Greet

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The Children’s Home Society hosted a Candidate Meet and Greet. Amanda Chadwick organized the event. There was primarily a focus on issues relating to child welfare although most politicians returned to issues of taxes and spending. Valerie Seidel, the board chair of the Children’s Home Society of Florida, introduced the Board. There were two young girls seated in the front row near me. They were about 14 and 10 years old. These girls dressed in their Sunday best got up on stage to lead the Pledge of allegiance.
Candidates could only speak for three minutes each so sketching was a challenge. I drew Valerie at the podium. One candidate had actually been in foster care before. After all the speeches, there was a twenty minute break with snacks before school board candidates got up to speak. As everyone got food, I was throwing down watercolor washes. As I worked, one of the little girls sat next to me asking questions. It turns out she lives next to Bernie who is an artist that holds open studio sessions in his home. I have been there a number of times. The girls name was Catherine and I soon realized that she and her sister were pictured on a poster at the front of the room. The pair are shown seated on the grass wearing purple and pink princess costumes. The sisters were adopted by Greg and Valerie through CHS of Florida. on the poster Catherine is quoted as saying, “I am thankful that CHS took good care of me and my sister when we were in the shelter and helped us to get adopted to a new family. :)” Catherine’s sister, Cheyenne, walked up and said, “Look, that is mom.” as she pointed at the drawing. I explained to them that I had started drawing Valerie, but I had to borrow some features from some candidates since she didn’t speak very long. Amanda walked up behind me and said, “It looks like you have some new fans.” Kids love art, and I am happy I got to meet these two outgoing and curious art patrons..

9000 Backpacks

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When I arrived at the Amway Arena at 10AM on Saturday, I was immediately greeted with a line of people that stretched as far as the eye could see. Inside the Arena, 9000 backpacks were being given away packed with pencils, rulers and hand sanitizer. Hope Now International organized this event, which featured free immunizations, hair cuts, Community resources, prizes, entertainment and music.
It was insanely hot outside with temperatures well above 95 degrees and the humidity making the air thick and wet. Green hand fans were given to people waiting in line and large pallets of bottled water were on hand, but parents and children still had to wait in line for hours on end just to finally get into the arena. I had wanted to sketch inside the arena but in the parking lot I read a sign that read: “No backpacks are allowed in the Arena.” I thought that was rather ironic, but I decided my task was to document the mass of humanity who were made to wait in the sun.
I sat under the only large tree and leaned back to do this first sketch. Occasionally children would wander over to see what I was up to. One small boy stood right in front of me watching each line as it was put down. His mother yelled at him when the line inched forward and he ran back. Another boy stirred up an ants nest at the trees roots behind me. He and several other children played in the grass in front of me. The line of people waiting for backpacks stretched from the Arena all the way past the Bob Carr theater, probably a quarter of a mile, and more people kept arriving so the line never got shorter.
Three police horses clomped out on the parking lot pavement. One of the volunteers was Karen Cali, a fellow artist. Her horse walked up to a small tree in the parking lot and started to eat the Spanish moss that was hanging from it. Later these three horses walked up to the shady spot on the grass right in front of me. Rather than worrying about the obstructed view, I took the opportunity to sketch the horses and the crowd of children who gathered to pet them. The volunteers had to keep shouting, “Don’t walk behind, get in front.” They were concerned that if a horse got spooked he might kick back.
It wasn’t until 1PM that the line finally got shorter. At this point I had finished both sketches. I was hot and sweaty and smelled like mold. Watching this huge agonizing line reminded me of news reel footage I had seen of bread lines during the Great Depression. More and more people are finding themselves without a job and struggling to scrape by. An estimated 25,000 people waited to get into the arena that day. The evidence of hard times is obvious. Do the math.

WLOQ Radio Interview.

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Amanda Chadwick asked me if I would like to sketch a radio interview as she promoted The Children’s Home Society of Florida on the radio. Amanda was a bit nervous anout the interview and she had just finished a gruiling morning moving hundreds of boxes and backpacks from a storage unit to the business park where the Children’s Home Society resides. Amanda had to do a quick change of clothes and freshen up a bit before heading to the station. As we drove there in her Toyota Carola, I asked her questions from a sheet of questions she had prepared and sent to the talk show host. As times she let go of the steering wheel and looked through her notes to get the right statistics. I grabbed the wheel to keep the car on the road. My nerves were starting to get shot.
Robyn Austin the Morning Show Co-Host, on Smooth Jazz 103.1 WLOQ, introduced herself to us in the lobby. As we walked back to the recording studio she said she would have to check with the station manager to see if it was alright for me to sketch. I am used to being turned down any time I specifically ask to do a sketch so my stomach tightened in anticipation. She came back beaming and told us it would be fine. For all of her nervousness, Amanda performed like a pro when she was in front of the microphone. She was at ease and managed to tell several stories which illuminated the work of the Children’s Home Society on a human level.
The Society will be handing out close to 900 backpacks this year to needy school children in the Central Florida area. Amanda told the story of noticing a little girl that was wearing one of the backpacks in the previous years style. The backpack was to large for the little girl so she knew the mom had not picked it out in a store. This bought her work right into her own front yard. The work the organization was doing affects children in all neighborhoods through out the area. Imagine trying to do your job without the necessary tools. Many children have to face this dilema every day as their parents have to choose between putting food on the table of getting school supplies.