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 2015 Fall Newsletter |
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We believe in our mission of "supporting family success in every community" and hope you do too.
Please consider helping us advance our mission by making a charitable contribution to Family Continuity today.
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Family Continuity is a great
place to work.
We might just be the perfect
fit for you.
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Greetings from the CEO:
On Saturday October 10th the 4th Annual Mullet Marathon 5K walk/run event was held in Sandwich, MA along the Cape Cod Canal hosted by Seafood Sam's to benefit Family Continuity. It was a beautiful day and a great success. I am proud to say that many staff and Mullet Marathon organizers' family and friends volunteered at the event. There were well over 160 registered race participants whose family members and friends attended to cheer the runners on. The Marathon organizers were fantastic and as always loads of fun. The prizes, t-shirts, donations and giveaways for race participants were well done and plentiful. It was a wonderful family community event that clearly demonstrates the support our agency has developed on the Cape over the years. All proceeds from this event go to our Family Support Fund to directly assist families in need. I am grateful to the Mullet Marathon organizers, everyone who participated in the event, those who organized the event, obtained donations and selflessly gave their time and talents to make this year's event a fond memory in this chapter of our agency's rich history. We could not fulfill our mission of Supporting Families in every community without the direct support of the community itself.
Best wishes for a wonderful fall!
Chief Executive Officer
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Family Corner
Proceeds from the High Five 5K benefit Family Continuity's Family Support Fund, which assists families on Cape Cod and Massachusetts in reaching important goals.
The Mullets firmly believe - Big smiles - equal shorter miles.
The Mullet Marathon is a way of life. It's a lifestyle dedicated to healthy living and inspiring others. Supporting great causes and going the extra mile. Letting your hair down and giving high fives.
Since 2002, the Mullet Marathon has made appearances at races and events around the country, delivering free high fives while helping raise money and awareness for a multitude of incredible people, charities and initiatives. Interested in sponsoring the High Five 5K or being a volunteer on race day? Well, we think you're awesome.
Please contact us at highfive5krace@gmail.com
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Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Oc tober is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease. While most people are aware of breast cancer, many forget to take the steps to have a plan to detect the disease in its early stages and encourage others to do the same. We have made a lot of progress but still have a long way to go and need your help!
Taken from the National Breast Cancer foundation website. Click here
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OCTOBER IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH
Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) evolved from the "Day of Unity" held in October 1981 and conceived by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
What is Domestic Violence?
Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. It includes physical violence, sexual violence, psychological violence, and emotional abuse. The frequency and severity of domestic violence can vary dramatically; however, the one constant component of domestic violence is one partner's consistent efforts to maintain power and control over the other.
Domestic violence is an epidemic affecting individuals in every community, regardless of age, economic status, sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, or nationality. It is often accompanied by emotionally abusive and controlling behavior that is only a fraction of a systematic pattern of dominance and control. Domestic violence can result in physical injury, psychological trauma, and in severe cases, even death. The devastating physical, emotional, and psychological consequences of domestic violence can cross generations and last a lifetime.
It is not always easy to determine in the early stages of a relationship if one person will become abusive. Domestic violence intensifies over time. Abusers may often seem wonderful and perfect initially, but gradually become more aggressive and controlling as the relationship continues. Abuse may begin with behaviors that may easily be dismissed or downplayed such as name-calling, threats, possessiveness, or distrust. Abusers may apologize profusely for their actions or try to convince the person they are abusing that they do these things out of love or care. However, violence and control always intensifies over time with an abuser, despite the apologies. What may start out as something that was first believed to be harmless (e.g., wanting the victim to spend all their time only with them because they love them so much) escalates into extreme control and abuse (e.g., threatening to kill or hurt the victim or others if they speak to family, friends, etc.). Some examples of abusive tendencies include but are not limited to: 1 - Telling the victim that they can never do anything right
- Showing jealousy of the victim's family and friends and time spent away
- Accusing the victim of cheating
- Keeping or discouraging the victim from seeing friends or family members
- Embarrassing or shaming the victim with put-downs
- Controlling every penny spent in the household
- Taking the victim's money or refusing to give them money for expenses
- Looking at or acting in ways that scare the person they are abusing
- Controlling who the victim sees, where they go, or what they do
- Dictating how the victim dresses, wears their hair, etc.
- Stalking the victim or monitoring their victim's every move (in person or also via the internet and/or other devices such as GPS tracking or the victim's phone)
- Preventing the victim from making their own decisions
- Telling the victim that they are a bad parent or threatening to hurt, kill, or take away their children
- Threatening to hurt or kill the victim's friends, loved ones, or pets
- Intimidating the victim with guns, knives, or other weapons
- Pressuring the victim to have sex when they don't want to or to do things sexually they are not comfortable with
- Forcing sex with others
- Refusing to use protection when having sex or sabotaging birth control
- Pressuring or forcing the victim to use drugs or alcohol
- Preventing the victim from working or attending school, harassing the victim at either, keeping their victim up all night so they perform badly at their job or in school
- Destroying the victim's property
Domestic violence impacts women, men, and children of every age, background, and belief. Nearly 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men in the United States have suffered severe physical violence by an intimate partner. Victims are deprived of their autonomy, liberty, and security, and face tremendous threats to their health and safety. During National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we reaffirm our dedication to forging an America where no one suffers the hurt and hardship that domestic violence causes -- and we recommit to doing everything in our power to uphold the basic human right to be free from violence and abuse.
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Prior to the passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), many did not view domestic violence as a serious offense, and victims often had nowhere to turn for support. VAWA significantly transformed our Nation -- it enhanced the criminal justice response to violence against women and expanded survivors' access to immediate assistance and long-term resources to rebuild their lives. The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act is another important piece of legislation that improved our public health response to domestic violence and increased the availability of critical services for victims.
(...)
Read the full proclamation by President Barack Obama, released on September 30, 2015.
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September is Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Month
Article taken from MCPAP Newsletter
Childred with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum disorders (FASDs) are often not detected or misdiagnosed due to mothers' reluctance to acknowledge drinking during pregnancy and a lack of accurate, routine screening in prenatal and pediatric settings.
Massachusetts has one of the highest rates in the nation of alcohol use and misuse; the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that 61.8% of women of childbearing age consume alcohol and 23.3% are binge drinkers. Studies estimate that approximately 1,423 children are born with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in Massachusetts Annually.
Information about the Massachusetts Department of Public Health FASD Task Force or the Parents' Support & Advocacy Group, please contact Enid Watson at enidwatson@healthrecovery.org.
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