Aida Rogers, Colleen Andrew, Cathy Deleski, Melinda Murdock, Terry Basdakis and Julia Goff pose for a photo on the stage at the B-Side Ballroom this evening where 100 Women Who Care Otsego donated $7,200 to OFO’s Violence Intervention program. The group, now in it’s fourth year, selects three charity organizations at random from selections offered by members. Representatives must then pitch their 501c3 program in front of the group for a chance to be chosen to receive the funds collected that year. Past winners have included The Lord’s Table, Family Services and Athelas Therapeutic Riding. OFO’s violence Intervention Program currently employs 12 people and offers emergency shelter, counseling, crime victim compensation, medical and crime accompaniment relief, and group counseling; all for free. In the past year they have served 63 women and 19 children, given 1900 counseling sessions, and taken 894 calls through their 24 hour hotline. (Ian Austin/AllOTSEGO.com)
News from the Noteworthy Violence Intervention Program aids sexual assault victims [Editor’s note: Opportunities for Otsego contributes this week’s ‘News from the Noteworthy,’ prepared by Will Rivera, Crisis Intervention Director, and Hannah Bosman, Violence Intervention Program Education and Resource Specialist.] Opportunities for Otsego’s Violence Intervention Program recognizes the month of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Every 68 seconds, someone in our country is sexually assaulted. Sexual assault is defined as any form of contact or behavior that occurs without any consent from the victim. One out of six women, and three percent of men in our country have been…
The Driftwoods — Then and now and why John Thompson – he owns Advantage Maytag in Oneonta with his father-in-law, John Elderkin – and I have been best friends for nearly five decades now. We first met as fellow percussionists in the Cooperstown Central high school band when he transferred in from Milford and announced upon arrival that he had been drumming in his dad’s band since he was 11 years old. Probably not the best way to ingratiate yourself to a bunch of teenaged boys prone to goofing around in the back row of the band room while the…
Christmas In July EDD Memorial Fund Beneficiary of 100 Women Who Care Event Three not-for-profits, each chosen at random, made their pitch this evening in hopes of being chosen as the recipient of the 100 Women Who Care event, who gathered at the B-side this afternoon. The event, now in it’s 5th year has donated over 20,000 over the last four years to local not-for-profits. Above, Gretchen D. Owens, Executive Director of the Eric D. Dettenriedder Memorial Fund, named in honor of her late brother, an OHS alumni who enjoyed the outdoors and teaching disabled children to ski. Eric was…