Thirty-two members attended our meeting last week. We had one guest, Ann Barr who is on the board for Porchlight Counseling Services.
REMINDER: Bob Baker reminded us that next week we will be holding our meeting at the Takiff Center at 999 Green Bay Road in Glencoe. We have held several meetings at this facility when the Winnetka Community House was unavailable. The meeting will be held on the 2nd floor.
Barb Tubekis and Kristen Leahy of our Community Service committee announced our next service project. We will be collecting nonperishable food, such as canned veggies, peanut butter, pasta, cereal, coffee, etc. to create food baskets for the Good News Partners community in Rogers Park. The goal is to fill 150 laundry baskets with these types of food and deliver them to GNP on Thanksgiving morning. Cash contributions are also welcome. A $50 gift can fill one basket. Let us help those less fortunate than ourselves; we have three weeks to help make a difference.
Rich Lalley reminded the Club that we are also trying to provide new winter jackets to needy children in the Chicagoland area through Operation Warm. Just think of the happiness and warmth your $20 contribution can provide to a child whose parents cannot afford to purchase a new coat for their child.
Gina Sich announced that the Community House would host this year’s Veterans Day ceremonies.
Happy Buck$ -Our president, Bob Baker for finishing 3rd in the recent Pumpkin Run. -Wes Baumann threw in a dollar for each member who was voting Yes on the New Trier referendum. -Barb Tubekis on the occasion of her son’s engagement. -Dave Gotaas for his trip to and safe return from Dubai. -Marie Kuipers who is looking for storage for an old car.
Randy Reeves celebrated his 2nd anniversary of Rotary membership
This week’s speaker was Diana Newton, the Executive Director of Porchlight Counseling Services. The organization was started in 2004 by a group of community members who were very concerned about the high incidence of sexual assault among college students. They offer free counseling services for up to six months to victims of sexual assault on college campuses. Because so many victims do not tell their parents they are unable to access their parent’s insurance benefits that cover them. They serve students attending Chicago area colleges and residents of the area who may have attended college elsewhere. They are based in Evanston but the actual counseling services occur throughout the region. All of their counselors are private therapist who are certified and offer their services on a contractual basis to PCS. Under provisions of Title IX colleges are under pressure to provide sexual assault information or risk the loss of federal funding. In her Power Point presentation, Diana showed are large list of universities who are under investigation, including several high profile institutions.
Diana pointed out that 99% of their clients are women with an average age of 21, while their ages range from 18 to 31. They include graduate students, recent graduates, students who have dropped out as well as current students. It is not uncommon that some students come to them a year after the assault.
There are many lasting effects of rape; the most common are depression, PSTD and anxiety. Most victims tell no one. If they tell someone it is usually a female friend, their mother, sister or male friend. Some do not want their parents to find out for fear of being pulled out of their college.
Some of the amazing statistics are that 1 in 5 females will be assaulted while in college. Yes, one in five! 90% of the women assaulted know the perpetrator. It is very difficult to prosecute sexual assault cases since it is so hard on the victim. There is a need for special training for this type of prosecutor. According to the FBI only 2 – 8% of rape accusations are false. 63% of those committing rape are repeat offenders who assault as many as seven women. It is not uncommon for rape victims to remain silent for fear of losing friends or family or being made to return home.
Again this year, we ill be bringing the happiness and warmth of new