Newsletter March 2022

MARCH MEETING … March  9, 2021 … In person & on Zoom

Multidirectional Solutions to Support Survivors with Catherine Johnson

Catherine Johnson is the first Director of the Guilford County Family Justice Center (FJC), a public safety initiative through Guilford County designed to bring professionals together under one roof to provide coordinated collaborative services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child maltreatment, and elder abuse. Catherine has over ten years of experience working with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and previously worked as the Director of Crisis Intervention Services for Family Services of Davidson County. 

Catherine is a licensed marriage and family therapist in North Carolina and received her master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Under her leadership, the FJC has served over 55,000 individuals since opening in June 2015 and has expanded to include two locations. In addition, Guilford County has been recognized at the local and national level for its successful collaborative efforts. Catherine’s professional career has been dedicated to working with families impacted by violence and abuse. Her current focus is on developing strategies for creating systemic change to reduce violence and empower survivors. 

Catherine has been awarded the Outstanding Practitioner of the Year Award for the North Carolina Association of Marriage and Family Therapist, Early Career Award from UNCG’s School of Education, Outstanding Women in Business Award from the Triad Business Journal, and in 2016 was named the Greensboro News and Record’s Rising Star.

Catherine is married to Brooks Johnson, a hospital chaplain in High Point, and together they have two children, Clara Beth and Hill.

LOOKING AHEAD TO OUR APRIL MEETING

April 13, 2022

Colonel Eileen Collins, the first American woman to command a space mission will be joining us by Zoom and her co-author, Jonathan Ward – a local expert on the space program – will be in person.

Get your signed copy of the book from Programs Committee Chair Ronnie Grabon (rsgrabon@gmail.com) if you’d like to read the book in advance!

4-MINUTE SPECIAL

Walking with Gratitude: Ronnie Grabon

“Grandma, please don’t wear your buffalo shoes.” I am 11 years old and my 8-year-old sister is complaining because Grandma is wearing her walking shoes. In her trusty Clarks Grandma could indeed walk our feet off. I stay quiet.  I walk with my family.

I’m a bit older and at Girl Scout camp. We are hiking in the cool dark woods. There is something about green, pine needles underfoot, the fresh smell, the way the air warms and cools, the lake nearby. I walk with my troop.

I am a native New Yorker, we walk everywhere. Oh, this city: the sights, sounds, smells – ugh, yum, what’s that? Miles and miles, never tiring of the changing venues, parks, restaurants, stores. I could walk forever. Working in NYC, the same path for over 10 years and never the same landscape, always at least one set of scaffolding helping recreate the ever-changing profile of the city. I walk to work.

North Carolina, a working single mom, can I ever do it all? No, but I can go for a walk. The 3-mile path at the end of the block sees my feet every day. I can’t do it all, but after a walk I can do some of it. On really bad days, the kids beg me to go for a walk. By myself! I walk for my sanity (and theirs).

Friendships, aging, gains and losses, a seemingly ever-increasing pace. We need to process, laugh, cry, scream and work off enough calories to earn that glass of wine. Walking is our secret. Fast, slow, 1 mile or 6, it doesn’t matter. We hope to be doing this in 20 years. It’s our life line.

Hiking, with more time, 1 or 2 or 3 miles is not enough. I join a hiking group that goes far, and high. 7 miles, 10 miles, can I do 15? Yes! I crave what for me is the long haul. The woods never changing, ever changing. The gorge that drops below me is so green, and there are at least 6 more switchbacks ahead. Coming down is going to feel so good!

Traveling – what better way to learn a city than by feeling it through your feet. 30,000 steps a day in Copenhagen is my personal best. Even in work walking is a component, as I and my coaching clients have talked about the benefits of walking and walking meetings. It’s amazing what you can accomplish shoulder to shoulder with someone.

Speaking of standing next to someone, the most important walk I have taken recently is down the aisle. After 24 years of being single, I remarried in September. Family, friends, work, travel, community and now a husband loom large in my life. I am grateful to have these fellow travelers with me as I continue to walk.

Update from Jody Susong

Membership Committee Chair

We are so excited to announce that applications for new members will be accepted until June 1st.  The updated application can be found on the WPF website.  We look forward to getting your applications and sponsorship forms.

Just a reminder that prospective members will attend a WPF luncheon meeting with each of her sponsors for a total of 3 meetings prior to her application.

Please let me know if you are planning on sponsoring a candidate this year.  This will be helpful in the planning process for the Membership Committee.  And I would love the opportunity to meet them at one of our meetings.      

We are so glad to be back in person with our meetings and able to connect with our WPF sisters.  It’s so nice to greet old friends that you have only seen on Zoom for quite a while.  Just a reminder that according to our Policies and Procedures, Active members need to attend 50% of our regularly scheduled meetings.

I can be contacted at jsusong@triad.rr.com or 336-689-5297.  I look forward to seeing you at the March meeting!

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Holiday Bazaar

The 2021 bazaar raised $6,274 for the WPF Foundation! It’s time to begin planning for the 2022 bazaar to be held November 9. The planning committee will meet monthly starting in March.

If you are interested in being part of this important event, please call or email Dede Potter dede@miboxtriad.com or 336-655-1734. There are many ways to help, and a variety of skills and experience are needed!

WPF FOUNDATION NEWS: Do Small Gifts Matter? Why, YES!

A Message from Jean Pudlo, WPFF President Jean Pudlo

Last month the WPF Foundation board was reviewing the notes from the small dinner discussions last fall. Thank you for your input, your ideas and…. your questions!  From time to time, I’ll try to answer some of those.

Someone asked if small gifts to the Foundation matter, and the answer is YES.  Each and every gift to the foundation, whether $1000 or $25, helps to build the momentum as we increase our giving each year.  One of the things that is powerful about this Foundation is that hundreds of members, over decades, have contributed.  With your contribution of any size, you are part of this.

Our fund has increased steadily.  Do bigger gifts help us grow faster? Absolutely.  But each gift combines with many others to build this contribution to the community that is uniquely WPF.  It is of us, from us, and there to serve women and girls for many years to come.

When you consider a gift to the Foundation, and I hope you will sometime this year, give the gift you can.  Maybe later you might consider a gift in honor of someone special – whether in or out of WPF membership.  There may be a year where a gift is more difficult.  There also may be a year when it is easier.  Remember the impact that WPFF has in our community and give what you can, when you can.

We probably don’t say thank you enough.  But we are grateful for every donation.

GRANTS: Our grants committee is getting down to business reviewing 33 grant proposals!  As best we can tell that is a record, so they have their work cut out for them.  Thanks to Robin Hager for leading the way, and for Jennifer Mencarini for co-chairing the committee this year.