The Court Appointed Special Advocate Program (CASA) of the Family Court is expanding its efforts to represent the interests of abused and neglected children in court.
The program is seeking qualified adults to serve as CASA volunteers.

CASA volunteers are trained members of the community who are appointed by Family Court Judges to speak up for the best interests of abused and neglected children in Court proceedings. As an official of the Court, the CASA volunteer conducts an independent investigation into the child’s life and provides information and recommendations to the judge in the case. CASA volunteers work with attorneys, social workers, and family members to attain the goal of a safe and permanent home for each child.

CASA volunteers have varied professional, educational, and ethnic backgrounds. They are selected on the basis of their objectivity, competence and commitment. Each volunteer accepted into the program must complete five days of initial training. Casework supervision is provided by full time Program Coordinators from the Family Court staff. Program attorneys provide legal advice and represent the CASA in court proceedings.

In the last year, CASA volunteers served over 600 children in Delaware. Yet, many of Delaware’s abused and neglected children still have no independent voice in court.

The problems of child abuse and neglect belong to all of us.
Be part of the solution. Be a CASA volunteer.

For information, call the CASA office in
Family Court at 302-255-0461.

Call 302-255-0461 in New Castle County
Call 302-672-1037 in Kent County
Call 302-855-7410 in Sussex County

The results are in! You spoke, we listened! NAWBO members (and potential members) have stated that they are looking for programs with more substance…more value…giving more connections …to open more doors.

As a result, our 2012 programs were designed to add value to business owners of all levels.  Whether you are just opening your doors, or have been in business for years, finding valuable resources can be a challenge.

Here is just a small sample of what NAWBO Delaware is bringing to you:

First Fridays
Join NAWBO Delaware the 1st Friday of every month for a little “breakfast and business.”  Bring your business cards and some questions/topics regarding your business that you would like to discuss with your fellow women business owners and community experts.  This is a great time to learn from other women business owners.  SPACE IS LIMITED SO PLEASE REGISTER.

DATE: 12/2/11 • TIME: 9:00 – 10:00
TOPIC: Willie Wonka had the Chocolate Factory – and Cher Przelomski has the Planning Factory, come tour with us and be dazzled by her wonderful creations.
DATE: 1/6/12 • TIME: 9:00 – 10:00
TOPIC: Another New Year, Another Resolution – Jump Start Your New Year and discover “Why Engaging Your Customer is Critical!  How to Cost Effectively Get It Done; and How to Measure the Results” – Dave Yunghans , Philadelphia Regional Development Manager.  Constant Contact will deliver all the New Year Secrets.

Power of Partnership
Held monthly, these networking events connect women business owners with powerful decision makers throughout the region.

DATE: 12/15/11 • TIME: 2:00 – 4:00
TOPIC: Tis the Season of Giving – Join NAWBO Delaware’s Board of Directors, its Members, Sponsors and Partners as we nestle by the fireplace for holiday tea.  There will be music and song, with a “Special Holiday Performance” from the Board of Directors of NAWBO Delaware.
DATE: 1/26/12 • TIME : 12:00 – 1:30
TOPIC: Don’t let the Winter Climate “Blue Your Business” – It is time for a Caribbean Get-Away.  NAWBO Delaware Brings the Tropic to you.  Join us for a Caribbean Lunch, and get tips from the World Trade Center on how you can Export your Product and Services.

If you are not a member, please consider joining TODAY!
To register or for the complete list and descriptions of our events, please check our website: www.NAWBODelaware.org
NAWBO Delaware: 302.235.5757 info@nawbodelaware.org
NAWBO® National: 1.800.55.NAWBO
www.nawbo.org
national@nawbo.org

Connect With Us!

In addition to providing quarterly networking opportunities, this initiative also serves as a starting point for this growing number of women business owners to access support and lending services available through the alliance members.

Led by the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development and PNC Bank, the effort is the first of its kind in the Delaware region to coordinate community organizations and government agencies that also includes the state of Delaware, the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce, the Small Business Association Delaware district office, the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau and the local chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners.

“Women-owned businesses across the country and here in Delaware is one of the more engaged and fastest growing segments of our business infrastructure,” said Ken Anderson, director of entrepreneurial and small business support for the state Economic Development Office.  “Support and development of those businesses continues to be vitally important.”

“Wilmington’s Office of Economic Development has built a number of alliances over the past few years with organizations that focus on women owned businesses,” said Joe DiPinto, director of the city of Wilmington Office of Economic Development.

“Our latest collaboration with the National Association of Women Business Owners, Delaware Chapter is another example of the city’s firm commitment to this business sector.  It is wonderful to see PNC’s investment in this area and Mayor James Baker and I look forward to working with these organizations to provide education and economic opportunities to women business owners in Wilmington and throughout the state.”

“Our own research shows that women business owners are optimistic about the current prospects for their businesses,” said Monica Eboda, PNC business banking market manager for Delaware.  “Challenges on the national and local economic fronts remain, however.  We continue to hear from our clients that the need for networking opportunities, access to resources and information that we can collectively provide has never been greater.”

The opportunity and the need for coordinated support for women business owners among community organizations, government agencies and private businesses is further bolstered by recent findings highlighted in PNC’s first Women Business Owners survey.  The results showed that nearly seven out of 10 (68%) women owners are involved in at least one business organization. Notably, chambers of commerce (38%) and nationally-affiliated industry groups (34%) are the most popular choices.  PNC’s support for these businesses includes providing $6.8 billion in loans since 2005 to help women-owned businesses expand and achieve their financial goals.

If you are a woman business owner who needs assistance, please contact Karen Burton, program director, Women Business Development city of Wilmington office of Economic Development, at 302-576-2123 or Jacinta Terry, PNC relationship manager and certified womens business advocate, at 302-832-6188 to schedule an appointment and discuss your business needs.  (Tell them you read about them in the New Castle County Women’s Journal)

The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (www.pnc.com) is one of the nation’s largest diversified financial services organizations providing retail and business banking; residential mortgage banking; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management.  Follow @PNCNews on Twitter for breaking news and announcements from PNC.

Life is like the seasons.  It is ever changing, ever moving towards what is next and away from what was.

No matter how much you enjoy the summer, a winter is on the horizon and even the coldest of winters carries the promise of warmer days.  Every season serves us regardless of how “good” it may feel.  Understanding what season you are in and what to do in each season is essential to your growth and fulfillment.  Getting stuck in a season or using the skills designed for fall in the winter time comes at high price.  We either get stuck in winter and feel as if it will never change or we seemingly get blindsided time after time.  We must learn how to navigate the seasons of our lives in order to take control of our lives.

Winter
Ok, winter may not be our most favorite, but winter is invaluable.  We have all been in winter and we will return there again.  It is as much a part of the process as night is to day.  It is the season of endings and death.  Death may sound morbid but I assure you it is needed.  Winter is the season in which life resets itself. Nothing can begin anew until something ends.  We may not care if the leaves on a tree turn brown and fall off, but when it’s something we are holding on to that we must let go, it is often a different story.  We often feel torn in letting go so that something can end, because winter is often a purging period and it comes with a level of hesitation.  We often know we need to let go… Let go of a relationship, a career, a path, the way that you thought it should be, but we would rather hold on to pain then to be without.  We have all been there, knowing that we must let go, but emotionally holding on.

The Pain
It is easy stay focused on the discomfort or the pain that is associated with winter.  Letting go and endings do not always occur without a fight.  When we focus on what we don’t have or what is gone, it prolongs winter.  It keeps us stuck in winter even though the season around us is changing.  If we feel like it is winter, than we will experience winter.

The Gift of Winter
Winter gives us a unique opportunity to rebuild, to examine, to plan and prepare.  Winter also allows us to connect with those we love and rebuild our relationships.  We must understand the gift of winter because winter can be where your greatest growth begins.  It is where we can find our strength and honor.  Yes, we may feel a bit humbled.  Humility often gifts us with vision free from ego and fear.  The truth is, it may not feel good, but it is essential for growth.  We must grow so we don’t stay in winter or find ourselves fighting the same battles over and over again.  New winters can bring new challenges and new opportunities and that is growth.

We have a choice to either fight winter or align with winter.  We can not avoid it.  Knowing what to do in winter is invaluable.  You do not plant seeds in the winter, but you can sharpen your tools.  Winter is the process of letting go so that what is new can grow.  It may not feel good but it is needed so that the renewal and promise of the rebirth of spring can occur.

Till next time I wish you love and passion.  Live Free!

Testimonial

Absolutely amazing! I have never experienced anything like this before.  It is something that has changed me, my outlook and therefor my life! ~ Penny Marroni

Visit us on the web:

www.getlifecoaching.com

www.facebook.com/getlifecoaching

www.twitter.com/getlifecoaching

Press Release: More than 400 people gathered in the Sanford Sports Center recently to take part in The Incredible Back-to-School Wig Out, a fundraiser designed to support philanthropic efforts in our community.

Sponsored by J. Christian Studio and hosted by Sanford, the event raised money and hair for the National Alopecia Areata Foundation, which uses donated hair to create and provide hairpieces to children with medically related hair loss.  Locks of Love, an organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss, also received hair donations.

In addition to producing the show which featured entertainment and more, J. Christian’s team donated time and talent to cut and style hair and provide other services including free haircuts for those donating 8” or more of hair to the benefiting organizations.  Several local businesses and individuals also contributed products and services.

The hostess of the Wig Out was Laura Pellicano, a Sanford student who has Alopecia Areata, an autoimmune skin disease that affects nearly 5 million people.  Laura is healthy and chooses not to wear a hairpiece; however she and her family inspired J. Christian and Sanford to support this servant leadership program to help the millions of people who are affected by conditions that result in hair loss.

Proceeds included 16 donated ponytails totaling 168” of hair, and $3,200. J. Christian said: “This event was electric! The salon’s philanthropic mission is focused on bettering our community by producing events that strengthen family, showcase our talents and raise funds for organizations that benefit local Delawareans.  I’m proud to say we nailed it.”

Mark Anderson, head of Sanford School, had his hair cut during the event, noting: “We’re proud to take part in the Wig Out and other service projects.  Our students and faculty, many of whom were involved in the Wig Out, understand the importance of giving back to our community.  This event gave them a chance to give back and have a great time connecting with our neighbors.”

The following businesses participated:

CulinArt, WSFS, Padi, Sherm’s, Pizza Pro, George and Son’s Seafood Market, Stacia’s Mastery Massage and Bodywork, Day Star Sills, New Castle County Women’s Journal, FastSigns, and Hockessin Memorial Hall.

Dates Announced for the 5th Anniversary
of the Largest Warehouse Sale
of Kitchen Products in the Mid-Atlantic Region:
December 9, 10 and 11, 2011

New Castle, DE – November 2011 — For the fifth year in a row, on December 9, 10 and 11, consumers are invited into the giant, 44,000-square-foot kitchen products warehouse of some of the most prestigious housewares brands available: Emile Henry, Duralex, Rösle, Mauviel and Lékué.

This once-a-year invitation is for huge savings.

The sale attracts thousands of people so an extra day has been added. The sale dates are Friday, Dec 9, 4pm till 8pm; Saturday, Dec 10, 8am till 5pm; Sunday, Dec 11, 8am till 5pm.

The warehouse is chocked full of seconds,
discontinued and first products at blow out savings,
up to 80 percent off retail.

Cooking enthusiasts will have opportunity to buy, at factory prices and lower, the stainless steel garlic press, the French ceramic pie dish, the copper skillet or the other kitchen products that they’ve been coveting for years. The three-day sale is in the Centerpoint Business Complex Park in New Castle at 802 Centerpoint Blvd.  Follow signs from Route 273 to the warehouse. Doors open at 4:00pm on Friday and 8:00am on Saturday and Sunday. The parking lot opens an hour before the doors open. Parking is free.   Cash and credit cards will be accepted.  For additional information on the sale, please call 302-326-4800.

For cooks who don’t know these brands,
Emile Henry colorful, all natural, heirloom quality ovenware and tableware
is made from Burgundian clay in the French town of Marcigny…

Mauviel cookware, one of the only copper cookware manufacturers left in the world today, is made in Normandy of 90-percent copper and lasts a lifetime. Rösle award winning, German designed kitchens tools are backed by a lifetime warranty. Duralex Picardie drinking glasses and Lys glass bowls are renowned throughout the world. Lékué, an award winning Spanish brand of innovative and fun kitchen tools are designed for healthy, low-fat cooking and baking.

Products from all five brands are sold in the premier kitchen stores
and online catalogs and have been featured in hundreds of articles and shows…

in the national media including the Today’s Show, Good Morning America, Food Network, Bravo, HGTV, Cooks Illustrated, Fine Cooking, New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Bon Appetit, Food & Wine, The Oprah Magazine, Martha Stewart, House Beautiful, Rachel Ray and the Los Angeles Times.

By Joe White
President and Founder of
Get Life Coaching.
2008 Entrepreneurial
Advocate of the Year

I tend to work a bit differently than most other life coaches.
Actually, I am more of a life strategist.

Most life coaching is about assessing where you are, where you want to go, and the goals needed to get there. All those things are important, but the setting of goals is never our problem. Heck, most people set goals every year on New Year’s Eve, and then break them the next day.

Our challenge is to become the type of person
who will consistently do what it takes to achieve their goals.

That’s where I come in. I help my clients move past their limiting beliefs, doubts, fears, and identity so that they are able to create the life that they desire on the deepest level. However, if I stopped there, I would only be creating a sense of dependency. In essence, I would be giving them fish… Nevertheless, I have always enjoyed teaching. Another difference with my approach is that I train my clients to become coaches for their own lives. In truth, I’m teaching them how to fish. It just makes so much more sense.

The Three Core Beliefs about Coaching

1.) It can change – We cannot change that which we feel cannot be changed. We must see change as possible.
2.) It must change – We don’t change when change is something we should do or ought to do. We must make changing an absolute must. In other words, do or die.
3.) I can change it – Nothing changes until we change. We must take full responsibility for our lives by taking control of what we think, say, feel and do.

We are creatures of comfort, but we must grow.

It is nature’s law that whatever does not grow will die. We cannot have both comfort and growth at the same time; they work opposite of each other. Both have value, but in the end, it is growth that must end up on top. Changing is not always easy, because it often feels uncomfortable and easier to stay where you are than to grow. Understand, though, we will not find fulfillment without growth.
We’re not given an owner’s manual to our brains, and to make it even more challenging, we are often given incomplete or misinformation. The more we are able to take control of US, the more we are able to take back control of our lives. This is empowerment, and this is where you begin to coach yourself and to go through life with your blinders off!

Till next time I wish you love and passion!

Testimonial
Joe White and his team teach and coach with a completely different approach than any other coaches or consultants I have used in our 25-year history. The difference is that they are effective from the first session on. Get Life Coaching gets to the core of the issues, correctly alters the mindset of the participants, and moves forward versus looking in the past. We continue to use Get Life Coaching as we grow and change as a company.     ~ Beverly Stewart, M.Ed., Hall of Fame of Delaware Women Award Winner. President/Director, Back to Basics Learning Dynamics, Inc.

Visit us on the web:
www.getlifecoaching.com
www.facebook.com/getlifecoaching
www.twitter.com/getlifecoaching

By: Lisa Torbert – MS, CADC, Owner, Massage Therapist,
QRA Practitioner, Yoga Instructor, pH Testing, Nutritional Healing

Swedish Massage

Uses a system of long gliding strokes, kneading, and friction techniques on the more superficial layers of muscles. Swedish can be a relatively vigorous form of massage, sometimes with a great deal of joint movement included.

Deep Tissue Massage

Used to release chronic patterns of muscular tension using slow strokes, direct pressure, or friction, on a focused problem area. This is applied with greater pressure and at deeper layers of the muscle than Swedish massage. Deep doesn’t necessarily mean “hard.” With the proper technique, muscles deep in the body can be reached with a minimum of pressure.

Seated Chair Massage

Provides a quick stress release and offers many of the same benefits as a traditional table massage. Fatigued, strained or stressed muscles acquired from office and desk work can be relieved in as little as 10 to 15 minutes increasing productivity, mood, and general well being. A portable, therapeutic massage chair is provided to enhance the experience and increase the overall health benefit. All sessions are done fully clothed and areas of focus are the back, neck, shoulders, arms, and hands. This service is provided at your place of business during peak seasons, contests, projects, or any other company event.

Warm Stone Therapy Massage

Warm Stone Massage is one of the most relaxing and soothing massages offered today. Warm Stone Massage is an ancient healing technique using smooth Balsalt Lava rocks that are heated, oiled, and massaged on the body. The effects of the warm oiled stones soothe tired muscles, as they absorb the heat. The energy of the stones relaxes and rejuvenates the body. Clients always leave feeling completely relaxed and renewed after a warm stone massage.

Massage and Pregnancy

Throughout history in tribal and traditional societies, massage was an integral part of a woman’s pregnancy, labor and postpartum experience. Typically the women of the community gathered together to support her and her baby with herbal medicines, massage, physical and emotional support.
Pregnancy massage is a technique specifically designed for the childbearing year that is safe and effective for easing common discomforts of pregnancy as well as promoting maternal and fetal well being.
Pregnancy is a time your entire body adapts to the new life growing within you. A support system is important since two (or more) lives now depend on your health and vitality. Pregnancy massage is a great way to relax, increase your energy and relieve discomfort during your pregnancy. The caring touch of massage can help you experience your changing body in a positive and accepting way.

Massage can help you prepare for the birthing process in several ways:

•  Release chronic tension in lower back, abdomen, and inner thighs
•  Increases your awareness of tension and teaches you to consciously release
•  Increase your sense of confidence and self-control
•  Practice focus and relaxation breathing techniques during your massage
Just taking time out for a massage can improve your outlook in life, making everything seem easier during this time of many changes.

Benefits of Massage:

•  Relaxes muscles, can correct damaged muscles
•  Improves circulation without increasing heart load
•  Increases range of motion
•  Helps obtain a feeling of connectedness
•  Relieves pain from muscle tension, fractures, sprains, sciatica, and stiff joints
•  Shortens recovery time from muscular strain
•  Flushes lactic acid, uric acid, and other metabolic wastes from tissues
•  Stretches the ligaments and tendons, keeping them supple
•  Stimulates the skin and nervous system while relaxing the nerves
•  Helps reduce emotional and physical stress

Our bodies are like an orchestra;
if one instrument is out of tune it throws off the entire arrangement.

Our center offers valuable resources to fine tune your body by using holistic therapies to direct your body in a way that it can perform and play in harmony without the use of drugs or surgery. Preventative Health can help us to discover ways to nurture and heal our daily aches and pains. It can help us bring about physical and emotional changes, creating a feeling of wholeness in a way that makes a connection to our mind, body and spirit. Come and experience a new and better way of achieving health and wellness here at Heathers.

Who Is Heather? 

Heather Torbert is Lisa Heather Torbert’s mom. She died at the age of 66 from diabetes. Mom’s life was not easy, as she became addicted to drugs and alcohol in her twenties. She also suffered from depression most of her life. At the age of 40, she finally was able to “kick the habit” forever. However, she substituted into some very unhealthy “other addictions” such as smoking, caffeine, and food addictions (chocolate, sugar and carbohydrates), which eventually lead to her death. This center is dedicated to my mom, Heather, my best friend and special angel. Because of her, we here at Heather’s are able to offer a touch of heaven to everyone that visits our center.

Kay Snelling,
Owner, Gecko Fashions

One of the definitions of hope
is something that gives promise for the future.

Do you know about Project Have Hope? This jewelry line was started by Karen Sparacio in 2006, while she was volunteering in Uganda. She became enthralled with the colorful beads and the stories of the women who made them and began bringing the beads back to the United States. She believed that if the women had more funding for education, they could better support themselves. The beads are made out of shredded magazines and calendars and then varnished for added sheen.  Initially, the jewelry was the basic earth tone colors. Over the years, the pieces began to get more colorful, and the styles of necklaces, bracelets and anklets became more elaborate. They put seed beads with the paper beads, adding a silver tag engraved “have hope”. They also recycled coins no longer in circulation into the jewelry by making necklaces, bracelets and anklets.

Another phase of the project included the women of Uganda going to tailoring school and creating belts, knapsacks and other articles of clothing. As sales of the women’s beads increased, they were given loans which allowed them to repair their homes.

Others were also given loans to start businesses like raising chickens or pigs.
A dream without a plan is just a wish. It went from a dream to a belief and was achieved, all because of Karen’s vision.

With hope, everything is possible.

Kay Snelling opened Gecko Fashions, a dress & jewelry boutique on Main Street in Newark, in May of 2006. With Kay’s business-savvy expertise and friendly personality, she has created a name for Gecko in downtown Newark and enjoys working with all of her customers.

Testimonial:
“When it comes to shopping for a new outfit for a special occasion or just for some retail therapy, I now skip the mall and instead take a trip over to Gecko Fashions. Not only is Gecko in a perfect location within walking distance of my apartment, but I always leave satisfied and completely obsessed with my purchases. Instead of spending hours aimlessly walking around the mall frustrated with my lack of success, Kay and the other employees are always there to give me their expert advice and find just what I’m looking for. Gecko’s clothes are not only fashionable, but I can trust that they are good quality as well as within my price range.  Its warm, welcoming environment paired with the most up-to-date fashions makes Gecko my go-to one-stop shop!”     ~ Cassie K.