Oct. 26-31, 2014
Women’s Intercultural Center
3 –DIMENSIONAL WOMENS CONFERENCE Featured speaker Dr. I.J. Agunanne
“I am a Favored Woman”
How Can We End Bullying?
Making Giving A Part of Your Routine How WInC Helps Food Stamp Recipients Become Economically Self-Sufficient Your Brain on Exercise 1
A Surprised Shower Zumba Halloween Party
Letter From the E.D. At the Women’s Intercultural Center (WInC) we are big on educating our participants and volunteers on the importance of voting and holding their elected representatives accountable. We also explain to them the role and the limitations that the government has. Government can provide for surface-level needs; however, it can rarely reach deep into the complex human dilemmas that must be addressed for lasting change and true quality of life, whether in individuals or entire communities. Given the vastness of the needs of our nation and in our respective communities, it is hard not to yearn for vast-scale solutions provided by government. However, such solutions only touch symptoms. That’s why government-run programs may succeed in helping individuals to survive, but rarely enable people to truly thrive. This is the reason why organizations such as WInC are the “backbone” of the individuals it serves. Individuals that find themselves in extreme and dire circumstances can only be helped so much by government without them needing organizations like the Center to step in to help carry them to the next level.
When Queta came to WInC she was going through a depression, mainly caused by the abuse she was suffering at the hands of her husband. In taking classes at the Center she found her voice and in socializing with her peers she was able to process the problems she was facing at home. Through her participation in our Mental Health Promotora training her potential was unleashed as was her self-worth and selfcompassion. It was at this stage that she was able to find the strength to leave her abusive husband who while married to her had fathered another child with another woman. She left Anthony and moved to Houston to start a new life. We had the pleasure of seeing Queta recently when she came to take care of some issues in regards to her family in Mexico. The first thing she did was call us to let us know how she was doing. I and Liz, another Center participant, met Queta for lunch. The minute Queta saw us she smiled and happily embraced us. We talked about the hardships she suffered and she said, “I’ve gone through a lot but thanks to everything I learned at the Center and the people there I was able to overcome them.”
goodbye, the one thing that stood out for Liz and me was Queta’s beautiful smile and her positive outlook on life. In order for us to continue being “a back bone” for members of our community we also need your support. We understand the economic distress we all are under which is the reason why WInC has explored different venues that are simple every day tasks that don’t cost you a thing that YOU can do to help fund our work. From donating clothing, gentle used items, empty cartridges and toners, used laptops, tables, cell phones and ipods to shopping online or doing a search through Goodsearch.com. These and many more simple tasks are available to help fund our operations. A listing of the many Simple Ways YOU can help support our work can be accessed at http:// www.womensinterculturalcenter.o rg/donate. WInC is the place “Where It Starts”...be part of our solution in transforming the lives of those that walk through our doors. Sincerely,
“Because of the help you offered me, I was able to attain a job. As soon as I finish my business here I’ll be returning to Houston.” she said. We talked more about her life and what she was up to. As we embraced each other to say
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WOMEN
A place where learn and work together to develop their SOCIAL, SPIRITUAL, ECONOMIC, and POLITICAL POTENTIAL.
How Can We End Bullying? At WInC we have heard many firsthand accounts of bullying. We are appalled at how common cruelty has become.
basing rules on values of kindness and compassion, and in enforcing these agreements.
Yet, we are hopeful. We believe change can be created with parents and those who work with youth. We agree with Signe Whtison that complicated policies or grandiose programs won’t make the difference needed. We need consistent, daily, nurturing acts of reaching out to the children to bring about meaningful and lasting change.
5. Build social and emotional skills At WInC we’ve created a place of overall positive culture. We champion acceptance, honor diversity, foster cooperation, establish connections, and facilitate open The following are key steps taken from communication among staff, volunteers and Whitson’s book 8 Keys to End participants. Bullying: According to Whitson, bullying prevention programs that focus on building social and emotional competencies in all kids achieve better results than interventions aimed only 2. Establish connections with kids at kids who bully. Whitson states, “Social Emotional Learning (SEL) A child perceives when adults are invested in his/her well-being and are programs have been shown to create more positive peer relationships, build interested in his/her experiences. When a connection is established with higher levels of caring and empathy, increase social engagement, and a child, he/she is more willing to talk reduce problem behaviors. What’s about what is going on in his/her life more, on average students who and open to feedback. receive SEL programming academically outperform their peers 3. Stop bullying when you see it and graduate at higher rates.” When you see bullying, be ready to intervene. How do you intervene? 6. Turn bystanders Into buddies Whitson suggests you do it with brief According to research, peers are statements that don’t humiliate or alienate anyone. Instead, let everyone present during nine out of every 10 incidents of bullying and less than 20 know you are paying attention, and percent intervene on behalf of victims. send a strong signal that bullying is But when they do step in, the bullying not tolerated. stops within 10 seconds. Therefore, as primary stakeholders, we must 4. Deal directly with cyberbullying In this area, parents play a key role in encourage kids to intervene. 1. Know bullying when you see it Bullying is intentionally aggressive behavior repeated over time involving an imbalance of power.
teaching kids commonsense standards for the use of technology,
7. Reach out to kids who bully 3
According to research, bullying behavior is predictive of troubling mental health and behavioral outcomes, like substance abuse, depression, and criminal behavior. Whitson suggests we teach kids appropriate social skills and ways of managing conflicts. Punishment alone does nothing to prevent future bullying and can, in fact, aggravates a bad situation. 8. Keep the conversation going Open up an ongoing dialogue with kids about social conflicts, friendships, and navigating difficulties they may face. WInC does this for young girls 13 to 19 years old through our Feminine Fuerza Camp which is provided during the summer. Let’s keep the conversation going to deter bullying in the future and keep our children safe. To learn about classes offered for children at WInC call 575-882-5556 or visit us at www.womensinterculturalcenter.org.
If you could donate a percentage of every online purchase you make to WInC, would you do it? Womensinterculturalcenter.we-care.com lets you do that, with more than 2500 online merchants. Just visit our Online Mall, use a coupon or a link to a merchant's site, and shop on their site as you normally would — a percentage will automatically be donated to our cause. Better yet, install the We-Care Reminder for Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Google Chrome. With the Reminder, your donations will count (even if you forget to visit the Online Mall). | Learn more about the Reminder at http:// womensinterculturalcenter.we-care.com/Downloads.
The site works with everything. Well, nearly everything. The merchants include retail, travel, financial services, and quite a bit more. Book your flight and hotel. Rent a car. Shop for books. Apply for a mortgage. Buy furniture and household items. Send gifts. Search for apartments. Pick out a cell phone plan. Order web hosting and office supplies. Subscribe to magazines, newspapers, DVD services, and even satellite TV. You get the idea?
It is a market place. We-Care.com helps the Women’s Intercultural Center reach out to you, asking you one small favor: Add an extra click to your normal shopping and support our cause. We ask you to “Shop
with Purpose™.” Participation costs nothing and there's no extra charge to you. Plus you can take advantage of the merchants special deals that save you money.
You, your family and your friends can shop for us. So make it a habit every time you shop online. Install the plug-in. Be a part of our We-Care.com Community, because together we make a difference.
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WOMEN
A place where learn and work together to develop their SOCIAL, SPIRITUAL, ECONOMIC, and POLITICAL POTENTIAL.
3 Dimensional Women Conference: “I am a Favored Woman” Veronica Townsend and Pastor Dawn Calanche in their presentations on Activating Favor connected with everyone in attendance.
Six women from the Women’s Intercultural Center were invited to attend the 2nd annual 3Dimensional Women Conference sponsored by Jesus Club International.
Fabiola, one of our participants activated favor in adding her own creative touch to the Conferences declaration and presenting each individual present with a personal copy.
Featured speakers included Dr. IJ Agunanne from the Kingdom Life Dr. I.J. Agunanne founder of the Jesus Club Style Church, International Pastor Dawn Calanche from His Dwelling Place, Evang. Christy Ohuabunwwa from TRM, Pastor Veronica Townsend from Emergency Outreach Ministry, and Sister Olufemi Adeniji from Deeper Life Bible Church. Fabiola’s personal design of the Conference’s declaration.
The three day conference held at the Hampton Inn in El Paso focused on becoming a Favored Woman of God. Dr. Agunanne was so overjoyed that she also gifted Fabiola with her book and promptly instructed conference assistants in distributing the cards to those present.
Day 1: Positioning Yourself For Favor The participants from the Center really enjoyed and learned quite a bit from Evang. Christy Ohuabunwwa’s presentation on Positioning Yourself For Favor. This enlightening and fun presentation had an abundance of information that could be applied to everything we do in our personal and professional careers.
Day 3: Miracle Night of Favor Dr. Aguanne was the key presenter on the Night of Favor. Her presentation was enlightening and entertaining.
On the first day three WInC participants (Claudia, Veronica and Magali) made themselves stand out from the crowd for their braveness to come up to the podium in positioning themselves for favor. Action that endeared Dr. Agunanne so much that she gifted each of them with her book Marriage is Meant to be Enjoyed and not Endured.
“The conference was very uplifting” said Claudia, WInC participant. Aside from the speakers, Lisa’s musical performance enhanced the conference as well as the mime performance of a local youth group.
Day 2: Activating Favor The passion and enthusiasm displayed by Pastor
Special thanks to Dr. Agunanne for the invitation and for touching the lives of our six participants. Thank you! 5
How Does WInC Help Food Stamp Recipients Become Economically Self-Sufficient?
Non-profit groups in New Mexico are suing to stop Gov. Susana Martinez from reinstating work requirements for food stamps recipients.
The Women’s Intercultural Center (WInC) believes that government can provide for surface-level needs; however, it can rarely reach deep into the complex human dilemmas that must be addressed for lasting change and true quality of life, whether in individuals or entire communities. Given the vastness of the needs of our nation, it is hard not to yearn for vast-scale solutions provided by government. However, such solutions only touch symptoms. That’s why government-run programs may succeed in helping individuals to survive, but rarely enable people to truly thrive.
The Women’s Intercultural Center (WInC) works very closely with New Mexico Works in providing educational opportunities and on the job training for their clients assigned to our site. Additionally, through our network we provide job opportunities for their clients and our participants. Sometimes they are able to attain the job solely based on our referral. We work with them in an attempt to make them self-reliant. When the recession hit our participants asked us to create an Emergency Food Bank to make food accessible to residents of Southern New Mexico and West Texas. They specifically wanted us to assist those
that were in dire need of food but did not qualify for food stamps. However, New Mexico Works clients are referred to the Center’s Emergency Food Pantry when their Food Stamps are delayed and they have no access to food. We are “a backbone” of the people we serve thanks to the generosity of our donors and supporters. That’s something government just can’t provide. To find out how you can support our work visit us at http:// www.womensinterculturalcenter.org/ donate.
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WOMEN
A place where learn and work together to develop their SOCIAL, SPIRITUAL, ECONOMIC, and POLITICAL POTENTIAL.
Your Brain on Exercise Regular workouts can help you get your body fit and can also help your mind. something as simple as walking at a comfortable pace may increase creativity by as much as 60 percent. 3. It keeps your brain sharp. Research published in Nature suggests that people who exercise more increase gray matter volume in their brains. Gray matter houses neurons important to memory. Other research found more gray matter in the frontal, temporal, and parietal cortexes of the brains of more physically fit people.
WInC’s Evening Zumba led by Aurora Martinez
The Women’s Intercultural Center (WInC) is well aware of the physical benefits that come along with staying active. Hence, the reason for the variety of exercise and physical activity classes provided at the Center for all age groups. The CDC recommends at least two and a half hours of moderate cardio and two days of muscle strengthening every week for a healthier heart to stronger muscles. However the perks of exercise extend far beyond the body for there is a long list of mental benefits of breaking a sweat.
"The frontal areas of the brain have a lot to do with what people call higher-level cognition," psychologist Arthur F. Kramer of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign told ABC News. The frontal lobe is where we make decisions, problem-solve, control behavior, and regulate emotion. The temporal is responsible for memory, emotions, hearing, learning and languages, and the parietal is for processing sensory information and where letters come together to make words and our words form thoughts. 4. It offers a self-esteem boost. Working out on a regular basis changes your physical appearance and affects the way you see yourself. According to a Gallop poll conducted earlier in the year, seventy percent of those who exercise every day feel good about their physical appearance, while only 50 percent of those who exercise one day a week report the same. Exercising regularly can seriously increase your confidence.
What are the mental benefits of exercise? 1. It deters stress-induced depression. Research from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden found that those with well-exercised muscles are better at ridding their body of the stress that can later lead to depression. They discovered that well-trained muscles produce an enzyme that purges the body of harmful substances. So in this context the muscle’s function is reminiscent of that of the kidney or the liver,” Jorge Ruas, principal investigator at the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at the Karolinska Institutet, told a university publication.
“I have a big confidence boost because in coming to the Center’s Zumba class I’ve toned up and lost 16 lbs.,” says Marisol, evening Zumba class participant. To find out what fitness or physical activity classes are available at WInC, please call us at 575-882-5556 or visit our website at http://www.womensinterculturalcenter.org/ events.
2. It gets your creative juices flowing. Stanford University researchers found that even doing 7
Flor helps Yessica unwrap the presents she received from her peers from her English class for her surprise baby shower.
Yessica is a client from New Mexico Works that was assigned to the Women’s Intercultural Center (WInC) to take advantage of the educational opportunities we provide and attain job training skills. One of the classes Yessica was placed in to improve her employability was our Beginners English Class taught by Martha.
Because of Yessica’s limited income providing all the basic needs for her baby was definitely a top priority. And that’s where her peers, the event planners, came in: they got to work on #projectbabyboy, choosing from various styles of baby accessories, pampers and clothing.
At WInC love and kindness for others is a driving force. WInC participants showed their love and kindness once again by throwing a surprise baby shower for Yessica. They empathized with the hardships she was going under as a single mom with a limited income.
Yessica’s peers really surprised her. A surprise for which she incredibly grateful. Without their love and kindness her baby would have lacked many basic items. You can help us continue to foster love and kindness for one another by supporting our work through simple every day tasks. To find out what those tasks are please visit us at http://www.womensinterculturalcenter.org/donate.
The shower was nothing less than fabulous. Her peers brought in a variety of dishes and drinks for the celebration. The shower was tailor-made for welcoming a baby boy. 8
WOMEN
A place where learn and work together to develop their SOCIAL, SPIRITUAL, ECONOMIC, and POLITICAL POTENTIAL.
The Bridge of Southern New Mexico is looking for a President/CEO to successfully implement and continue building the collaborations to accomplish their targeted objectives. Reporting to The Bridge’s Board of Directors, the President/CEO is responsible for all aspects of the organization’s operations. Job announcement and details about the position can be reviewed at: http:// www.thebridgeofsnm.com/content/ files/Bridge_PresidentCEO_Job_Announcement.pdf.
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WInC’s evening Zumba class led by Aurora had fun while dancing and burning off calories. Aurora decided to reward her students for all the hard work and dedication they’ve given to the class, specially those that took on the additional 30 minute fitness boot camp with Omar prior to her class. Some students showed their Halloween spirit by bringing their costumes while others painted their faces. We were all particularly impressed with Claudia’s ability to do Zumba with her Teletubby costume. Everyone had lots of fun celebrating Halloween, socializing and getting their daily Zumba workout. For more information about our Zumba Classes please call us at 575-882-5556 or visit us at http:// www.womensintercult uralcenter.org/events.
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WOMEN
A place where learn and work together to develop their SOCIAL, SPIRITUAL, ECONOMIC, and POLITICAL POTENTIAL.
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A
place
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WOMEN learn and work together to de-
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At WInC we always know how to reuse every item.
Newest student of WInC’s Spanish Citizenship Class.
Special thanks to the anonymous donors that donate to our Thrift Store. Your donations help lower our nation’s carbon footprint No additional energy is required to fill the basic needs of others for a gently used product. The fuel of longhaul transport, often from the other side of the earth, has already been burned. The only fuel attached to the item is the car ride over to WInC. Your re-used item donations don’t have the weight and waste of excessive packaging new products do. The purchases from our thrift store divert reusable items from landfills. That is a respectable energy savings.
What drives the Women’s Intercultural Center (WInC) and its success is the generosity of our donors and volunteers. Without them we would be non-existent. Thank you for your generosity through the various ways that you support our work of educating, empowering & engaging women.
Your donation is also a poetic gesture: The profits from the sale of your repurposed products in our thrift store directly promotes the repurposing of lives in need. Not only do are you helping us to avoid product waste, through your contributions you are helping us to avoid the waste of another human's life. This, in turn helps our community.
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WOMEN
A place where learn and work together to develop their SOCIAL, SPIRITUAL, ECONOMIC, and POLITICAL POTENTIAL.
dates to remember
Thursdays, through December 4th: Medicare Advantage Plan Review from 10:30am to 4pm. Open enrollment is here again, Irene Sonora and her team will be available to meet and discuss your specific needs. Please bring any and all booklets you have received in the mail regarding 2015 benefit changes.
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For additional information please contact us at 575-882-5556 or the contact number listed next to the event announcement.
November Mondays: Remapping Our Home from 4-5pm. This workshop is designed for children 8 years old and up and will allow them to discover the beauty the City of Anthony offers them. They will gain leadership skills as each child will be placed in a leadership role – they will decide where the areas they wish to explore. The children will recreate a new map surrounding the Women’s Intercultural Center based on what they see.
Thanksgiving Day Potluck Celebration starting at 12pm. Come relax, go with the flow, enjoy the company of your peers as well as their favorite dishes and most importantly let’s gather together to give thanks for the many blessings we have all received.
Mondays: Stained Glass and Mosaic Workshops from 10:00am-12:00pm given by stained glass and mosaic artist Ana Luisa Arias. Discover the fun of stained glass & mosaic with workshops for beginners, intermediate or advanced students. No experience is needed. Most materials provided, but you can also bring personal items to incorporate into mosaic and stained glass project! Learn to cut glass & mosaic and explore designs elements and even create a beautiful mirror or picture frames to take home! Make a beautiful cross using bits of glass to create your own unique design! Holidays are around the corner and you can learn how to make a very special gift made with your own hands for that loved one! The first project will be Christmas ornaments and crafts!! You will learn how to do every technique used to make ornaments and we will continue with new and different ideas!! Workshop fee is $20/ workshop or $60 for all four workshops. The fee includes basic material and access to basic tools. For more info or to register call Magali Almaraz at 575-882-5556.
Friday: Brianna’s Birthday Celebration, Dance and Toy Drive from 6-12pm. Come celebrate this young lady’s birthday and help her make her wish come true by brining a toy for her to distribute to children spending Christmas at local hospitals in El Paso and Las Cruces. Help her bring a smile to the sick child. If you are unable to attend the Women’s Intercultural Center will be accepting toy donations in Brianna’s behalf. For more information contact Magali Almaraz at 575-8825556.
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Interested in teaching a class, scheduling a workshop, presentation or training at WInC? We are always searching for Volunteer Instructors to teach in their areas of expertise. For more info, contact Ilse Arrieta, Program Coordinator at 575-882-5556 or via email at iarrieta@qwestoffice.net.
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Women’s Intercultural Center WHERE IT STARTS 303 Lincoln Street / PO Box 2411 Anthony, NM 88021 575-882-5556 Fax: 1-866-285-7245 www.womensinterculturalcenter.org
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