Help Parents Assistance Center Fundraise Quickly and Easily Through Goodsearch

During tough economic times, it’s not always easy to give. Sometimes we simply don’t have the money to give to charity. We need to make sure we can take care of our families. Goodsearch is a way for you to give without worry.

Goodsearch is a search engine like Google, Bing, or Yahoo!, but each search you make will send a small donation to Parents Assistance Center. You will not have to pay anything or sign up. This means you can help Parents Assistance Center just by doing what you normally do on the web.

To use Goodsearch, go to www.goodsearch.com and click on Choose Your Cause below the search bar at the top of the page. Enter in Parents Assistance Center. Then start searching. Every time you search through Goodsearch, a donation will go to PAC. You can also click on the toolbar button below the Goodsearch logo to download a toolbar that will let you access Goodsearch anytime.

You can even donate while you do your holiday shopping this season. Use Goodshop on the Goodsearch website to shop from your favorite stores such as Gap, Target, Staples and Macy’s.You can find up-to-date coupons and over 2,400 online retailers on Goodshop. Part of the money you spend will then go to Parents Assistance Center.

Good economy or bad, you can always make a difference. Goodsearch and Goodshop are ways for you to donate to Parents Assistance Center without worrying about your bank account. Try it this holiday season and make a difference.

Parents Assistance Center (PAC) has been serving the Oklahoma City community since 1976 with educational and therapeutic services for families that need better parenting skills.  Our mission is to prevent child abuse, neglect and other family violence by strengthening the family.  The services offered by Parents Assistance Center are not offered anywhere else in the Metro.  Parents can change the future for themselves and their children by attending group workshops and obtaining other services at PAC.

You can visit Goodsearch at http://www.goodsearch.com/
For more information on Parents Assistance Center, visit http://pacok.org/

How to Bring the Family Together for Thanksgiving

Many families come together to celebrate Thanksgiving, but while they may come together physically, they may not come together emotionally. So how can we make Thanksgiving a better experience for everyone and bring that sense of togetherness to such an important family holiday?

The answer is simple. Starting family traditions is a good way to give holidays meaning and structure. Ask your family to come up with some simple traditions on their own. That way everyone can feel he or she has contributed something important. Traditions could be as simple as building centerpieces for the table together, eating a special dessert, or singing songs together after dinner.

Another important way to bring family members together on Thanksgiving is through sharing responsibilities. We all want to feel useful sometimes. Giving your family something to work on will help them feel appreciated and feel truly engaged in family business. If you have young children, ask them to make decorations for the table. If you have older children, ask them to help with cutting vegetables or stirring. Give yourself something to do too, like preparing the turkey or setting the centerpiece.

Remember to be creative. Thanksgiving is a special time, so if you want to do more than making sure everyone works together or starting traditions, you can! Most important, have fun and enjoy the time you spend with your family.

Since 1976, the mission of Parents Assistance Center has been to strengthen families and to prevent child abuse, neglect and other family violence. The PAC teaches classes to improve parenting skills and to build compassion. Parents may also use the center as neutral drop-off area for children. The PAC also conducts parent-child observation to help parents apply the skills they have learned in class. Please check out our website at www.packok.org.

What to look for in Sexual Abuse

The National Center for Victims of Crime estimates one in four girls and one in six boys will be sexually abused before their 18^th birthday. In light of the situation at Pennsylvania State University, Parents Assistance Center wants to educate people on what to look for and how to protect our children. Parents Assistance Center is the leader in providing learning opportunities designed to strengthen families, promote sound and effective parenting, and reduce family violence.

Here is what you can do to protect yourself and your children:

Know What to Look for in Sexual Abuse

-Look for adults who are very helpful or alluring

-Look for adults who exhibit peer-like play with children – plays with children as a child would play

-Look for adults with no adult friends and would rather spend time with children

-Look for adults who play tickling games or roughhouse with children

-Look for adults who are immediately accepted into the family

-Look for adults who refuse to accept boundaries set by you or society

Watch Out for their Excuses

-They may attempt to paint circumstances as a misunderstanding:

“She was trying to put on her bathing suit and needed help.”

“He complained of being sore. I was just checking him to make sure he was ok.”

-They may try to use medical reasons as an excuse:

“He felt like he had a temperature. I was just checking him. I wasn’t doing anything wrong.”

-They may try to defer blame:

“Her parents never did like me. They are just saying these horrible things about me to keep me away from their children.”

-They use personal hygiene as an excuse:

“I was giving him a bath. I wasn't doing anything wrong.”

-They may use sex education as an excuse:

“She was just curious and asked me some questions. I was explaining the birds and the bees.”

"He asked me a question and didn't understand what I said, so I was just showing him."

Protect Your Children

-Talk to your kids

If you are uncomfortable, remember you aren’t talking about sex, you are talking about personal safety. Use other safety topics to lead into sex if you need to.

-Read to your kids

Sit down and read about safety or simply have a discussion if you don’t have a book on safety.

-Listen to your kids

Try not to dictate, preach, or demand when you speak to your kids. These are all negative ways to communicate with your children. Children need to able to tell you their feelings and thoughts.

-Teach your kids

Tell your children to trust their feelings and instincts and tell them it is ok to say no to adults and be rude to adults to protect themselves. Teach them about “good touch” and “bad touch.” Bad touch is where their bathing suit covers them.

-Watch your kids

Kids often forget about the dangers that surround them. Keep an eye on them at all times and know where and what they are doing.

Oklahoma state law requires any citizen to report suspected or witnessed child abuse.  You may do so by calling local law enforcement or the Child Abuse Hotline.  (1-800-522-3511)


Parents Assistance Center (PAC) has been serving the Oklahoma City community since 1976 with educational and therapeutic services for families that need better parenting skills.  Our mission is to prevent child abuse, neglect and other family violence by strengthening the family.  The services offered by Parents Assistance Center are not offered anywhere else in the Metro.  Parents can change the future for themselves and their children by attending group workshops and obtaining other services at PAC.

Spotlight on Phil Altes, Our Batterer's Intervention Program Director

Phil Altes is the Batterer’s Intervention Program Director at Parents Assistance Center. He manages 10 Batterer’s Intervention groups and the course work. He also measures the changes members of the program make and oversees entrances and discharges.

Phil began work at Parents Assistance as a teacher in the Compassion Workshop. He had a friend who worked at PAC and his counseling experienced allowed him to work there. As he became more involved, he became a group leader for the Batterer’s Intervention Program. Finally, he became director of the program itself.

Batterer’s Intervention groups are more than just anger management, Phil says. Domestic violence is a learned behavior, and abuse is often a way for an abuser to take control if he or she feels powerless. The program helps members understand their behavior and helps them move past making excuses and minimizing violence. Ultimately, they learn to take responsibility for their actions and gain a new belief system that helps them lead a better life.

Parents Assistance Center Appoints New Board Members

Four new members join the board at Parents Assistance Center. Craig Regens, Cherokee Ballard, Donna Legaard and Senator Constance Johnson join the board with a diverse skill set. Senator Johnson serves as the Oklahoma state senator for District 48 and has experience in areas of health and human services. Craig Regens serves as the Assistant Attorney General and acts as lead counsel in defense of civil rights, contract and tort claims. Donna Legaard serves as the Child Care Director at the Downtown YMCA Child Development Center in Oklahoma City. Cherokee is the State of Oklahoma’s Public Information Officer to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.


“We are so fortunate to have these four join our board,” says Executive Director Laura Gamble. “They bring a high level of leadership skills and integrity to our organization and are already hard at work helping us fulfill our mission.”


With a degree from Oklahoma University, Ballard has worked as an anchor/reporter for television stations such as KFOR and KOCO. In 2008 Cherokee Ballard was the Leukemia and Lymphoma woman of the year. Senator Johnson has served as State Senator since 2005 and served as the Senior Legislative Analyst for the Oklahoma State Senate Human Resources Committee from 1981 to 2005. Regens has a Bachelor of History from the University of Oklahoma, a Master of Science in European Studies from the London School of Economics and a Juris Doctor from the University of Iowa College of Law. Legaard attended the University of Northern Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and Psychology.

Parents Assistance Center Welcomes New Interns

The staff at Parents Assistance Center are proud to announce three new interns. Susan Kester and Jeanine Ridener are both graduate level students from UCO. Nathaniel Haralson is an undergraduate student from the University of Oklahoma. Kester will observe the Domestic Violence groups Wednesday evenings. Ridener will assist the Logan County manager every Wednesday in Logan County. Haralson will write promotional materials and assist with fundraising events for the PAC.

“We are thrilled to have Master’s Level interns join the PAC team for the next nine months,” Program Director Gayla Westbrook said. “We are eager to teach and learn from them as well. They both seem motivated to assist in strengthening families.”

Susan Kester is working toward a Masters degree in Family Life Education and Jeanine Ridener is working toward a Masters degree in Family Child Studies. Nathaniel Haralson will graduate in December 2011 with a Bachelors degree in public relations.

Parents Assistance Center Welcomes New Assistant Program Director

The staff at Parents Assistance Center are excited to announce Jana Paulsgrove as the new Programs Assistant Director. Jana will teach classes at the PAC and will be responsible for direct client contact. She received her Master of Social work in administration and community practice. She also has a bachelor’s degree in social work and sociology from Oklahoma University.  

 

“We are excited to have Jana as a part of the team, and look forward to what we can learn from her as well,” said Program Director Gayla Westbrook. “We are looking forward to utilizing her organizational skills.”

Jana is excited to join the PAC and to gain knowledge of how a nonprofit agency works.  She is also eager to understand the dynamics of families in the Oklahoma City metro area. Her life goal is to open a nonprofit agency providing services to children with special needs.