Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / March 14, 1983, edition 1 / Page 3
Part of Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Monday, March 14, 1983The Daily Tar Heel3 Women's Center faces brighter future v r f- By KEITH TAYLOR Staff Writer ; Things are looking better for the Orange County Women's Center. After nearly a year of organizational disarray and financial trouble the center's checking account was down to $16 at one point last summer the center now has more than $40,000 in the bank and has hired a full-time director, something the center has done without since last March. The new director is Toni A. Zirker, a native of Texas who has been actively involved in working with women for the past 10 years. Zirker was selected for the job by the Women's Center board of trustees from a pool of more than 100 applicants. After completing studies and work in Texas, Zirker moved with her husband to Chapel Hill and joined the House Staff Women's Organization and established a support group, for doctors' wives. She was spending her time working, getting to know Chapel Hill and trying to decide what she wanted to do here. . One day last fall, Zirker said, she saw an adver tisement announcing that the Women's Center was looking for a new director and said to herself, "That's it; that's exactly what I want to do. That's me. She began working at the center part-time in December 1982 and started full-time on Jan. 1. Zirker said she found herself running an organization surrounded with confusion. "People had all kinds of funny ideas about who we are and what we do," she said. But the reason the public's perception of the Women's Center was .. confused was because the center itself was out of focus, she said. Part of that problem was money. The Orange County Women's Center was established with a donation of $30,000 in 1979 as a non-profit, non political organization to provide educational and support services for women. However, contribu tions did not keep up with operating expenses. The money began to run out last year. The turning point was when an anonymous local donor offered the Women's Center a $20,000 challenge grant, provided that the center raised another $20,000 by Dec. 1, 1982. The center got busy, asking businesses and in dividuals for contributions. The center was getting "tons" of checks every day, Zirker said. But when : the deadline arrived, she said, the center was "almost but not quite there." Zirker said it was somehow communicated to the donor that the fundraising was very close to its goal, and the center was given an extension to Jan. 31. By that time the center exceeded the goal, resulting in the present fund of more than $40,000. Zirker said she still did not know who presented the challenge grant. Even members of the center's board of trustees did not know who donated the $20,000. -k Zirker said she saw the number of donations and the "overwhelming" response of the public as evidence that the Women's Center provided necessary services. The center's services include educational and support groups, as well as informa tion and referral services. The difference between support gfeups and educational programs is in their emphasis, Zirker said. The main focus of support groupsfs on emo- tiorial support; educational programs are, primarily ert information resource. J ' i&irpport groups scheduled for this spring include groups for new mothers, separated and divorced women, women over 40, widows, women out of work and homemakers. Some, of the planned educational programs include workshops on careers, effective parenting, legal issues for women and depression. These groups are led by profes sionals with background in the subject matter. "They're not just rap sessions," Zirker said. The programs vary in length depending on their subject matter. There is a $3 fee per session for sup port groups and $5 per session for the educational programs. However, Zirker said, money is not an obstacle if a woman cannot pay. "No woman is ever turned away from our pro grams because she can't afford the fee," Zirker said. Nevertheless, she said, there is hardly ever a case when a woman takes advantage of that flex ibility. Even those with little income seem to want to support the center if they can, Zirker said. Zirker said the center gets requests for help from women of all races, ages and income levels.-In 1982, 53 percent of the center's requests were related to issues of separation and divorce, which Zirker said demonstrated "an incredible need." Another 3 1 percent of the requests were regarding job and career concerns; 21 percent were for legal concerns; and the rest varied among child care, money, housing, alcohol and other problems. For now, Zirker is spending most of her time try ing to improve the quality of the center's programs and to clear up some of the public's confusion regarding the center. Part of that confusion is simply due to the name of the building. The Orange County Women's Center is only one of three agencies housed in a building at 406 W. Rosemary St.; the others are the Rape Crisis Center and the Women's Health Coun- V Sis f : ' i i i. . Toni Zirker (right), executive director off the Women's Center ... center's services include educational and support groups for women DTHJamle Francis seling Service. Although separate agencies, the three were housed together for convenience; one agency often has to refer women to one of the other two. However, the building itself is also known as The Women's Center. Zirker said a name change for the building is in the works. Another common misconception is that the i . t1 1. i mhj Sar Uwl We do it daily center itself provides counseling. Instead, Zirker said, the center serves as an information and referral link. - Will the Women's Center be able to keep its own money problems under control now? ; "I feel really confident that the Women's Center will do nothing but continue to get stronger from here on out," Zirker said. ' I I V V 1EIIIII mJ II II B H B. ro j Present tbio Conpop VJhon Ordering 1 R . 5'- 'i:!?VHii:4l3Mirjji jsr;tjt - R rdm mmmmi ciUkpsikiiu O-OSG) u.rv, iitmrrrrmAHiuiMtintnTrn?; JIK .i?aTrr iTTuWi Lv ccro .1 Bourn Jewelry Craftsmen -a must for Saturday shopping . in Chapel Hill - 14k wedding- rings, pendantss earrings, necklaces, and much, much more BAUM JEWELRY CRAFTSMEN 106 W. Frtnklin Chapel Hill 929-0286 9:30-5:30 rMUij 4H ill" - r - HII If you've ever sailed, or want to learn, see the film "HEAVY WEATHER SLALOM" c SAILING Membership Drive Showings at 4:30 and 7:00 TuesdayMarch 15 Carolina Union Italian Restaurant announces it's All Day Tuesday Special! ALL THZ SPAGHETTI YOU CAM EAT! 9 with our delicious meat sauce, - " i I f I i oaKea oreaa ana saiaa kis La ' 'beverage not included 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. near Harris Teeter in 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon.-Thurs. new section of Kroger Plaza 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat. -929-9693 . 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Sun. GET READY FOR SPRING FASHION! j $2000 OFF j Complete Pair of I Prescription Glasses I J or Sunglasses . J 'L Ends 33183 J We would be glad to arrange an eye exam r i i i Everyday Low Price on Soft Contact Lenses I " J 1 t-J I . uoesn i inciuae eye exam j Kroger Plaza 968-4776 r It4! fa An Exclusive Residence" One of the largest 2 bedroom apartments in the area FEATURING: Two bedrooms Two full baths 1155 square feet Large patio or balcony Allow up to 4 occupants Swimming pool (open year around) Health Club facilities Universal weight gym Saunas Lighted tennis courts Lighted basketball courts Now Accepting May-August Applications 929-0389 v HIGHWAY 15-501 TURN AT LIGHT AT HOTEL EUROPA Permanent Centers open Complete TESTTAP Voluminous home-study days, eveninss and facilities for review of , materials constantlv weekends. class lessons and supplt- , updated by researchers Low hourly cost Dedicated mentary materials. expert in their field, full-time staff. ' Opportunity to transfer to Classes taught by skilled Opportunity to make up and continue study at any instructors. . missed lessons. . of our over 105 centers. u .- s ; .- ; .!.. .- ,(..(: '.m . i coucatimmX cihtim Call Days, Eves ft Weekends Omimi T ttrMl uu nu m il0t-22S-1 7U TESTPREnUUnON SPECUMJSTS SMCE 3S 919-489-8720 489-2348 2634 Chapel Hill Blvd. . . Suite 112 Durham, NC 27707 All Hay MARCH 17.. .Shamrocks Against Dystrophy To benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association Enjoy your Favorite Green beverage, corned beef and Irish potatoes plus oar regular menu fare EBITIOEI S AIEJ iNltl V7I plus 1.00 of each T-Shlrt will be donated to M.D.A. Register to Win WEEKEND ACCOMMODATIONS in MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. at the luxurious Sand Dunes Hotel Drawing at Midnight! ;io), HI .in'" y Nothing goes better with agreat roundball game than a great roundball meal from PTA! And we'll do the travelling! ' PTA EXTENDS THE WEEKEND rr FNn TUP FARI Y-WFFK BIJUPS D-12 END THE EARLY-WEEK BLUES Every MONDAY or TUESDAY order a large pizza wrtfi twoor-more of your favorite toppings and weU deliver another large pizza with the same number of toppings ABSOLUTELY FBEB : ' Offer good through March 29 .1983 with tfw coupon. One disoourt per pizza I I i jk X 1 K Jr yv 711 1 ANYWREX OUR SEPVKE ZONE
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
March 14, 1983, edition 1
3
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75