PORA offers safety for exploited women

By Heather Gach - General Assignment Reporter

PORA, Positive Options, Referrals and Alternatives Inc., 930 S. 11th St. , offers a safe living environment for sexually exploited women. The women can receive treatment for drug or alcohol addictions, and any mental, physical or emotional health issues are addressed.

Residential manager and case manager Tara Sanders works with women before and as they are entering the house to make sure PORA is a suitable match for them.

“We work to get them all the help they need because when they come here, they don't have anything,” Sanders said, saying some only have the clothes on their backs, if that. “Getting what they need can be hard.”

Most women when they first arrive need health insurance, medical treatment, addiction treatment and clothes. Women cannot enter PORA from right off the streets while actively using drugs. The facility requires a 30-day drug treatment program prior, because a woman who is still using in the house could jeopardize the other women's progress toward staying clean.

When they finally arrive, Sanders goes over the home's policies and procedures. She then starts working to get them health care and insurance, and get them mental health care if needed. Their stuff is searched when they arrive. Many will go to outpatient treatment during their first four to six months at the home.

After about six months, they can start to gradually work their way up to being able to work someday by beginning to volunteer, possibly work part-time or go to school. If they work, half of their income goes to PORA, who saves it for them for when they graduate so they have a financial start.

The house has six beds, and the women have a kitchen, living area and bathroom. They do all their own cleaning and cooking. A phone is available downstairs in the office area. The house is staffed around the clock everyday, including holidays. The residential staff consists of 15 part-time workers and one full-time worker. Staff are available to offer support and interaction.

After-care case manager Jan Hamilton said things can get interesting in the house at times because each woman who comes in has a different personality and a different set of issues she is dealing with. She added though, that many of the women bond through the experience.

“I've told them, ‘Your worst day at PORA could never be as bad as your best day on the streets,'” Hamilton said.

On average, women reside at PORA for about nine months to as long as two years. Some are ordered to be there by the courts, but some have come on their own.

When women graduate, PORA helps them find a place to live and work. As after-care case manager, Hamilton continues contact with the women through home visits after they graduate and offers supportive services.

“We feel their success rate is directly involved with how much contact we have with them after they leave,” Hamilton said.

After-care contact generally occurs for about two years, but can go as long as five years. When the women are gainfully employed and have completed rehabilitation programs, follow up contact can become less intensive.

PORA takes women from throughout central Illinois, St. Louis and Chicago, and has even had some out-of-state women because it is unique in that unlike a treatment center that addresses a specific issue, like addiction, PORA looks at it all – the addictions, the client's childhood and any mental, physical and emotional problems the client faces.

“All our women come from street prostitution. It is not a ‘glamorous' call girl situation,” Hamilton said. “Their lives have been hard.”

Most have had childhood abuse, whether it was sexual, physical or emotional. Most who come are middle-age women in their late 30s to early 40s who have been involved in drugs and prostitution for so long that they are sick of it and ready to work their way out. Many have had children but have either lost them to the system or they are being raised by relatives.

One woman in her early 40s has been a resident for seven months and is recovering from drug and alcohol addictions and prostitution. On the streets for about 13 years before entering PORA, she said she didn't want to be homeless and cold anymore.

“The biggest challenge has been learning to deal with my thoughts and emotions without drugs and alcohol and learning to be responsible,” she said, adding that sobriety is her main focus.

Since at PORA, she has started going back to school, and hopes to possibly do something in counseling.

“If I can survive what I've been through, maybe I can help someone else,” she said. “If I don't do something in counseling, I just want to be able to support myself and have a better relationship with my family.”

She said PORA is working for her because it gives her treatment for her addictions as well as counseling. The after care element, she said, will also give her the support she will need to make it when she graduates.

“As long as I stay in Springfield , which I don't really plan on leaving, I have a support system here,” she said. “If I use the tools I've learned, I don't see anything that could derail me.”

Yulanda Bailey has been on staff at PORA for a little more than a year now. Prior, she spent six months in PORA as a resident.

“When I first came through the doors, I said I was staying seven days no matter what,” Bailey said. “But when I got here, I saw an opportunity to get clean and get home and get a different life than the life I knew. I found safety being here.”

Bailey said her biggest challenges were trusting people and giving up the medications she was addicted to. Knowing the challenges she said helps her now being on staff.

“When I was here, there were no staff who were users. A lot of the time, it seemed like they expected something from us and we were going through a lot of grief,” she said. “I understand how it (addictions) plays into your life. I know how far drugs will take you.”

Being away from her children was also difficult. Bailey has two sons, now 18 and 16 years old. She said leaving them for the six months she was a resident created a “big feeling of misery.” She said during her addiction, her younger son took on the “father role” and would sleep by her bedroom door to hear if she got up for any reason.

Before graduating, Bailey said she told the staff that if they helped her find a place to live in Springfield , she would be back as PORA. She now works four or five days a week, and also goes to the city's juvenile center to talk to girls there about the dangers of this lifestyle. She also plans on beginning to take classes at Lincoln Land Community College in the spring.

“PORA is an opportunity for women to start over,” Bailey said. “I couldn't believe my life could change and it has.”

Sanders said PORA has not had any significant concerns brought to them by neighbors. Hamilton said the home also has a good working relationship with area law enforcement.

Springfield Chief of Police Don Kliment said the PORA gives women a chance to turn their lives around, and the police have worked well with PORA's staff and the women.

“I think it is a productive program,” Kliment said. “Any time they can take someone out of that environment it is very productive.”

PORA also offers a food bank and holds Alcoholic Anonymous meetings. Condoms are available for anyone to come in and take. Also, a “ John School ” is being developed. Executive Director Bernie Carver hopes to have a proposal drafted by the end of this year.

“The idea is to educate people arrested for soliciting and help them learn from their mistake,” Carver said.

Though details are still being worked out, Carver said the program is expected to consist of several components. It will educate men on what will happen to them regarding the police and law enforcement officials. Public health officials will speak on the risks of engaging in this activity. A representative of the community will speak and express their anger in this type of activity going on. Someone will address behavioral aspects, such as sexual addiction and promoting healthy relationships.

What he feels may be the most powerful part, Carver said, will be when the women themselves speak. They will tell how they felt as a prostitute and tell their stories.

PORA formed in Springfield in 1992, was incorporated by the state of Illinois in 1993 and opened the residential facility in 1997.

PORA is funded through different state grants and private funding. The religious community also provides grants.

'Oedipus the King' fated to debut at UIS

By Janee Mitchell - Feature Writer

“Oedipus the King” is not an easy production to present. The play is very dramatic and it discusses people trying to elude fate and destiny only to be unable to escape it. A play such as “Oedipus the King,” the tale of a haunting fate, murder and an incestuous relationship, must be presented in such a way that the audience experiences the drama portrayed on the stage.

Many productions have not strayed far from the traditional setting of the play, but there have been some additions to the characters, such as different types of masks and wardrobes than expected.

The UIS Theatre Department will present their staging of “Oedipus the King” this Friday through Sunday and Nov. 11-13. UIS' production, like the many others will keep with the traditional setting. “W e always strive to serve the play, as written. We never add anything to the plot of a play.  We do try to make our productions/interpretations of plays respond to the world we're currently living in,” said Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson, assistant professor and director of theater.

Thibodeaux-Thompson said, “ For UIS Theatre, this production marks a significant leap into another time period of world dramatic literature. While we are mostly known for producing relevant contemporary theater, I still want us to also maintain a healthy rotation of doing the classics.”

Thibodeaux-Thompson also said the UIS production of “Oedipus the King” will use the universal themes of the play that he said would remind the audience that as a country, the present actions will determine the future.

Thibodeaux-Thompson said when he chose his cast he was looking for risk-takers. In his search, he cast Joshua Alan Doetsch as Oedipus, Myaa Fallon as Jocasta, Roger Boyd as Creon, Michael Romano as Teiresias and a host of other members of the UIS community to portray messengers, priests, attendants and the chorus.

Thibodeaux-Thompson said, “the issues of loyalty, leading with the use of fear and mass devastation are issues in the play which speak very loudly to today's world, ‘I'm afraid.'” He said he'd been searching for the clearest and most accessible version of the play and read several translations of the play.

“Oedipus the King” debuts at 8 p.m. this Friday in the Studio Theater on the lower level of the PAC. Tickets are $10 general admission, $6 for faculty/staff and $4 for students with a valid i-card. Purchase tickets at the UIS Ticket Office between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, over the phone at 206-6160 or online at www.uis.edu/theatre . Tickets may also be purchased the night of the performance starting 90 minutes prior to curtain time.

Lecture examines Lincoln and economics

By Janee Mitchell - Feature Writer

The Center for State Policy and Leadership, along with Naomi B. Lynn distinguished chair of Lincoln studies Dr. Phillip Shaw Paludan, presented the 2005 Lincoln Legacy Series, Lincoln and Economic Opportunity on during the month of October. The center invited distinguished scholars specializing in Lincoln to speak during the series.

“The UIS Lincoln Legacy Lecture Series, inaugurated in 2002 with the dedication of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library, brings scholars and policy specialists of national renown to Springfield to present a lecture on a contemporary public policy issue,” according to a statement from the center.

The Lincoln Lecture Series continued with its final lecture on Oct. 26. Dr. Gabor S. Boritt discussed Lincoln and economics in relation to his book, “Lincoln and the Right to Rise.”

Boritt is the founder and the director of the Civil War Institute, co-founder and chairman of the board of trustees of the Lincoln Prize and Robert C. Fluhrer professor of Civil War studies in Gettysburg College among other distinguished titles. He has also been said to have some cameos in the movies “ Gettysburg ” and “Gods and Generals,” because of his expertise as a historical adviser.

Paludan said Boritt “has played a significant role in advancing Lincoln Scholarship throughout the world and hopefully introducing more Lincoln-like thinking.” Paludan himself has received many honors and is considered to be one of the nation's foremost authorities on Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War, according to the Center for State Policy and Leadership.

Boritt discussed Lincoln 's belief that “hurting blacks would hurt whites,” and Lincoln 's defense of the African American soldiers. Boritt then discussed how the issues of evangelical religion and women's rights could come up. He said “economics was important to Lincoln …and his message was and remains important.”

Boritt said the spirit of capitalism was in Lincoln and he examined this idea through discussing Lincoln 's general in the war and how Lincoln would fire the generals and take on another one. When a battle was lost, Lincoln would fire the generals. Boritt concluded his presentation with a recording of Lincoln 's Gettysburg Address.

Paludan asked Boritt what would Lincoln say in regard to the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections where someone said Lincoln would have voted republican. Boritt responded with wisdom saying, “I'm going to disappoint you - I'm not going to answer that, I keep my politics to myself and am registered to one of the political parties…What would Lincoln do today? I don't know what Lincoln would do today.”

Boritt was also faced with the difficult task of deciding how Lincoln would respond to striking at the warehouse. Boritt said, “ Lincoln said positive words about strikers… anything Lincoln would do about economics would be focused on winning the war, I don't know if he would have said anything about the military interfering with striking.” The lecture was concluded with various questions from the audience and a brief reception following the presentation.

SGA discusses Fair Trade coffee; ICCB funds

By Laura Camper - General Assignment Reporter

At the Oct. 31 meeting of the Student Government Association, it was brought to the attention of the SGA members by Senator Evan Wilson that food service administrator, Alan Barnhart, was unwilling to discuss student concerns about switching to fair trade coffee, coffee that is guaranteed to have paid a fair price to the farmer who grew it, on campus.

Wilson said Barnhart told her changing coffee distributors would be a major problem because the equipment for preparing the coffee was leased through the distributor. Wilson said she felt Barnhart was “not interested in working with the students.”

“He couldn't come to this meeting because of vacation, but he refused to attend any meetings,” she said.

Vera Leopold, member of Student Alliance for a Greener Earth, said the group had found three potential suppliers of fair trade coffee, one that has already sent Barnhart a price list. She asked the SGA to make a resolution backing the SAGE effort to bring fair trade coffee to UIS.

President Samantha Drews said she would like to see a compromise perhaps offering both fair trade and regular coffee so that the students would have a choice. Drews said she would talk to Barnhart this week to see if the supplier would allow a percentage of the coffee to be fair trade if a separate piece of equipment was purchased to process it. “If there is enough student involvement the issue will be addressed,” she said. After all the coffee shop is at UIS because the students asked for it.

Drews also said she was considering forming a committee to address environmental issues as well as a committee to deal with diversity on campus.

Nikki Overcash, representative of the Inter-Club Council Board (ICCB), presented the allocations to student organizations for the semester. She said the number of student groups has increased, but the funding has not, so it has become necessary for the ICCB to cut back on some requests for funds. “We haven't turned anyone away,” she said, “just asked them to take a smaller amount.”

Cynthia Thompson, director of Student Life, said that the increase in student fees that was approved by the SGA includes an increased allocation for ICCB.

Sergeant-at-Arms, Brace Clement asked if the campus clubs could raise their own funds. “We do really advocate for the clubs to raise funds,” said Overcash, but limitations have been placed on them as far as the types of fundraisers they can do. “They can do bake sales but they are not big money raisers,” she said.

The discussion was tabled until a committee could be formed to deal with the issue.

Treasurer John Morris presented the SGA expenses for fiscal year 2006. The former SGA president had allocated $1500 for promotional items from fiscal year 2005 for the 2006 fiscal year, $1450 of which has been spent.

Future SGA meetings were scheduled for Nov. 13, Nov. 27 and Dec. 11 all at 7:00 p.m. in PAC room G. For the spring semester meetings were tentatively scheduled for Jan. 22, Feb. 5, Feb. 19, March 5, March 19 and April 2 also at 7:00 p.m. in PAC room G.

Attending the meeting were SGA members Drews, Vice President Bob Skorczewski, Secretary Sarah Doyle, Morris, Clement, Senators Wilson, Dan Johnson, Dohnzella Alford, LaTrice Nettles, Matt Riedle, Eric Cromer and Adam Beaty. Also attending were Jim Korte, assistant dean of students, and Ed Wojicki, associate chancellor for constituent relations.

PORA offers safety for exploited women

'Oedipus the King' fated to debut at UIS

Lecture examines Lincoln and economics

SGA discusses Fair Trade coffee; ICCB funds