East Walnut Hills
March 16, 2011

iSPY some yummy cupcakes

I recall studying the advent of the Salon in Mrs. Ray’s AP European History class… a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine taste and increase their knowledge of the participants through conversation. My first experience with such a gathering came during a jaunt in Paris. The affair was a paid, trip-through-time, tourist trap. Interesting, but not quite what I’d expected. In my most recent encounter however, I got my money’s worth and then some.

Karen Hollstegge, Pat Hoffman, and Debra DeCourcy

Women Helping Women, a unique provider of crisis intervention and support services for direct and indirect victims of sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking, also provides a Sunday Salon series in their event listings. The series helps to subsidize funding for their main services. They began January 30th and run through March 27th.

Each Sunday guests enjoy an afternoon at a beautiful Cincinnati (sometimes Northern KY) home as well as an interesting talk from a list of keynote speakers. Some of whom include UC President Gregory Williams, a former FBI special agent, Cincinnati Ballet CEO Victoria Morgan, Craft & Cocktail Expert Molly Wellmann among others.

Krista Tevar, owner of Sugar Cupcakery                     Julie Baughman and Michele Mischler

And on my day of attendance I was lured in with the sugary sweetness of Krista Tevar, owner of Sugar Cupcakery, an upscale organic cupcake bakery located in Old Milford. The Dinerman’s, Gretchen and Robert, hosted the event in their lovely Riverside condo, which is a mere hop, skip, and jump away from an afternoon bath in the Ohio River.

View from the living room… pretty nice

As Tevar told her story, I was captivated. Within six months of opening Sugar Cupcakery (opened Labor Day 2009) a Nick Lachey Cincinnati Bell commercial was filmed at the store. Secondly, Tevar and her sister were invited to participate in Cupcake Wars, a reality show competition on the famed Food Network. They placed second. Now their cupcakes ship around the country. Believe me, there are more details to divulge in this fascinating anecdote, but they will unfold in a separate, yet upcoming, iSPYCINCY post… sorry to leave you hanging. Just remember–all good things come in time:)

Jeanne Ruggieri and Wendy Kroner

Elisa Grammel and Michelle Buehler

Until then, I leave you with more details about the Sunday Salons: there are only two left in the series, this Sunday and next. Click HERE to find out who’s speaking. And don’t worry if you miss out on the Salons, Women Helping Women has a grand Mad Men themed party coming up on Thursday May 5th at the Elements Events and Conference Centre–Light Up The Night. You’ll want to be in attendance.

Many thanks to for their support of Women Helping Women’s Sunday Salon series. Click icon to go directly to article!

Click on article to go directly to the news source.

Thank you to  for featuring Women Helping Women’s Light Up the Night! For more info about Light Up the Night click here!

Cincinnati Wine Festival

Women Helping Women is a beneficiary of this year’s Cincinnati Wine Festival. For more information about the event or the buy tickets simply click on the logo above.

Women Helping Women is deeply appreciative of the continued support by the Cincinnati Wine Festival.

Women Helping Women
One unique fundraiser series lets you explore the town in both the architectural and topical sense. Find out where you and your buds can learn everything from cupcake wars to wine making.

Cincinnati definitely has a knack for philanthropic events, but Women Helping Women takes a different approach than the typical gala or walk for their fundraising events.

The Women Helping Women Sunday Salonsaim to brighten up wintry weekends with expert-led discussions on topics ranging from crafting cocktails to going behind the scenes of the Cincinnati Ballet.

Most of the Sunday Salon events take place at breath-taking homes around town, so while you’re learning something new about the topic at hand, you can explore Cincinnati’s architectural treasures. Water Tower Fine Wines Owners Jan and David Lazarus will welcome wine expert Katie O’Neil Schoeny and Sunday Salon guests into their home from 2 to 4 p.m. March 6. The former hunting lodge was originally built for the Gamble family in 1937.

And if wine’s not your thing, you might enjoy hearing Sugar Cupcakery Owner Krista Tevar talk about her experience on the Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars” and tasting some of her delicious organic treats from 1 to 3 p.m. March 6. The taste won’t be the only thing that amazes you, as Gretchen and Robert Dinerman play host to the event at their Riverside Drive condo with a gorgeous view.

While most of the Sunday Salon ticket prices are $65, tonight (Feb. 21) from 5:30 to 8 p.m., Roxy’s Restaurant and Lounge will host craft cocktail expert Molly Wellmann for just $25 in advance and $30 at the door. Wellmann will stir up some classic and craft cocktails for sampling as she fills you in on the history behind the drinks.

Other topics include professional writing, green gardening, creating and sustaining a major ballet company and reading auras. For a full listing of the Sunday Salons and the event details, head to WomenHelpingWomen.org/events/Sunday-Salons.

No matter which Sunday Salon you and your girlfriends attend, though, you can help support all of your girlfriends in the community by helping support the efforts behind Women Helping Women. This organization provides victims of sexual assault, domestic abuse and stalking with a 24-hour crisis line, 24-hour hospital accompaniment, one-on-one crisis intervention and law enforcement advocacy. Beyond these free services, Women Helping Women also works in the community to increase prevention and awareness about these topics.

“Hamilton County has the highest rate of rape in the state, and it’s actually higher than both the state and the national average, so sexual assault is extremely prevalent in our community,” Women Helping Women Development Director Ashley Rouster says. “And Women Helping Women is the only rape crisis program in Hamilton County.”

For more information about Women Helping Women, go toWomenHelpingWomen.org. In the case of a crisis, you can call the 24-hour crisis line at (513) 381-5610.

PHOTO CREDITS
Photographer: Neysa Ruhl
Model: Ashley Rouster
Location: BOOST…for meeting’s sake

Linda Palacios
		ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
		Linda Palacios is the editor of Cincy Chic. Send her an e-mail atlpalacios@cincychic.com.
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Cincy Chic spotlighted Women Helping Women’s Sunday Salon series in their newest Girlfriend’s edition! You can check out the article here or read below.

Thanks to for partnering with us for the Sunday Salons! For more info on the Salons, click here.

Check out the article by clicking on the logo, or read below!

Fisher finds fulfillment at Women Helping Women

When Kendall Fisher started college, her math skills and no-nonsense approach to life propelled her to major in accounting and finance. She envisioned a life of steady employment and better-than-average pay.

Then, in her first year away from home, one of the Columbus, Ohio, native’s undergraduate friends was sexually assaulted. She was outraged at the lack of support systems available to help her friend. So she helped start a campus sexual assault program. Then she trained to be a rape advocate.

At 19, she began financing her education through full-time work at the Butler County battered women’s shelter. The determined red-head with a mane of curls and an easy laugh had found her calling. She shifted her major to sociology and women’s studies.

“My dad was mortified,” Fisher says. “But I’d rather be broke and making a difference.” As executive director of Women Helping Women, Fisher, 41, continues the quest she started more than half her lifetime ago: to stand up for the underdog and make sure people are treated fairly.

“We pride ourselves on being there when people need us the most,” she says. In her time at Women Helping Women, Fisher has helped raised funds to place one full-time employee in the Personal Crimes Unit, the equivalent of the SVU, of the Cincinnati Police Department; two full-time employees within the Cincinnati Police’s Domestic Violence Investigation Unit; and one full-time worker at Legal Aid.

Fresh from a 12-plus hour day on the job, Fisher laments the 42 percent cut of city funding this year and praises the often-overlooked efforts of her staff. Women Helping Women workers are in arraignment court every morning, Monday through Saturday. As the only rape crisis program in Hamilton County, the organization ensures that advocates arrive at hospitals within 20 minutes of a call about a case. More than 60 trained volunteers log 700 hours of service a year, allowing WHW to serve more than 12,000 women each year.

With the skill of an experienced negotiator and the patience to meticulously renovate a historic home in Northside, Fisher saves her biggest praise from the women her agency serves every day. “They are the ones doing the hard emotional work,” she says. “They are their own heroes. We are their cheerleaders.”

Do Good:

• Raise your cultural IQ. Attend a Sunday Salon, a series of Sunday afternoon gatherings with topics as diverse as FBI tactics and cupcakes.

• Be an advocate. After 40 hours of training, you could be a court, hospital, hotline, education or clerical advocate. Background checks required.

• Take a quiz. Do you know someone in an abusive relationship? Point and click to learn more.

It is that time of year when City Beat gathers the votes for it’s annual Best of Cincinnati edition, and Women Helping Women is on the list of nominees for Best Local Cause. We would appreciate your support! Please take a minute to vote for us and help raise awareness for sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking.

All you have to do is click on this link here and vote for us! We are listed under Public Eye. We are up for Local Cause which is located toward the bottom of the page. It only takes a second and you can vote each day leading up to the deadline of Sunday, February 20^th.

Connect with us via Twitter and Facebook and spread the word and get your friends to vote for us too! Or click on our badge!

Thanks for your support!

Thank you to for featuring Women Helping Women’s Sunday Salons!