Stand Up

We are dedicated to educating and bringing awareness to issues that impact women and families financially. We can make a difference when we Stand Up and speak up to advocate for issues of importance to us, our family, and our community. Together our voices will be heard.

Stand Up! An Equitable Alimony Reform Documentary

It’s our pleasure to invite you to the Film Premier of STAND UP! An Equitable Alimony Reform Documentary

DATE: Saturday, January 13, 2018
TIME: 2pm to 4pm
LOCATION: Florida Atlantic University Theatre, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431
PARKING: Garage II off of Arts Ave

YOU ARE INVITED!
The Foundation for Women’s Cultural and Economic Literacy has partnered with Plumb Talk Productions to bring awareness to an issue we are passionate about: Equitable Alimony Reform.

Unless you or a loved one has been personally touched by divorce, alimony reform is not an issue that crosses your mind. We believe the devastating effects divorce has on families in Florida should be given greater exposure and awareness. If you are personally acquainted with divorce, you are aware of the contentious aftermath. What is undisputed is the need for Alimony Reform.

Together with Dr. Shelley Plumb and Jan Killilea of Women’s Empowerment Initiative, we created a documentary to give a voice and a face to the problem right here in Florida. We are thrilled that the premier screening for this complimentary event will be at Florida Atlantic University Theatre.

The documentary STAND UP! by PlumbTalk Productions takes an in depth look at Florida State alimony and the need for fair and equitable reform through the eyes of State Representative Lori Berman; retired family law Judge Robert Doyel; Marital and Family Law Attorneys Nancy K. Brodzki, Heather B. Quick, Mark Sessums, and Sharon Wechsler Smolar; President of Florida Faith and Freedom Coalition Jim Kallinger; National Organization for Women representative Barbara DeVane; and several others. Read Producers Statement and Film Participants Impact Statements below.

Families who have been negatively impacted by the system found the courage to STAND UP to also tell their stories. Our goal is to bring awareness to the serious and under-reported flaws of a system that denies families due process, enforcement of obligations, and ignores the human cost of divorce.

Please read this report, “The Economic Truth About Divorce and Alimony for Women and Children in Florida,” click here

The film presents the problem surrounding the current system, the proposed alimony reform, and the direct effect that it will have on individual, family, and state economics. In the program, equitable solutions to the controversy that surrounds reform are presented. We do not take sides, our goal is to educate and we hope the film will move those on both sides of the dilemma to work towards a fair and unbiased resolution. We encourage you to see the film which brings awareness to the issues which impact families throughout Florida and digest its meaning.

Film will be followed by a Q & A Panel with State, Local and National Dignitaries along with experts in their fields to share their insights.

GET INVOLVED!
Start a conversation in your community. See the film. Request a copy of the documentary and Resource Guide.
Together we can find the courage to unleash a voice that cannot be ignored and demand family courts fix a broken system. Changes are coming. Get informed! Please share with others who could benefit from this important program.

SUPPORT THE CAUSE AS A SPONSOR!
We will screen the film at multiple venues across the state throughout the 2018 Legislative session to bring awareness to the need for fair and equitable reform to attorneys, legislators and policymakers. Film will be accompanied by a Resource Guide which will include sponsors. Tabling opportunities also available during the screening.

RSVP Requested for VIP Seating. Please reply to [email protected] or [email protected]
information at (561) 302-6834

PROGRAM SPONSORSHIPS OPPORTUNITIES

Our Premier event at the Florida Atlantic University Theater will include invited state, local and national legislators, dignitaries, and advocates from the community. Documentary will be screened at multiple venues across the state and throughout the 2018 Legislative Session to bring awareness to the need for fair and equitable reform to attorneys, legislators and policymakers. Sponsors will be featured in our Resource Guide which accompanies the film to remain top of mind and receive maximum and sustained exposure.

Tabling At Film Premier – $100.
Showcase your organization with a Table at the STAND UP! Film Premier. Tables with chairs will be set up in the University Theatre Sculpture Hallway during our event. This is a great way to engage with our guests and the media to raise awareness and increase visibility to your organization. Display your brochures, sell books and recruit new members to your cause or promote your business during this highly visible community event. Includes Business Card advertisement in Resource Guide.

Sponsorships:
• Select Level and submit payment via PayPal secure site below.
• You will be contacted within 24-hours by email for your ad copy and specs.
• Thank you for your support!

Sponsorship Levels:
• First Level Sponsor: FULL PAGE – $1,000. ______
Includes Full-Page advertisement/editorial in Resource Guide
Recognition in Correspondence and Press Release/Press Coverage
Honorable Mention in Credits at end of Documentary
Branded Video segment (approx. 5 minutes) produced by Plumb Talk Productions for sponsor’s use on their own company website and social media.

• Second Level Sponsor: HALF PAGE – $300. ______
Includes Half-Page advertisement/editorial in Resource Guide
Recognition in Correspondence and Press Release/Press Coverage
Honorable Mention in Credits at end of Documentary

• Third-Level Sponsor: BUSINESS CARD – $75. ______
Business Card advertisement in Resource Guide

• Deadline for ad submission, payment, copy, specs for approval: January 9, 2018.

The Foundation for Women’s Cultural and Economic Literacy is a charitable organization under the Internal Revenue Code Section 501 (c)(3) and headquartered in Florida. The Foundation for Women’s Cultural and Economic Literacy has been issued a Consumer Certificate of Exemption from the Florida Department of Revenue. Copy will be provided to event sponsors.

PRODUCER’S STATEMENT & PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS IMPACT STATEMENTS

Producer Statement

As a producer, I have put together many programs and videos, none of which touched my heart like the documentary “Stand Up.”

Two weeks before the program was finished, I sat at my editing computer staring at the screen, head in hand, with tears in my eyes. Going over the testimony repeatedly I couldn’t help but wonder: What would I do if I woke one morning without a job, home or money?

Sadly, this is a scene that an increasing number of individuals nationwide face due to unjust alimony reform legislation. In the documentary Stand Up, PlumbTalk Productions takes an in depth look at Florida State alimony reform through the eyes of a State Representative, Family Law Judge, Marital and Family Law Attorneys, and representatives from the National Organization for Women and Florida Faith and Freedom Coalition. Most notably testimony is presented from brave women and a child who have been victims of the system and have found the courage to stand up and tell their stories for the greater good.

The film presents the problem surrounding current proposed alimony reform and the direct effect that it will have on individual, family, and state economics. In the program, equitable solutions to the controversy that surrounds reform are presented in the hope that it will move those on both sides of the dilemma to work towards a fair, unbiased resolution.

I encourage you all to see the film and digest its meaning. Together we can find the courage to see past the smokescreen, stand up, and unleash a voice that cannot be ignored.

Dr. Shelley Plumb
CEO PlumbTalk Productions
www.plumbtalkproductions.com

Participants Impact Statements

Barbara A. DeVane – Florida NOW (National Organization for Women) Lobbyist
“I am proud to be a part of this documentary on the alimony issue as I have known all my adult life that the empowerment of women is a big part of my mission in life. To that end it is my job as an organizer and a lobbyist for FL NOW to educate, motivate, activate and agitate so that we can eliminate those in power who would diminish us as women and stand in the way of our right of self-determination. This documentary is one more powerful tool in our organizing toolbox.”

Sharon Wechsler Smolar, Esquire – Collaborative Family Lawyer, Law Offices of Sharon Wechsler Smolar, P.A
“As a family attorney of long standing, i have had all too much experience with clients who have had terrible problems collecting their alimony payments. The idea of reforming and making worse what is already unsatisfactory is frightening. The present law protects alimony recipients who may have given up a career to raise a family, who may have been married twenty plus years and has aged out of the work place.”

Nancy K. Brodzki, Esquire – Board Certified Marital & Family Law Attorney
“It is very important to educate people about their rights and obligations when their marriage is ending in divorce. Stand Up is an important documentary that first and foremost educates and informs the viewer.” Ms. Brodzki filed and won the first same sex divorce in Florida.

Robert Doyel – Judge (Ret.) Robert Doyel
“Because the documentary will reach people who may be misled by the proponents of the destruction of alimony who erroneously call their attack on alimony “reform,” to describe and portray the abusive attacks on those of us who stand up to them, and to educate the public that custody decisions should be based on what’s best for the kids, not on what the parents want, and that automatic 50/50 custody is not in the best interest of most children.”

Jim Kallinger – President, Florida Faith and Freedom Coalition
“When a marriage breaks up through divorce, the children and families involved most likely will suffer from a series of devastating outcomes. Unfortunately, our current laws related to alimony only exacerbate this shattering experience. Because of the consequential impact that divorce has on our families and our communities, it is important that we all engage on this significant issue. We need to raise awareness and start a meaningful discussion on alimony reform and propose some equitable solutions.”

Mark Sessums – Board Certified Marital and Family Law Lawyer
“I truly believe in equality under the law. Women give so much and they deserve to be compensated for their contributions to the marriage whatever they may be: to the raising of the children; to the career of the other party; to the economic advancement of the marital estate; or to the shortening of their economic career to be a helpmate. Whatever the benefits exist in the marriage, women should share. Only in this fashion is marriage an equal partnership and the dignity of marriage upheld.”

Lori Berman – State Representative Lori Berman
“As a State Representative sitting on a Judiciary Committee, we held hearings on the proposed alimony bill. I had deep concerns that the bill would adversely impact our children and families and I wanted to bring light to these issues.”

Heather B. Quick, Esquire – Heather B. Quick, CEO, The Quick Law Group
“The Quick Law Group takes immense pride in consistently supporting woman’s rights and privileges throughout the state of Florida. Our firm’s record in this space is irrefutable as year after year we continue to challenge bills, laws, and referendums that threaten the rights of women. The Alimony Reform Bill is no exception. This bill threatens the financial security of women across the state by eliminating permanent alimony. Alimony reform is not about being fair. The reform bill does not create a platform in equality. These women have worked hard to raise their families, so their husbands could go out and earn a higher wage. Men would not be able to do this without the support at home. Now, after years of marriage, the court system is going to tell women they were not equal partners in the marriage and do not deserve a portion of their husband’s income.

Let’s get real. Marriages are not created 50/50. It’s more like 80/20. Women are the caregivers, chauffeurs, homemakers, accountants, etc. By taking care of these necessities, wives enable their husbands to earn higher wages. Shouldn’t they then be entitled to a fair portion of this income if the marriage should dissolve? Their contribution was essential to making the marriage work.

Furthermore, when women are the primary breadwinner, they still do more of the work at home than men. That needs to be considered as well. This bill prevents both sides from evaluating all the factors. We cannot let politically hungry men decide what is right within a dissolution of marriage. Every marriage is different. Circumstances are different. We are not preventing litigation with alimony reform—we are feeding it. Alimony reform will trample women’s rights simply because white shirts have decided what is best for the common good. Let each case speak for itself. Now is the time to speak up. I want to help women find their voice in this fight. We need to be heard loud and clear: We are not going to lay down. We are going to fight for our rights. We will not be threatened or manipulated. We will continue to march forward for equality.”