Maumelle Teenager Organizes Fundraising Effort to Support Victims of Domestic Violence

Posted on August 27, 2008 by Pete Kosowski

Local Molly Maid Franchise and Hot Legs Running Club to Host 5K Race to Raise Awareness of Most Unreported Crime

Maumelle, Ark. – While most teenagers spend their summers catching rays by the pool or just hanging out with friends, 16-year-old Michael Silva-Nash has taken up a more serious cause … fighting domestic violence.

The ambitious teen, a high-school junior at Academics Plus Charter School, was inspired to organize an event that would help raise awareness and benefit local victims of domestic violence after witnessing the horrors of this crime at his family-owned Molly Maid franchise. The franchise, which serves Western Pulaski County, employs 25 home cleaning technicians, many of whom are victims of domestic violence. Michael sought out Hot Legs Road Runner Club of Central Arkansas as a partner to coordinate a 5K race fundraiser, scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 15, 2008 at Lake Willastein in Maumelle. Currently, the organizers are seeking additional corporate sponsors to help support the event.

"Seeing these innocent women come to work with bumps and bruises was an eye-opening experience for me," said Michael. "As a local business, we see it as our responsibility to give back to the community in any way we can. The race is one way of showing that we are committed to eliminating this horrible crime by raising awareness and supporting our local shelters for battered women and children."

Rebecca Nash and Javier Silva, Michael’s parents, have operated the Molly Maid franchise since 2005. Michael has always shared a genuine interest in helping out with the business on many levels, particularly when it comes to supporting the Ms. Molly Foundation. The Molly Maid national franchise company created the Ms. Molly Foundation to collect money and goods for safe houses and shelters for victims of domestic violence around the country in communities where its 412 franchises operate.

The American Medical Association estimates that more than four million women are victims of assaults by their partners each year. While 85 percent of these cases involve a female victim, men can also be victims. Furthermore, according to the Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 30 Arkansas women were murdered due to domestic violence in 2007.

"These statistics are appalling," said April Minor, president of Hot Legs. "We are proud to do our part to raise awareness of this important issue."

All net proceeds will go toward supporting domestic violence victims at shelters for abused women in Little Rock, Ark., including the Dorcas House and the Women and Children First Shelter. Molly Maid of Western Pulaski County will also distribute domestic violence prevention brochures during the race, as well as ongoing education of their employees and clients.

About Molly Maid of Western Pulaski County
Molly Maid of Western Pulaski County is part of the national Molly Maid franchise (www.mollymaid.com), based in Ann Arbor, MI. The residential cleaning franchise, ranked number one in the United States, was founded in 1979. Currently, more than 412 Molly Maid franchise owners operate in the United States alone, with nearly 300 more throughout Canada, Japan, England, Portugal and Bermuda. Molly Maid has been the recipient of numerous awards for entrepreneurialism, software innovation and humanitarian causes, including the Ms. Molly Foundation, which collects money and goods for safe houses and shelters for victims of domestic violence. The Molly Maid concept is recognized as one of America’s most trusted names in home service. Entrepreneur magazine ranked Molly Maid in its top 100 franchises for the past 10 years, and Good Housekeeping rated the franchise as the "Best Value" among cleaning services.