Spoons, Towels, Pillows

Sheri Hammond, Volunteer Coordinator Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter If you read the previous blog by Merritt, you’ll find mine a little different. (If you haven’t, you should. There is great information in there.) I started with the Women’s Shelter as a volunteer in October of 2013 and took a part-time job here as the Volunteer Coordinator in January of 2015. I also take care of our in-kind or goods donations, both receiving and soliciting. We get so much community support; but, unfortunately, we still are always in need of something. Right now we need spoons, pillows, room fans, and towels. It’s always an odd list! We are extremely grateful for EVERY SINGLE ITEM donated; but I want to share with you some of my favorite donation stories. Maybe you’ll be inspired to step in and help out as well. One of the first regular donations I started accepting here was actually before I took this position. I helped match up our clients with sponsors for the holidays. One of the women who sponsored a family expressed an interest in providing something for the shelter on a regular basis. She asked what was needed. I knew all the typical answers: toilet paper, detergent, cleaning supplies; but I wanted to help her find something that she could provide that we might not otherwise ever have on hand. After asking around, I came up with meat. We rely almost solely on donations for stocking our pantry and refrigerator. bns gold It costs approximately $58 per day to house one person in shelter. Since our average family consists of one adult and two children, the cost is $174 a day. nike air max 2016 blauw Everything is free for the clients while they are here. We get lots of canned goods and staples, and a good bit of chicken. (We do start to run low on food in the summer though.) However, we never have meat on hand: sausage, pork chops, sliced ham, ground meat, etc. Now, at least once a month, we do! Our donor does her shopping about every three weeks and calls me to pick up a nice big bag of meat. Another donation that really moved me came about five weeks ago. We keep a list of frequently needed items, but if I am around I generally know what is needed immediately (spoons, pillows, and towels!!). A woman called and said she had $200 to spend. What did we need? At the time it was detergent. Honestly, we get calls like this all the time, and I’ve stopped counting on all of them to come through. Our thrift store manager called the following week to say she had a young girl there wanting to drop off a donation for the shelter; but she was hesitant to leave it at the store. We receive donations at the store to help protect our location. As I was on my way, she agreed to wait. When I arrived I was met by a young couple with a trunk FULL of laundry detergent. Asics authentique It was way more than $200 worth, but she was the caller. This was obviously a precious and important thing for her, and she wanted to make sure that the shelter received it. Honestly, while we run on the big money donations and grants, it’s the small ones by everyday people that keep our hearts going. There’s the elderly woman who raises chickens in her backyard and donates eggs, the Little Debbie delivery guy who stops by weekly and drops off a dozen boxes of snacks, the local appliance repair family business who keep our washer and dryer running, the summer vegetable patch people who bring us their extras, the people who take time out of their lives to cook home-cooked meals for our clients, the teenager who used her birthday money to buy diapers (not gonna lie, that was my daughter, so much for anonymity), and so many others. But, unfortunately there are still needs in our community that aren’t being met. ASICS Gel Pulse 7 pour Femme My hope is that you’ll find it in your heart and budget to reach out and make a small difference in our community. Maybe you’ll reach out to us, but the important thing is that you reach out!! (Preferably with spoons, towels, or pillows!!!!) (Note: You may reach Sheri to discuss in-kind or product donations by phone, 479-246-0353, ext.

Merritt Royal, Development Director May 13 marked my one-month anniversary as development director for the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter. As one can imagine, the shift from a higher education fundraising background to a community-focused social/human service nonprofit presents new learning opportunities. As a new employee with the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter, I want to share with you some of the insights I have gained as I reflect upon what I have learned in this first month.

  • The Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter is committed to its top priority of providing safety to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. We have advocates and resources that help guide victims through the process of preparing to leave, navigating the court system in the filing of protective orders, and making decisions for themselves to find a safe and supportive place to live. I have learned that it costs $58 per day per person to live in the shelter—a cost that is free to victims who are eligible to live in our Shelter. For an adult with two children, the cost borne by the Shelter for one safe day is $174.
  • Empowerment is the model used by the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter. Whether a person lives in our shelter or utilizes our services as an outreach client, our advocates help clients develop self-awareness so that they become responsible for their own choices. air max pas cher pour femme And the good news is 93% of our clients who have lived in the shelter tell us, as they leave, they intend to choose a safe place to live rather than return to the abusive environment.
  • While we naturally desire each client to always choose to end the cycle of abuse, that does not always happen. nike tn pas cher For a variety of reasons—including economic dependence—some victims do choose to return to the abuser. I have learned that the process of choosing to lead a life that is violence-free is complicated, with a victim often returning to the abuser 7 times before finally choosing to end the cycle. lunette de soleil oakley pas cher The staff and Board of the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter treat each person with the greatest level of integrity. This means a victim is treated respectfully and is shown the same level of compassion and support, regardless whether he/she is a first-time client or a seven-time client.
  • Men are also victims of domestic violence. Leadership of the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter is concerned about ending domestic violence in our community—regardless of gender, age, race/ethnicity, sexual identity, or sexual orientation. Our services are based upon inclusion of all members of our community. I have learned that 4% of adults who lived in our shelter in 2014 were men (that is 1 out of every 25 adults). I also have learned that domestic violence is not limited to only spousal or intimate partner relationships, but can include other familial relationships: in-laws, adult children, or adult siblings are examples.
  • I have learned that the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter leadership is interested in not only addressing the basic service needs of immediate safety–the band-aid to this complex social issue–but also in finding a sustainable solution to end domestic violence in our community. Education is a key approach toward truly making an impact. ray ban homme pas cher The Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter partners with area public schools, health officials, corporations, and law enforcement to raise awareness and to provide preventive education. Increasing visibility of the issue and of the services we provide is a priority for our Board.

Safety – Empowerment – Integrity – Inclusion – Education

I have learned these core values of the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter are evidenced in each day’s activities and focus. nike requin pas cher I recognize I have so much more to learn. I also have so much to share.

When I was a child there was a murder-suicide in my neighborhood. Never once was it suggested that it might have been a result of domestic abuse. The topic was not even raised.

Today, when such an event occurs domestic violence is considered as a possible cause. During the month of October, through its Silent Witness initiative, the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter and the community remembered the lives of 10 women and 1 unborn baby who were murdered in Arkansas in 2014 as a result of domestic violence. Today, we talk about domestic abuse much more than in the past, but all too many individuals still fail to grasp the complexity of this social problem and what needs to be done to confront it.

Clearly we need to create the public safety net that prevents domestic violence deaths, but we need to do more. We need to commit public safety monies to the cause. As a community, we need to become informed, to act, and for us collectively to start ending it, through all the resources at our command.

I have been in the abuse prevention space for over 15 years, working with both children and adults. What I have come to believe is that when adults abuse each other, particularly through domestic abuse, invariably children witness it and are victims of abuse themselves. If we address domestic abuse, we can help model behavior for children that may prevent the next generation from being abusive or submissive to abuse.

“Domestic violence” means many different things to the residents of northwest Arkansas. air max For the victim it means personal, financial, and emotional turmoil or worse. Consider the following:

6% of adult women and 28.5% adult men will experience rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner at some point in their lives.

Application to NWA: Using 2010 census numbers, this means roughly 6,400 women and 4,900 men in Bentonville will be victims of domestic assault or violence at some point in their lives.

Yet another way to look at these numbers is regionally. Approximately 60,000 men and 76,000 women in Washington and Benton Counties will be victims of domestic violence during their lifetimes.

Domestic violence is the most common cause of injury for women ages 18-44.Domestic violence leads to increased incidences of chronic disease. Abused women are 70% more likely to have heart disease, 80% more likely to experience a stroke, and 60% more likely to develop asthma.Nearly 1 out of 4 women who are employed report that domestic violence has affected their work performance at some point in their lives.Each year, 8 million days of paid work is lost in the U.S. because of domestic violence. This is equivalent to 36,000 jobs.

Application to NWA: If all the lost jobs occurred in Bentonville at the same time, roughly 2 out of every 3 individuals would lose their jobs.

Domestic violence costs $8.3 billion in expenses annually to U.S. buy bns gold employers, through a combination of higher medical costs ($5.8 billion) and lost productivity ($2.5 billion).

If an individual is experiencing domestic violence, what services are available to help? The Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter offers:

Safe shelter for those abused and their childrenReferral servicesEducation on legal rights and support in pursuing those rightsSupport groups and individual sessionsCommunity outreach and educationChildren support group and other age-appropriate servicesOn-going support for non-resident clients

This does not represent a complete list of services. Each domestic shelter may provide a different combination or configuration of these services.

If you are need of services or know someone who does, reach out to your nearest shelter and talk to them. asics femme pas cher They all have hotlines you can call for help or to answer your questions about domestic violence. The hotline number for the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter is 479-246-9999. Someone is available 24-7, 365 days per year.

In comparing today with the era of my childhood, it is obvious domestic abuse and domestic violence still negatively impact our communities, workforces, and families. One difference is that we recognize and categorize violent crimes more often as domestic violence. We talk more openly about domestic abuse and domestic violence, and their dynamics. nike air max 1 homme But, today, we need to do more than talk. We need members of the community to be committed to actively educating themselves about the problem, to allocate resources (including public funds) necessary to insure services are available to the victims and their children, and to promote healthy relationships among our school-age children.

We need to break the silence. Your proactive action as a community member, as a citizen, to be the voice for victims is needed today. To find out how you can get involved to be the voice locally, learn more at www.nwaws.org, or e-mail us at info@nwaws.org.

Pictured (left to right): Sheri Hammond (Volunteer Coordinator), Darrell Darner, Mikayla Irvin, Laura Rogers, Christine Sheldon, Gladis Sandoval-Guzman; Not pictured: Harvey Millar, Judy Schaible, Matt TiceCongratulations to our Outstanding Volunteers!

We are grateful to have so many volunteers supporting our causes and every year we like to take the opportunity to recognize them for all of the “free” work that they do. air max pas cher pour homme From assisting clients in shelter, pricing donations at our Thrift Store, and helping to organize our events, volunteers are the people who keep us running. This November, we want to thank every person for their contribution—whether large or small. nike air max 1 goedkoop We are forever grateful for your help, smiling faces, and commitment to the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter and the clients we serve.

Winners of this year’s Outstanding Volunteer awards were:

Outstanding Board Member: Harvey Millar

Outstanding Teen Volunteer: Mikayala Irvin

Outstanding Thrift Store Volunteer: Christine Sheldon

Outstanding Committee Volunteer: Matt Tice

Outstanding Weekend Volunteer: Laura Rogers

Most Faithful Shelter Volunteer: Judy Schaible

Most Versatile Volunteer: Darrell Darner

Outstanding Intern: Gladis Sandoval-Guzman

 

To learn more about volunteer opportunities, contact Sheri Hammond, shammond@nwaws.org, 479-246-0353, ext. 250.

Harvey Millar was awarded Outstanding Board Member for his commitment to the organization along with his leadership during our Fresh StART event. Harvey joined the board in January 2015 and we are looking forward to his continued involvement in 2016.

“Miss Judy” as we affectionately refer to her, received the award for Most Faithful Shelter Volunteer. nike tn requin 2017 pas cher Judy has been volunteering with our organization for more than 8 years as a shelter volunteer. As a retiree, Judy brings her energy, care, and love to both the clients and staff of NWAWS and we are grateful for her weekly commitment to us.

Matt Tice is a crucial member of our volunteer team. air max He is a leader on two event committees (Champions In Heels & Fresh StART) and contributed well over 120 hours to our organization in 2015.