voice

Deanah Baker, SVP-GMM, Apparel at Walmart, has been volunteering for the NWA Women’s Shelter as an active member of the Board of Directors since early 2016. She currently serves on the Fresh StART committee and, along with Megan Crozier, she will be one of the Honorary Co-Chairs of this year’s Fresh StART event being held on October 14. Deanah explains why this cause is important to her,

My husband was in education for 25+ years and his passion was in getting to know his students and their personal stories. He has so many examples of brave young people who struggled in their home life due to various circumstances, including abuse in the home. While Northwest Arkansas is an amazing community with so much to offer, the statistic remains that 1 in 5 people are victims of domestic violence. My goal is to see all of our NWA neighbors thriving; not living their lives in fear or feeling helpless and alone in changing their situation. Our strong NWA community can come alongside the Northwest Arkansas Womens Shelter to give victims of domestic violence safety, hope and support for a new beginning.

Deanah has used her skills and her position on the board over the past year to help move the NWA Women’s Shelter out of its financial crisis and begin moving toward sustainability. As a part of these efforts, Deanah hosted a private fundraising party this spring and has raised more than $22,000 in 2017 for programs and services provided through NWAWS.

You can meet Deanah at Fresh StART or look for other ways to get connected with NWAWS by visiting our volunteer page.

On May 19, 2016 we announced that if we did not raise $150,000 in the following six weeks, we would close our doors. Graciously, our community stepped up and donated the funds necessary to keep our doors open. Individuals, companies, and organizations made meeting our goal possible.

However, during this campaign (the first of two efforts to raise a total of $300,000 by October 1), many individuals asked us, “Why aren’t you receiving support from ____?” You fill in the blank.

The easy answer is we simply do not meet the current eligibility requirements for a variety of foundations or organizations, or the fund from which we do receive monies has shrunk considerably.

Simply put, organizations, foundations, and even individual donors can choose to change the focus of their giving at any time. Over the past several years, organizations and foundations that have traditionally been major sources of revenue for NWAWS have either changed their focus or have reduced the resources they are able to distribute to us. Consequently, NWAWS, like so many other nonprofit organizations affected by such a change, need to identify other sources of revenue. Ultimately, statistics and trends show that our future source of funds must be individual donors.

Let’s consider three examples that will illustrate this point. NWAWS has been a recipient of funds from United Way for years. At its peak, we received $71,000. This year we will receive close to $22,000. Have our programs changed? No. Has the focus of United Way changed? Yes. Is there anything unique in United Way in changing its focus? Not really. Overtime United Way has shifted to respond to different community needs, patterns of giving and their ability to address societal needs. In doing so, the pool of funds available for ‘member’ agencies has varied greatly.

Since 1996 United Ways around the country have been adopting the community impact model. The adoption process has been slow, and in my opinion erratic, but in its own way it has been steady. Slowly, more and more local United Ways have switched to this model. In 2013 United Way of Northwest Arkansas began its own process of transition. Over the course of that transition, funds available for member agencies who do not fit that model decreased.

A second example is the state funding we receive through the Domestic Peace Fund. We have received revenue from this fund for years, and at one time we received more than $40,000 from it. This year we will receive slightly more than $18,000. Why is this? It is because the fees that provide revenue for the fund have decreased considerably. The Fund is supported by fees associated with Marriage Licenses and Bail Bonds. Over the last few years, Bail Bond fees have decreased significantly. The amount of funds available from this source in 2016-17 is 43.6% of what it had been in 2012-13. One of the causes is the increased practice in Arkansas of judges releasing accused offenders from jail on their own recognizance, negating the need for a bail bond. No bail bond means no fees for the state fund. It is as simple as that.

Finally, let’s look at foundations. Foundations change their focus and priorities with some regularity, and when they do many organizations that have previously accessed foundation resources are cut out of the loop. This process is never pleasant and is rarely well-publicized. Clearly, it is the right of a funder to change or shift their priorities. However, those who no longer meet the new criteria for support must decide how they will deal with the loss of revenue. For some the answer lies in a reduction in services, for others, a realignment of activities, and for others a quickly designed effort to find replacement resources.

Foundations shifting their priorities, United Way changing its focus to respond more aggressively to certain community needs, and government revenue shrinking are all ways resources disappear from nonprofits. Failure to find replacement income for the streams that disappear places a nonprofit in a difficult position. Therefore, it is important that a nonprofit diversifies its resource base as much as possible.

One of the best ways to do this is by creating a reliably large, recurring, and diversified individual donor support base. These individual donors are vested in the mission. Individually, a loss of one should not create a huge hole in an organization’s revenue stream.

The goal of the campaigns conducted by NWAWS was, and is, to create that reliable, large, recurring, and diversified individual donor support base. This is not because we are opposed to seeking funds from sources that tend to be less reliable, especially considering that those less-reliable sources can often represent a large portion of a budget if successfully obtained. Rather we want long-term sustainable revenue that helps ensure that we can provide the quality and scope of program that the community deserves and that demand implies we need.

The truth is, some money has disappeared. The organizations who everyone thinks should be the savior of the nonprofit sector are not created to do so. We have relied on them for too long, and now we are focused on securing the support of individuals who are vested in our mission and work. That is the only way we can truly become sustainable.

Several years ago, a former client wrote us a letter thanking us for being a part of her village when she needed support. Would you consider joining our village so we can support other families like her? You can be part of the solution by joining our efforts to ensure reliable recurring revenue by making a donation to NWAWS. Every gift matters to those who find refuge behind our doors and help in our services.

Read the letter by clicking below:

(Photo Credit: www.thomasjstanley.com)

A number of years ago, Thomas Stanley published a best-selling book titled The Millionaire Next Door. In it, he describes the characteristics of individuals who achieve great wealth while attracting little attention to themselves. One of the ideas prevalent in the book is that the savers “next door” don’t seek attention or flaunt their wealth. In other words, you would not know they were millionaires by their behavior or lifestyle (7 Key Insights from The Millionaire Next Door).

There is another kind of person who lives next door to many of us, though we often fail to recognize it: a survivor of domestic violence. Like the millionaire next door, the survivor does nothing to attract your attention. Considering the numbers projected from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men will be victims of [some form of] physical violence by an intimate partner within their lifetime (NISVS 2010). This translates into approximately 136,000 individuals in Northwest Arkansas who will be victims of domestic abuse/violence during their lifetimes. So the likelihood that a survivor lives next door to you is fairly good. Hopefully the secret next door is not that one of your neighbors is currently a victim.

During my time in this field, I have learned that domestic violence knows no age, race, gender, economic or social conditions, or status in life. Domestic abuse is an effort by one person to control and dominate another through psychological, physical, sexual, emotional, or financials means, just to name a few. Each individual who is victimized experiences the abuse in their own unique way and it is not a ‘hell’ they want to broadcast to the universe. It is a story often shared only with those who have helped them rebuild their lives, their esteem, and their personal value–all of which were previously taken from them by their abuser.

Since domestic violence is painful experience both for the victim and also for those in close proximity to the victim (for example his or her children), being a survivor is not something most individuals freely discuss. Each victim and each child who lives in a house where domestic violence is prevalent suffers from wounds and scars that are invisible to those who are unaware.

Therefore, in your midst may be many people (both adults and children) who through courage, perseverance, and pure tenacity have righted their own ship and moved forward to live a life free of violence and abuse. It is a part of our responsibility as a shelter to be a team that helps all survivors change the course of their lives and enjoy a future with healthy relationships.

Our goal at the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter is to help focus that courage, perseverance, and tenacity in a manner that makes the journey to a violence free life less cumbersome, fully supported, and productive. The requirement is not to reside in the shelter in order to receive services. It simply requires an individual to want to make that journey and to be willing to work towards it. And to the victims and survivors next door: we will not disclose your challenges. We will help you as you move along in your journey. We will support you and your child(ren) in a manner appropriate to your needs and consistent with our mission. That is our promise to you.

When an issue and experience is so personal that it cannot be talked about publicly, clearly it is easy to hide the information from those who are not privy to the intimate secrets of one’s past. There probably are not any outward signs of the abuse that would identify someone as a survivor of abuse. Survivors may have moved on, but the scars of the experience remain with them forever.

Just like with the millionaire next door, we should treat all people with dignity and respect because we do not know where they are or what their story has been.

Written by John McGee April is National Volunteer Awareness Month. bns gold Frequently we forget to recognize our volunteers, and all too frequently we forget to recognize those volunteers who helped build an organization. Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter, originally incorporated as the Benton County Women’s Shelter in August 1986, would not still be in existence without the help of volunteers. ASICS PAS CHER FR Very early in our history, a group of individuals created the Benton County Women’s Shelter Auxiliary. The purpose of the Auxiliary was “to provide an opportunity for caring persons to assist the Benton County Women’s Shelter Project in their very important work with battered women and their children.” As reflected in a brochure produced by the Soroptimist International of Northwest Arkansas dated September 28, 1988, the purpose of the project was “to actually establish a shelter…” That brochure contains a sample of a card advising individuals on a number to call, what to take if leaving an abusive relationship, and advice on why one might call a domestic violence hotline. goedkoop nike air max 2017 By November of 1988, the auxiliary was organized with elected leaders, a dues structure, a purpose of raising resources for a shelter, and a campaign to educate the community on the issues of domestic violence. These volunteers organized seminars, brought in speakers, produced informational press releases, and started raising funds to fulfill their purpose. In a January 1989 appeal for members, the auxiliary recorded its purpose as “formed to assist the Project in fund raising and volunteer services.”

rogers-auxiliary-bcws-nwaws-womens-shelter-ladies-tea

Invitation to the First Membership Tea of the Rogers Unit of the Benton County Women’s Shelter Auxiliary

For the next eight years the auxiliary grew, developed multiple units, created a thrift store, and became a power within the organization because of its ability generate revenue. At one point the funds generated by the auxiliary represented close to 40% of all the operating funds accessible by the organization. nike air max pas cher Many of the contributions these founding volunteers provided still shape how we operate. While the thrift store generates only about 20% of our current overall operating revenue, the shelter would not be in existence today without the income-generating power of the thrift store. Many individuals, particularly Jamie Percell, were crucial in creating and establishing the foundation of the thrift store. Originally known as the Friendship House Thrift Store, the NWA Women’s Shelter Thrift Store (now located at 1622 W. 8th Street in Rogers) is still dependent upon the help and assistance of dedicated volunteers. To each and every individual who has ever volunteered at the shelter, in the thrift store (regardless of the name it carried), with a fundraising activity that benefited the Benton County Women’s Shelter/Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter, or who served on our volunteer Board of Directors, thank you. Our professional staff know we accomplish what we do because you make it possible. Early on, nearly everything we did was reliant on the kindness, talent, and time of volunteers. As we grew, more and more work shifted to the staff. Today, as a relatively new individual in the history of this shelter, I recognize that everything I do or that my wonderful and talented staff does is an effort to build on the contributions of volunteers—volunteers who decided the region needed a shelter, the community needed to be educated on the issues, and the resources needed to be identified to make it happen have been, and continue to be, essential to our work. I know this might be too late for some, but on behalf of everyone connected with the NWA Women’s Shelter today, thank you, thank you, thank you for your labor of love, for your dedication, and for your support. For those who are still able, you are more than welcome to join us again however you might be able to participate. Chaussures ASICS Gel Glorify pour Femme The mission of the auxiliary is still as relevant and important to us today in our work to empower families to live free of violence as it was in 1988.

Join us on Valentine’s weekend for three showings of The Vagina Monologues hosted by the University of Arkansas Gender Studies’ Department. All ticket sales will benefit NWAWS and we will have staff and volunteers at each showing with more information on our services and ways to get involved.

For more information on the play, visit Eve Ensler’s website.

Will you be going? Let us know—RSVP on Facebook.

Diana’s Story*

Diana approached us after her husband was arrested. She had been married for several years and the abuse had been escalating from passive aggressive behavior to physical violence and threats of homicide. During this time she had lost her business and many friends due to the control and manipulation her abuser subjected upon her. Diana had to open a secret safety deposit box so she could keep important documents and family photos secure. She feared the worst when he was released from jail, and wanted to make sure that she would be safe.

Our advocates safety planned with Diana and also assisted her with filing an Order of Protection. She was able to secure her own housing without staying in shelter, but she still felt afraid and constantly worried that her abuser would find her and kill her like he always said. She wanted to purchase some home security devices, but after pricing the items she needed and realizing she could not afford them, Diana decided she would make some homemade booby traps and use those instead. Although she now had a way to be notified of an intruder, Diana still failed to feel safe at home and had a lot of trouble sleeping at night.

During this time Diana continued to come to our support groups and meet with our Support Services Advocate. She found it helpful to process what she had experienced with other survivors and began to feel like her life was coming back together. One day after support group, her advocate approached her about an opportunity. NWAWS had just received a donation of home security devices (window alarms, exterior motion lights, and home security signage) that clients could use to make their homes more secure and Diana was able to select several items that would work for her house.

Like Diana, many of our clients need support outside of our shelter. Last year, we were able to help 260 individuals on an outreach basis through our court advocacy program, support group, one-on-one meetings, job resources, or special events. Rebuilding one’s life after leaving an abusive partner or family member does not require a one-size fits all approach. Instead it requires a community of support and the ability to have needs—such as home security—met.

Through our support group and outreach programs, victims of domestic abuse are able to transition to becoming survivors by learning to find their own self and experiencing the freedom to become the person they have never been able to be. For the first time in a long time (or in some cases, ever), our clients begin to feel comfort and hope.

Our Support Services Advocate describes the transformation as simply “watching them grow”. She uses the illustration of a puzzle box: full with a thousand pieces, but so shaken and scattered that you do not know where to even begin putting it back together. Over time and with the support and guidance of others, these individuals begin to assemble their puzzle. By doing so, they begin rebuilding their lives.

A few weeks ago, Diana spoke to her advocate and shared that she can finally call her house, “home”. She was able to go and bring home her safety deposit box because today she feels safe. She feels complete.

Because of your support, we are able to help individuals like Diana create new lives without violence and fear. Peace of mind is something many of us take for granted but domestic violence survivors truly appreciate. Please consider joining our village and supporting us financially. It’s easy to do! Click here to donate online or here to learn more about donation options. Want to speak to someone directly? Please call our Development Director, Merritt Royal, at 479-246-0353 X 140.

Do you think you might be in need of our outreach services? Please call us 24/7 to speak with an advocate: 479-246-9999 or 1-800-775-9011.

*Name changed to protect privacy

(Above: Kay Harvey & Regina Gower look on as Julie Robins of White Wing Loft releases a dove at the Silent Witness Closing Ceremony)

Since 2013, we have recognized Domestic Violence Awareness Month (October) in a special way by holding the Silent Witness Project. Our campaign is a local display of the movement created by the Silent Witness National Initiative which began as a way to bring awareness to communities about the toll domestic abuse plays in families’ lives.

Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter uses this project to speak out against the recent domestic homicides that occurred in the state of Arkansas for the previous year. We do this by using life-sized red silhouettes to represent each victim (whether man, woman, or child) as we march and speak out on their behalf. We also place these silhouettes along with the story of the person that they represent in area businesses during the month of October so that others will learn more about the victim who is no longer with us.

Last fall, we honored the 11 lives that our state lost in 2014 due to domestic violence. Ten were women and one was the unborn child of one of the victims.

We marched with silhouettes representing them.

We read their stories and learned about the struggles they and other victims faced.

And we released doves for them as a symbolic way to release them from this earth.

Perhaps the most terrible result of domestic homicides is that while these 11 individuals do not get the opportunity to live their lives, in most cases their abusers do. We combat this cruel reality by recognizing and honoring the victims who are no longer able to share their stories with us. By speaking up for them and allowing their silhouettes to silently speak on their behalf, they are not forgotten and we hope their deaths are not in vain.

As advocates for our clients as well as all victims and survivors, we want to make sure their stories are heard and their struggles are shared. Domestic abuse is a community problem and it will take all of us working together to correct it.

Booth at the Silent Witness Opening Ceremony

Marchers at the March to End Violence in Downtown Rogers

Marchers at the March to End Violence

Detective Glynn Bertrand of Bentonville Police Department speaks about how domestic abuse affects us

John McGee and Leslie Folsom hold the March Banner

Kay Harvey shares her story and the story of her daughter who was killed two years ago.

Booth at the Silent Witness Opening Ceremony

Dr. Todd Kitchens shares NWACC’s role in reducing domestic violence

John McGee, Executive Director of NWAWS, explains how domestic violence effects NWA

Regina Gower shares her sister’s story

Kay Harvey and Regina Gower look on as Julie Robins releases a dove

Special thanks to the committee members and partners who helped make this year a success! We appreciate you!

For more photos of our 2015 Silent Witness events, check out our Facebook page. To learn more about Silent Witness, click here. Interested in getting involved? Send Amber an email at alacewell@nwaws.org.

(Above: photos from the shelter, Thrift Store, and special events featuring 2015 volunteers)

We say it often: we cannot survive without our community partners and donors.

And while donors keep the bills paid and community partners keep our pantries full, we absolutely could not exist without our volunteers. From groups who remodel or plan events, to individuals who tirelessly work the cash register at the Thrift Store or answer the phones, we need you and love you!

2015 saw huge numbers in volunteering—we had 480 volunteers contribute 9090 hours. Wow! To break that down even farther, we saved $194,162 by having volunteers perform specific tasks so our staff could focus on other efforts![1]

Each of our volunteers means the world to us. Their commitment to show up and diligence in their work allow NWAWS to achieve more than we ever could by relying solely on staff. A diverse volunteer base also brings in new ideas. We can credit many solutions to the creative minds of our volunteers.

Need semi-regular pick-ups of large loads of donated goods? We have a volunteer for that. Need a skilled person to cover the hotline and shelter while our advocates are in a meeting? We have a volunteer for that, too.

It seems like anytime a need arises, we have someone who is willing to step in and help share the burden. So volunteers and interns, we say more than thank you for your efforts this past year.

Thank you for your on-going assistance and the help that you will offer in the future.

No matter how far you may be removed from the clients we serve, your assistance means we can continue our work to ending the cycle of violence for families in our community. For that, we all owe you our eternal gratitude.

Check out our post after our Volunteer Banquet to learn more about a few of the outstanding people who work with us.

It truly takes an entire village to raise families out of distress and into violence-free lives. Will you consider joining us today? The ways to get involved are endless. Please check out our volunteer opportunities here or email Sheri for more information: shammond@nwaws.org.

[1]Value of volunteer hours is calculated at $21.36/hour based on numbers approved by the Arkansas Department of Human Services

Our crisis line rings every day. Even on the holidays.

Last year, our advocates and volunteers took a total of 1800 crisis calls. When compared to all the calls we answered, over 80% of our phone calls each day were from victims of violence or their families who are seeking our services. Our commitment to Northwest Arkansas is to always be available to take those calls, 24/7/365.

Domestic abuse does not take a break for holidays or weather. It happens in our community on a daily basis whether we admit it or not. The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey [1] found that more than 1 in 16 women and 1 in 20 men experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in the year prior to their survey.

If we compare those numbers with our NWA population of an estimated 500,000 people, we would expect that over 25,000 individuals were abused by intimate partners last year alone.

Thankfully the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter has a service that can help. Anyone can contact our crisis line to receive support, make plans for safety, or simply share their story. We welcome these calls because it means abused individuals are reaching out for the help they need and our hope is that we can assist each person as they move toward a violence free life.

More information about the hotline calls we took in 2015:

106 callers were referred to us by law enforcement.
111 people were referred by a media source.
At least 5 people found our information in the phonebook–a service we are required to provide under state law.
268 people called on behalf of a friend or family member who was a victim of domestic abuse.
On average, a hotline caller had 2 dependents.
30 people were referred by a local hospital or medical facility.
50% of people had never contacted us before.

Are you in need of our services? Please contact us 24/7 at 479-246-9999 or toll-free at 1-800-775-9011.

Interested in volunteering and helping us answer these important calls? Email our Volunteer Coordinator, Sheri, at shammond@nwaws.org.

[1] Black, M.C., Basile, K.C., Breiding, M.J., Smith, S.G., Walters, M.L., Merrick, M.T., Chen, J., & Stevens, M. (2011). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2010 Summary Report. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/nisvs_report2010-a.pdf

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.

Volunteer of the Month: Deanah Baker