Will YOU Take a Stand?
I work at Turning Point, McHenry County’s only comprehensive domestic violence agency and shelter. It’s been a rough year.
I know, things are rough all over- especially anywhere that counts on State of Illinois funding to survive! We’re into the new fiscal year and yet again are facing unspecified cuts to this years funding, and another year of the state delaying payment for services already delivered- even at the new, “surprise” lower rates.
But the news here IS NOT all bad- Despite the hard times, we have not had to turn away a single victim who has come to us for help. In fact, in the last year, our advocates responded to 5,798 hotline calls. These are calls from people in a bind- in fact, many of the calls are not domestic violence related, folks call because they are in trouble, they know our name and know we can help. The majority of these calls get referred to other social service or government offices that can provide assistance: Turning Point advocates listen, assess and help the callers to find the help they need. The people who call are your neighbors, your sisters, your mothers, your friends. We are able to deliver these services because of the support of people like you.
Yes, demand for our service has indeed risen: In the past year we’ve served 1,834 clients, wrote 649 Orders of Protection and even began a new program with another local agency, the Home of the Sparrow, which will provide transitional housing for those clients who are ready to leave our shelter and start new, healthier, safer lives in new homes.
And speaking of that shelter, it has been at or near capacity recently- tough times stress families in all ways and we’ve had a decided upswing in clients that need shelter, food or other assistance to survive. Doing more with less is our daily goal.
But we can’t do everything with nothing! Here’s where you come in. ‘Take a Stand for Turning Point’ is Turning Point’s biggest fundraiser and a great opportunity to get our message out to the world. Our local radio station Star 105.5 spends 36 hours on the air, telling our story and asking for donations. Each year that we have done this, in addition to an outpouring of donations, victims come forward after hearing about Turning Point on the radio. Our first radiothon had been on the air about an hour in 2006 when a woman pulled up, crying. She had been in an abusive relationship for years, but had been too scared to ask for help. She sat with a Turning Point Advocate in that parking lot, and for the first time, got the help she needed to end the violence in her own home.
If you can help, this is the time to do it. No donation is too small or too big:
· $5 can buy a ream of printer paper that might be used to write an order of protection, stopping the violence in one home for one family.
· $50 provides one session of counseling for a victim in crisis: One session might connect her to services that could potentially save her life.
· $600 is enough to provide crisis intervention, legal advocacy, and non-legal advocacy for one “walk-in” victim of domestic violence who comes to Turning Point for help rebuilding her life.
· $1800 provides a full course of counseling for a child who has witnessed or experienced violence in their home. Children in abusive homes tend to model their parents and grow up to be in abusive relationships as adults without counseling and early intervention.
· $2,700 provides emergency shelter and supportive services for one victim of domestic violence who had to flee their home in order to be safe. Staying in the Turning Point Shelter isn’t just “bed & board”- Residents get individual and group counseling and often job training, parenting classes, financial counseling- whatever they need to successfully transition to peaceful, healthy homes of their own. In the short term, that shelter saves lives; in the long term, staying there can also CHANGE lives.
There are several ways you can make a donation (which is tax deductible as allowed by law):
1. Write a check and mail it to Turning Point, PO Box 723, Woodstock IL 60098.
2. Make an on-line donation by going to http://www.mchenrycountyturningpoint.org/ You can click on that “Donate Now” link and make a contribution with a credit or bank card. (There is also a lot more information about Turning Point there!)
3. If you are on Facebook, you can visit the Turning Point page, become a supporter and make an online contribution there. http://apps.facebook.com/causes/332897?m=91e6b129
4. The event is held LIVE on air Friday August 6 and Saturday August 7-you can stop by Algonquin Commons on Randall Road in Algonquin (new location!) and make a donation in person. Or call in (during those two days only- phones are live 6 AM Friday until 6 PM Saturday, 8/6-7 ONLY) on our donation hotlines (847) 477 6167 or (847) 477 6687
5. Or call Turning Point during business hours and give us the information: (815) 338 8081.
I know times are hard all over- If you can help, thank you. If not, I sure do understand. If you can, please pass this on to your E-mail list or Facebook friends. As part of us “doing more with less”, we try to spend as little money as possible on fundraising and a message like this one is a free way to reach folks so we don’t have to resort to expensive events or buying a mailing list to reach new donors.
Thanks so much!!
July 19 2010 05:40 pm | Events and Fundraising