Crisis Line
1-800-270-1620 or 641-673-5499

	Empowering Our Community
Volume V, Issue 1		January 2005

[ Help Save Lives...Volunteer! | Thank you to our Generous Donors | Untitled Poem | 5th Annual Charity Ball Scheduled | FVRT's Camera Project Underway | Volunteer Drivers Needed | Understanding the Link Between Domestic Violence and Animal Abuse | Cookbooks for Sale | U Can 2 Sisterhood | Sunshine Lady Foundation Offers Scholarships | Role Model or Good-Ol'-Boy | Finding Your Voice | Dating Violence Workshop Successful | Feinstein Offers Another $1 Million Challenge to Help Fight Hunger | Susan Schechter Leadership Development Fellowship | Cell Phone Collection Benefits Many]

Don't forget to read the Press Releases

Help Save Lives...Volunteer!

Last year, volunteers gave CIS over 1,300 hours of service in a variety of roles.  In times of decreased funding, volunteers are needed more than ever. CIS knows that volunteerism benefits you just as much as survivors of abuse and our organization.   If you can think of a special way that you would like to serve, please contact us.  We value your time, commitment, and skills. We are really excited about the coming year and working with all of our wonderful volunteers.  We had a meet and greet at the December meeting, where volunteers gave us ideas for what they would like to see more of in the program.  These ideas have been the inspiration for our new and improved volunteer program.  It is our goal that this year will be more fun and educational for all involved. The   meeting times have been moved to 6:30-8:00 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month at the United Way conference room.  We will provide speakers so that volunteers can keep up on their continuing education for their certification.  We will also offer various other continuing education opportunities electronically. Our volunteers decide what they would like to do to help and how many hours they will contribute.  This gives everyone the opportunity to serve in unique ways.  Our next volunteer training is tentatively scheduled for February 16-19, 2005.  We will offer training in the evening on Wednesday through Friday and all day on Saturday.  This training is also open to anyone in the community, whether they wish to volunteer or not, and the cost is only $25.  Moreover, we coordinate with other crisis center agencies to provide training throughout the year, so if February will not work for you maybe one later in the year will.  If you would like to participate in our volunteer program or have questions regarding the program, please contact Jackie Allen Black, Children’s Services/ Volunteer Coordinator at (641) 673-5499.

Volunteer Opportunities

Outreach: 

• Distribute flyers, brochures and other materials in your community
• Answering the office phone, filing, photocopying, etc. during office hours
• Assist with awareness activities in your community
• Serve on the Fundraising Committee
• Assist with maintenance, cleaning, etc. at the shelter
• And more!!!

Direct service:

• Provide assistance to clients including support and advocacy and/or answering the 24-hour crisis line
• Offer support and advocacy to survivors who seek services after hours at the hospital or other safe locations
• Provide transportation for people in need to appointments in or out of town (CIS provides vehicle)

Leadership:

• Serve on the Board of Directors

Back to top

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS DONORS!

Thank you to all area churches, businesses, civic organizations, and individuals for everything you continue to do to support CIS and survivors of domestic abuse, sexual assault, other violent crimes, and homelessness.  Without your help, we would not be able to offer the comprehensive services that we have.  Everyone has been very generous with donations in the past few months.  We have almost met 1/2 of our $16,000 donation goal, which will keep our operating budget out of the red this fiscal year (July 2004-June 2005).  Moreover, because of your continued donations of supplies for our shelter, we continue to keep our operating costs lower than most shelters in our state.  Please continue to remember us when you replace things in your home or donate to local non-profit organizations! 

We also thank those who have responded to our request for support for our new Transitional Housing Program! 

Back to top

Untitled

When things go wrong as they sometimes will
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile but you have to sigh
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you want—but don’t you quit,
Life is strange with it’s twists and turns
As every one of us sometimes learns
And many a failure turns about
When she might of won she stuck it out
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow
You may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
And you can never tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems so far
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit
It’s when things seem worst that you
MUST NOT QUIT!!!

We always welcome poems, stories, and artwork from survivors!  Contact Dawn at 673-0336.

Back to top

5th Annual Charity Ball Scheduled

Our fifth annual charity ball is scheduled for March 5, 2005 at the Elmhurst Country Club.  This year our theme will be Mardi Gras!  In the past it has been vintage formal attire.  We thought it was time for a change and decided on a more casual theme and dress.  The silent auction proceeds are needed to meet our operating budget.  Last year some of the items up for auction consisted of a suite at an Iowa Cubs game in Des Moines, tickets to Fame and A Street Car Named Desire at the George Daily Auditorium, and a  Auto-graphed t-shirt signed by Richard and Kyle Petty . Please come and join us for an exciting night of fun events, and see what items we will have for auction this year!  If you would like to donate an auction item or help plan the charity ball call CIS at 641 673-0336.  

Charity Ball Schedule of events:

6:00 p.m.-Social hour with a  magician performing street magic

7:00 p.m.-Dinner and a magic show

8:30 p.m.-Dance and Silent auction

Back to top

FVRT’s Camera Project Underway

Back to top

VOLUNTEER DRIVERS NEEDED!

 You set your driving schedule, CIS provides the van!

Transport those in need to grocery store, appointments, library, and more…

PLEASE CALL 673-5499 FOR MORE INFORMATION

Back to top

Understanding the Link Between Domestic Violence and Animal Abuse

Back to top

COOKBOOKS FOR SALE

Looking for a gift for someone?  Maybe you are interested in  cooking something different.  Help survivors of abuse by purchasing a cookbook made up of recipes from CIS staff, board members, and volunteers.  There are over 100 recipes to choose from and they are all short and easy!  There is even a section in the back of the book that consists of “household hints.”  These are tips to remedy this or that in the home.  You can purchase a cookbook at our main office between the hours of 9-5 Monday through Friday or from anyone associated with CIS. 

Back to top

U can 2 SISTERHOOD

caring and sharing is what it is all about!

Back to top

Sunshine Lady Foundation Offers Scholarships

Back to top

Role Model or Good-Ol’-Boy ?

CIS staff recently attended a conference sponsored by the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence and gained a wealth of information about domestic violence in religious or faith based institutions.  The CIS Domestic Violence Services Coordinator, Jeff Shaw, will be offering workshops for local religious groups, with an emphasis on men’s groups.   My goal is to challenge some of the beliefs that out society has concerning domestic violence.  One common belief is that domestic violence is a “woman’s issue.”  In any relationship, there are two individuals; therefore, it should be an issue for both parties.  For over three decades now, women have been assisting other women who find themselves the target of violence in their relationship.  As much as this effort is needed and worthy, it does not address the controlling actions and behaviors of the violent person.

Succumbing to external pressure, our government has implemented many codified laws to address domestic violence issues; however the successes of these laws are often dependant upon the views and beliefs of those enforcing them.  This brings us to the second issue that needs to be addressed in our society.  Our society has a misguided belief that domestic violence is a private matter and outsiders should not get involved.  The family unit and society are entwined in a dialectic relationship that cannot be severed.  What happens in a person’s family of origin often dictates how that individual acts, behaves, and reacts in their family later in life.  If domestic violence was modeled or learned in the family of origin, then domestic violence often will be enmeshed into the new family units when those children leave the nest.  The social acceptance of violence in turn promotes more violent behavior within the family unit; due in part to a lack of consequences—at a societal level—from our judicial system, accountability from peers, and the misguided sense of power and control of the individual. The lack of consequences for violence in interpersonal relationships continues to reinforce the misguided sense of power and control of the violent person.  Our society appears to reward its members for increasing their individual power and control within the confines of our social structure and there are certainly many legitimate and legal ways to accomplish this; however, there are also many illegitimate methods of  accomplishing the same objective.  The dynamics of domestic violence foster an imbalance of power two ways.  One involves using social institutions to leverage an increase of power for the abuser and the other uses psychological and economic manipulation to decrease the power of the victim.  Through degradation, humiliation, and violence, abusers destroy the psychological wellbeing of their victim and manipulate family finances to create an economic dependence.  With few alternatives to choose from, women attempt to find assistance in our religious, criminal/legal, and legislative institutions only to find attitudes that favor the man’s right to abuse and condemn her right to be safe in her home. 

It is at this point that men have the ability to hold their peers accountable and take a stand against violence because most men in our society are not abusive and do not condone familial abuse.  Unfortunately, it is too easy to remain an observer and stand in the back of the crowd, feeling like we have no responsibility in this situation; however, there are inherent problems with this mental state.  These problems surface when we begin to ask the questions of “How could he have done this to her?” or “Why did she have to die before someone did something about it?”  By their very nature, an abuser resists taking direction from someone they believe to be inferior.  They are also reluctant to conform due to the threats of legal consequence.  Maybe, just maybe, they will listen when their peers challenge their abusive behaviors, communicate their intolerance of abusive behaviors, and hold the abuser accountable for their behaviors. 

The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.

Back to top

Finding Your Voice

Speaking Out Against Violence

William Penn University and Crisis Intervention Services again teamed together to sponsor Finding Your Voice: Speaking Out Against Violence week.  The week of events took place October 25-29.  This is a week of awareness and activities focused on violence and its effects on individuals. 

The week started with purple ribbons, displayed on trees and poles throughout campus, representing Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  Students participated in a contest wherein they guessed how many ribbons were hung up with a prize awarded to the student with the closest answer.  T-shirts were tie dyed purple on Monday also to be worn on Friday, the designated “Purple Day.” At the same time, many students made t-shirts to add to the CIS Clothesline Project.  Some         messages included “stop the     violence” and “I am a survivor!”  The Clothesline Project includes up to fifty shirts that can be displayed throughout the year at business locations and/or various events. To schedule a showing, please call CIS at 673-0336.

Several presentations were held during the Finding Your Voice week and the public was invited to each.  Approximately fifty students attend each presentation, which doubled the attendance from last year!  The presentation topics included hate crimes awareness, victim impact panel, and a sexual assault panel.  There was also a self defense class offered for students one evening. Donations of new or slightly used   t-shirts are always needed for our clothesline project.  The t-shirts can be a solid color or white and it is best if they have no writing or graphics on either the front or back.

If you would like to help organize the Finding Your Voice Week events for next year, please contact Jeff at 673-5499.

Back to top

Dating Violence Workshop Successful

Back to top

Feinstein Offers Another $1 Million Challenge To Help Fight Hunger

For the eighth straight year, Alan Shawn Feinstein will divide $1 million among hunger fighting agencies nationwide using it to help them raise funds during March and April, 2005.  Cash, check and food items donated to CIS during March and April will be matched by the Feinstein Foundation. 

Feinstein’s past $1 million challenges to fight hunger have raised a record $350 million for agencies nationwide.  Your donation toward this campaign makes you partners in the most successful grassroots campaign to fight hunger of all times. 

Back to top

SUSAN SCHECHTER LEADERSHIP DEVELOMENT FELLOWSHIP

The Family Violence Prevention Fund and CONNECT, Inc. have created the Susan Schechter Leadership Development Fellowship to foster new leadership in the work to end violence against women and children.  Schechter was one of the most accomplished and inspirational leaders in the movement to prevent abuse.  She died of endometrial cancer in February. 

Schechter’s dream was to create a world in which violence no longer devastates the lives of women and children.  To advance that dream, and strengthen and expand knowledge about how best to address family violence, the Fellowship will include one-on-one mentoring, a $12,000 stipend, and an annual retreat with violence prevention leaders.  Fellows will be expected to develop tangible projects that provide a practical contribution to the field.

Those eligible include:

Survivors of violence in the home, including child witnesses to abuse;

People who might not get a similar opportunity elsewhere;

Those who have some work experience, either professional or volunteer, in the field, and who have demonstrated their leadership and have a commitment to continuing their work on violence against women and children; and

Those able to conceptualize a project that lends practical value to the work Susan Schechter advanced. 

Both funds and qualified applicants for the Fellowship are being sought. More information on the new fellowship and an application are available at www.endabuse.org/about/jobs/jobs53.php 

Reprinted from the FVPF Speaking Up Newsletter

Back to top

Cell Phone Collection Benefits Many

Thank you to all of the businesses that collected cell phones for CIS during October 2004, the national Domestic Violence Awareness Month. We are able to give the cell phones that are useless to most of us, and take up valuable space, to survivors of abuse and/or people with health and safety concerns for        emergency purposes.  They are able to call 911 (only) for assistance at any time.  This helps individuals who may not otherwise have access to a phone.  We are also able to give cell phones to a recycling program called Shelter Alliance.  They pay domestic abuse shelters for any unneeded cell phones and accessories. You can get as little as a penny and up to twenty dollars per telephone.  With the October collections, we raised $335 dollars!

We continue to take and need your unwanted cell phones at any time.  They can be dropped off at our office between the hours of 9-5 Monday through Friday. 

Back to top

Don't forget to read the Press Releases

Crisis Intervention Services
Design by ArrowQuick Solutions
Send all Design Comments to Info@arrowquick.com
Send all other comments to crisisintervention@mahaska.org