Domestic Violence Counts

The National Network to End Domestic Violence conducted their National Census of Domestic Violence Services last year. Simply put, this census counted the number of adults and children who received life-saving services from domestic violence programs on September 25, 2007.

On that one day, domestic violence programs across the nation served over 53,000 people. Local, state and national crisis hotlines answered more than 20,000 phone calls - that's 14 calls a minute.

In Ohio, 2,152 victims were served in those 24 hours. And 86% of the 72 domestic violence programs in our state provided individual counseling or advocacy to children and adults.

The results show that domestic violence services are in high demand. We hope that this census can educate communities and allow more people access to these vital services.

January is National Stalking Awareness Month

Next month ushers in more than just the start of the 2009 New Year. January is National Stalking Awareness Month. Started in 2004 by The National Center for Victims of Crime, it is a time to bring about awareness of the dangers of stalking.

Did you know that stalking is a crime in all 50 states, including the District of Columbia? One in 12 women and 1 in 45 men will be stalked in their lifetime. Stalking ranges from repeated phone calls and unwanted gifts to threats and controlling actions that create fear.

The theme for 2009 is "Stalking: Know It. Name It. Stop It." Share with others that 1.4 million people in the United States are stalked every year. Tell your friends that 77% of female victims and 64% of male victims know their stalker.

You can help promote National Stalking Awareness Month. Get the facts by scrolling down to the "More Information" box at the bottom of the page and open the "January: National Stalking Awareness Month" folder. Or learn more by visiting http://stalkingawarenessmonth.org/.

Insight from Santa Claus

Our Client Christmas Party was fun for everyone! The evening began with a tasty dinner, graciously served by our board members; crafts for the children followed. And to complete our celebration, Santa Claus, with Mrs. Claus in tow, entered just in time to join in the Hokey Pokey. Santa greeted children one by one and Mrs. Claus handed out presents.

Once Santa had spoken with each child, he told us something very unexpected. Out of every Christmas party that he attends, ours is quite different. Santa noted that many of the children at our party are fearful to approach him due to the fact that he is an adult male. The fear stems from negative associations the majority of these children have with male figures. Mrs. Claus played an important part that evening, reassuring children of the safety of Santa.

Santa added that what the children requested for Christmas showed another difference between our party and others. Most children asked for toys and games, but those at our party asked for basic items such as coats and socks. These insights show us the importance of our Christmas Party. We hope that the children asking Santa to bring them socks will soon be able to wish only for toys and games. We are thankful for our special Santa!

Match Day a Success

When the Community Foundation announced that funds for Match Day would be distributed on a first-come, first served-basis we imagined that people would be lining up early to wait for the doors to open. So we got in line at 4 p.m. on December 16th, the evening before the big day.

Our staff and volunteers took turns keeping our place first in line. We positioned ourselves outside the doors to the building, and as other nonprofit agencies joined us our circle of chairs grew. Three other organizations had representatives who braved the cold with us all night. We passed the time talking, laughing and enjoying hot coffee, walking to and from our outreach building for bathroom breaks. The winter weather could not quell our determination.

Hours before the building was scheduled to open, staff members from the remaining agencies arrived. To the group's delight, one of our board members stopped by with a large supply of hot cocoa, coffee, donuts and bagels which provided an energy boost.

At 7 a.m. the doors opened and we were greeted by the Community Foundation staff who ushered everyone inside the warm building. The check collection began at 8 a.m. We are extremely proud to report that we raised over $35,000, giving us a total over $70,000!

Our donors astounded us with their generosity and for that we are truly thankful. Match Day was a huge success - from the amount of support we received to the combined efforts of our board members, staff and volunteers who worked together tirelessly .

The Findlay Rotary Club Gala

We have some very exciting news to share. For the past two years The Findlay Rotary Club has held a fundraising gala to benefit local organizations, and (drum roll please) this year Open Arms will be a recipient! We can't wait to get started with our projects.

The Findlay Rotary Club will provide us with $50,000 to install windows in both our outreach building and the shelter, put a new roof on the shelter, fix the siding at the shelter and place security cameras in our outreach building for the Harmony House program. Wow! Look for these projects to begin in the Spring.

The gala is on May 15th at the Cube from 7 p.m. – midnight. To purchase your tickets visit the Rotary website at http://www.nex-tech.biz/tickets.html or call the Rotary Offices at 419.422.7557.

Thank you Findlay Rotary Club for this incredible act of service! We are also grateful for our staff and board members who presented these needs before the full Rotary Board. We are looking forward to beginning these endeavors.

Marathon Oil Honors an Open Arms Volunteer

Marathon Oil recently awarded us $1,000 through their employee-based Global Volunteer Award Program. The program honors 13 employees worldwide for their outstanding community service, giving a total of $13,000 in charitable grants to nonprofit organizations. Tracy Capes, a Marathon Oil employee and one of our valuable volunteers, received this honor.

Tracy is an advocate for the education and awareness of domestic violence in our community. She wants people to understand and be aware of this issue. "The statistics prove that it's happening in their neighborhood," she said, explaining why community education is essential.

As a volunteer for seven years, Tracy has served many roles. She helped with our Christmas Party, photographed the Bird House Auction, served on several committees and even monitored Harmony House visitations... just to name a few. Tracy has seen how her position as a volunteer is important for Open Arms and our community.

When asked her favorite part about volunteering, Tracy said that she enjoys "giving back to the organization and watching people be able to improve their lives."

We are thankful for Tracy's service at Open Arms and for all of our wonderful volunteers!