Open House Reception for Beth Meeks

For 20 years Beth Meeks has dedicated herself to Open Arms. On December 28, 2009, she will be leaving the agency to pursue her new position as Executive Director of The Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

The Open Arms Board of Directors and Staff are hosting a public Open House Reception to show our appreciation and gratitude for the service Beth has provided to this community. Community members are welcome to join us for food and fellowship as we say goodbye to a strong community leader, a dedicated advocate of domestic violence and a great friend.

Open House for Beth Meeks

Monday, December 21, 2009
First Presbyterian Church, Great Room
2330 South Main Street, Findlay
4:00—6:00 PM
For more information, contact Open Arms

419-420-9261

Passive Fundraisers benefit Open Arms

We often have people contact us to ask how they can contribute to the programs and services we provide. Open Arms has many passive fundraisers that take place all year long. Below is a list of ways that you can be involved in raising funds for Open Arms. Every person, every dollar makes a difference!

Cell Phone Collection
Own a cell phone, but are getting a new one? Donate your old cell phone to Open Arms. Donated phones are either refurbished and given to individuals affected by domestic violence or they are recycled.

www.GoodSearch.com
If surfing the Internet is one of your past-times or even if you do it occasionally, use www.goodsearch.com as your search engine of choice. When you arrive at goodsearch.com, you will need to verify that your agency is Open Arms Domestic Violence & Rape Crisis
Services of Findlay, Ohio and each time you search, money is raised for Open Arms.

Kroger Community Rewards
The Kroger Company has announced a Community Rewards program designed to give back to each community through donations to local non-profit organizations. Every donor and volunteer of Open Arms who registers his/her Kroger Plus Card through the Community Rewards program will be donating a percentage of money back to Open Arms each and every time they use their Kroger Plus Card. Simply register your Kroger card at KrogerCommunityRewards.com, register/sign in, enter your card number and choose “Open Arms” in the search field for nonprofit organizations. Now just shop, swipe your card & earn!

Clothesline Project Jewelry
The Clothesline Project is an awareness campaign that allows survivors to tell their stories on t-shirts. Clothesline Project bracelets are a simple, wearable reminder of this moving tribute. The bracelet is comprised of tiny t-shirt beads that are individually fabricated from glass. Each bracelet is hand-made by local artists Barbara Hay and Gina Mummert, co-owners of Two Songs. Sterling Silver connects the beads, with a bundle of silver clothesline and a miniature silver clothespin charm, which is engraved with the words, “Break The Silence”. Each Clothesline Project bracelet is an individual work of art. While they share common characteristics, no two will ever be exactly alike. 50% of the proceeds go toward the Open Arms endowment account.

Children’s Survivor Art Cards
Many of the children we serve at Open Arms have expressed their feelings through artwork. We have compiled many of these pieces and created sets of note cards. These sets include 10 separate cards, including envelopes. They are a unique and innocent look through the eyes of a child.

Calling All Toys...

Open Arms Domestic Violence & Rape Crisis Services is seeking donations of gifts for children and women who have been affected by domestic violence. A Client Christmas Party will be held in December, providing many clients with food, games, and gifts for Christmas. Items needed include sports equipment, gift cards, games, cars and dolls for the children. We are also seeking bath and body type items, photo albums/frames, calendars, gas/phone/gift cards, tote bags, purses, gloves and perfume items for our female adult clients. Donations are also being sought for the Client Christmas Party, with needed items including hamburger buns, plastic silverware, baked goods, vegetable trays, chips and dip and beverages.

If you wish to be one of Santa's helpers by providing gifts or adopting a family, please contact Open Arms at 419-420-9261. All donations can be dropped off at the Open Arms Administrative Office, 401 West Sandusky Street, by December 11th. We ask that donors take care to ensure that all toys, books, games or other gifts are nonviolent. We also ask that the gifts not be wrapped in order for our staff to sort and separate the toys for age appropriateness.

Support Open Arms and Our Clients this Holiday Season

You can make a difference this holiday season with three options to support Open Arms and our clients.

OPTION 1: Donate items for the Christmas Party. The Client Christmas Party is Tuesday, December 15. Call to find out how you or your group can help by volunteering or donating tape, ribbon, toys, food or drinks for the party.

OPTION 2: Sponsor an Angel Tree. Put up a tree in your business and decorate it with names of individual "angels" (provided by Open Arms). Members can select "angels", purchase gifts and deliver to Open Arms by December 11.

OPTION 3: Adopt A Family. After registering for a family, you will be contacted and provided with information to guide appropriate purchases. Families are selected by Open Arms staff. For safety purposes, the family's name and member's identities are confidential. Gifts should be delivered to Open Arms Administrative Office at 401 West Sandusky Street before December 11. We ask that the gifts not be wrapped, as many of the moms enjoy wrapping them themselves.

If you are interested in helping Open Arms in one of the three ways above, contact our Administrative Office at 419-420-9261. We thank you for your support!

Meeks to Leave Open Arms

Open Arms Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Services announced this morning that effective December 28, 2009 Beth Meeks will be resigning her position as Executive Director after more than 13 years in that role.

Meeks has accepted the Executive Director position at The Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The Louisiana Coalition is a statewide network of 20 domestic violence agencies. The Coalition supports those organizations through resource development, allocation of funds, technical assistance and training. It also acts as the statewide voice on behalf of the domestic violence community to elected leaders at state and federal levels.

Open Arms Board President, Lonna Bruskotter, announced that Yvette Mains, a Program Manager who has been with the organization for more than 18 years, will be serving as Interim Director while a search committee locates a permanent Executive Director. ‘Yvette is very familiar with agency staff and programs. She has a long history with the organization and is respected both inside and out. We are confident that she will provide the stability and leadership we need during our search.’, said Bruskotter.

Bruskotter, who will oversee the search process, thinks the leadership role at Open Arms provides an exciting opportunity. ‘We have accomplished a lot. We own two debt free facilities and operate 6 programs with more than 20 staff. Last year the programs served more than 8,000 people.’ She says, ‘We have a really strong staff and board who operate well as a team. It will be a great experience for the right candidate.’ ‘I have learned much, been cared for and seen many positive changes and much growth in the people and community around me.’ Says Meeks, the longest serving Executive Director in Open Arms’ 30 year history. ‘It is so hard to leave. This agency and this community mean so much to me.’

Meeks will be tasked with leading the Louisiana Coalition through the five year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina which completely destroyed some of the domestic violence agencies there. Most of the agencies are reopened but in various states of rebuilding. She hopes to issue a report that provides legislators and key stakeholders a comprehensive review of the state of services in Louisiana at the five year mark.

SEVERAL HONORED AT OPEN ARMS ANNUAL MEETING

Several local volunteers were honored at the Open Arms Annual Meeting on October 20 at First Presbyterian Church. Award recipients included Dave and Erik Glass, The James H. Brannigan Unsung Hero Award; Denice Ziebold, Tom Croasmun Memorial Volunteer of the Year Award; Mark Plesec, Board Member of the Year; Larry Dunfee, Special Achievement Award; and Carol Dale Joseph, Lifetime Achievement Award. Beth Meeks, Open Arms Executive Director, was also presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award for twenty years of service with the agency. Carol Dale Joseph was recognized for six years of service as her board term expired. One new Board Member, Brian Haehl, was welcomed to the Board of Directors.

As part of the Annual Meeting, Open Arms also presented an unveiling of the NW Ohio Silent Witness Project for the first time in Findlay, Ohio. In memory of local victims, this event gave voices to fifteen women from this area who lost their lives at the hands of someone they loved. For more information about Silent Witness Project or Open Arms, call 419-420-9261 or visit us online at www.openarmsfindlay.org.

Open Arms Annual Meeting Features Silent Witness Project

In memory of local victims who lost their lives as a result of domestic violence, Open Arms Domestic Violence & Rape Crisis Services is proud to host an unveiling of the NW Ohio Silent Witness Project for the first time in Findlay, Ohio. This event will give voice to the victims who lost their lives at the hands of someone they loved.

The Unveiling Ceremony will be held immediately after the Open Arms Annual Meeting, scheduled for October 20, 2009 at 7:00 PM at First Presbyterian Church, Findlay. A donation of $20 per person is suggested by not required to attend the event. Refreshments will be provided.

The Silent Witness Project is a powerful and reverent project consisting of life-sized silhouettes representing victims from NW Ohio whose lives ended as a result of domestic violence. We ask community members to attend this event to remember these women, to hear their stories, to honor their families, and to remember their names. For more information about Silent Witness Project or Open Arms, call 419-420-9261 or online at www.openarmsfindlay.org.

OPEN ARMS RECEIVES GRANT FROM THE MARY KAY FOUNDATION TO COMBAT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Open Arms Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Services has been chosen to receive a $20,000 grant from The Mary Kay Foundation as part of the organization’s annual $3 million national domestic violence grant program. Open Arms is one of 150 domestic violence organizations participating in the program. The grant will be used for shelter operations.

“This grant is such a blessing to Open Arms,” said Beth Meeks, Executive Director. “It couldn’t have come at a better time.” Open Arms realized last fall that the economy was about to create a deficit in its operating budget. They predicted about a $60,00 hole. That amount doubled in the middle of 2009 through uncollectable client fees and state cuts that trickled down. “We have already lost two full-time positions, cut the hours of 38% of our staff and renegotiated everything from utility costs to health insurance. After all that we still had a gap.” In a sort of ‘hail Mary’ attempt Meeks applied for grant funding from several sources. “We’ve applied for the Mark Kay money in past years but the competition is so tight we never got it.” ‘We did receive some stimulus money which is helping but we still had a deficit. I was literally staring at the hole in the finances and trying to figure out what to do next when the email came from the Mary Kay Foundation.”

Besides the loss in income Open Arms has had to deal with increased expenses due to lost donations. Meeks explained that in 2007 Open Arms received $22,000 in in-kind donations like cleaning and paper supplies and other household goods. This year that amount is less than $7,000, meaning the agency has had to buy those things. “Its put a strain on our budget. But the Mary Kay money gives us hope that we can hold steady through this year and next if we can just maintain some local donations.”

The economic climate has not only caused a decrease in donations but can also be attributed to an increase in the need for domestic violence services. In May 2009, Mary Kay’s Truth About Abuse survey of domestic violence shelters across the country revealed some alarming results: three out of four domestic violence shelters report an increase in women seeking assistance from abuse since September 2008, a major turning point in the U.S. economy. The survey data directly connects the downturn in the economy to an increase in domestic violence.

“In light of the economic downturn and alarming increases in domestic violence, The Mary Kay Foundation’s mission is more critical than ever before. Open Arms has helped so many women and their families in the Hancock County area. We know they will use these funds to benefit even more domestic violence survivors and their children and help end domestic violence,” said Jennifer Cook, The Mary Kay Foundation board member.

Open Arms Domestic Violence & Rape Crisis services is a nonprofit agency supported in part by the Hancock County United Way. Open Arms provides six program services to those living and working in the greater Hancock County community. The six programs include Rape Crisis Services, Child Advocacy, Violence Recovery Project, Outreach Services, the Harmony House Visitation & Exchange program, and Emergency Shelter Services. The 24-hour Crisis Hotline is 419-422-4766. Join us at our blog at openarmsfindlay.blogspot.com for updates on our everyday life here at Open Arms.

About the Mary Kay Foundation

The Mary Kay Foundation was created in 1996, and its mission is two-fold: to fund research of cancers affecting women and to help prevent domestic violence while raising awareness of the issue. Since the Foundation’s inception, it has awarded nearly $22 million to shelters and programs addressing domestic violence prevention and $13 million to cancer researchers and related causes throughout the United States. To learn more about The Mary Kay Foundation, log on to http://www.marykayfoundation.org/ or call 1-877-MKCARES (652-2737).

Tough Economy Takes a Toll on Open Arms

Wow, it has been quite the rollercoaster ride this year, for all of us. Just as households and governments have struggled with a falling economy, so have non-profits. Open Arms has not escaped the consequences of the economy either.

Last year by September we were predicting a $60,000 deficit in our 2009 budget due to falling grant and donation income. That amounts to almost 10% of our budget. Part way through 2009 we got hit again with another loss of income that amounts to almost $50,000 in trickle down state funding and lost client fees. Many of the persons we serve have lost jobs and are unable to pay service fees. They are on scholarships or reduced rates or paying over extended periods of time.

And of course we know that family violence calls for assistance increase during economic hardship. Last month we served more than 50 clients through outreach and court advocacy. That’s an agency record for one month.

In addition to the direct economic loss, costs for everything continue to rise. We have battled significant increases in regular expenses like health insurance and utilities, just like many of you have. We have also been faced with unusual expenses. More clients need assistance with food while in shelter and we have fewer in-kind donations coming in.

In-kind donations are the non-cash donations that provide things like cleaning supplies and paper products. In 2007 we had more than 255 in-kind donations valued at more than $22,000. In 2008 that fell to $11,000 worth of items and so far in 2009 we have only had $7,000 worth of those donations. This means that we have been forced to spend more cash than usual on supplies.

To weather the economic losses, we started working last summer on ways we might be able to save money and raise additional dollars. The Board of Directors had a strategic brainstorming meeting and created goals to focus on for the coming year, many of which have been achieved. The staff got together and agreed to change some procedures that make more work for them but saves the agency money. And we started applying for funding in every nook and cranny we could find it.

We renegotiated every utility and line item expense we have to make sure we were getting the best deal possible. We cut two full-time positions and reduced the hours of 38% of our staff. We were awarded some stimulus funding that will help get us through this year and next and we were the surprise recipients of a Mary Kay Ash grant. Several local funders have given us the dollars we need to buy supplies for school prevention programs and Rotary honored its commitment to provide us with funding to handle building needs.

It has been a wide scale community effort. Open Arms staff should be commended for their sacrifices. The agency looks a little different, but we’re still standing. We are grateful to everyone who has helped along the way. As long as donations hold steady for the remainder of the year, we are hopeful we will not post a significant deficit. Like anything, as long as we stick together, we can get through it.

Kirk Chiropractic "Makes a Difference" to Open Arms

Kirk Chiropractic is making a difference in our community this year with Patient Appreciation Days. Patients will have the opportunity to receive adjustments or new patient services while supporting Open Arms. On Tuesday, September 22, all established patients can schedule appointments to receive all treatments for $10, which will be donated to Open Arms. On Thursday, September 24, all new patients referred by existing clients will receive a case history and consultation, an orthopedic and neurological exam, initial x-rays (if needed), and a report of findings for $25, which will be donated to Open Arms.

And don't miss out on Ladies Night, Thursday, September 17 at 6:30 PM. This fundraiser for Open Arms will allow Kirk Chiropractic to pamper the ladies with hair and make up demonstrations, massages, yoga, shopping for designer inspired purses, Stampin' Up make & take, Celebrating Home and Arbonne products, Alpaca Jacks merchandise and Phat Cakes! This event is free and open to the public. Come and join the staff of Kirk Chiropractic and Open Arms on Thursday, September 17 at 6:30 PM. Kirk Chiropractic is located at 116 W. Lima Street, Findlay.

A Stylish New Business will Benefit Open Arms

A new, local business will give back to the community in style. Closet of Styles, a clothing store that buys and sells gently used name brand clothing for teens and young adults, will collect donations to benefit Open Arms Domestic Violence & Rape Crisis Services from July 13 to August 13. During this time, a customer can bring in an item from the Open Arms wish list and receive 15 percent off his or her entire purchase. Access the Open Arms wish list by visiting http://www.openarmsfindlay.org/help/wish.shtml.

Closet of Styles will hold a Grand Opening ceremony on August 13. The Grand Opening will include a live broadcast with Keith and Beth from The Mix 96.7 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and a ribbon cutting with Mayor Pete Sehnert at 12 p.m. Depinet Concession will sell cotton candy, snow cones and other items, and fifty percent of their profits will be donated to Open Arms.

During the tough economic times, Closet of Styles offers a way to earn cash for clothing and to purchase gently used items while benefiting the local community. Closet of Styles is located at 7523 Patriot Drive, Findlay, Ohio, in front of Menards, between Stevi B's and Once Upon A Child. For more information visit http://www.closetofstyles.com/.

Prudential Chaslo Realty Garage Sale to Benefit Open Arms

Prudential Chaslo Realty is holding their 6th Annual Charity Garage Sale and Raffle – their yearly fundraiser to provide help for those in need, and this year it will benefit Open Arms!

The garage sale will be held on Saturday, June 20, from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the Prudential Chaslo Realty parking lot.

Raffle items include a Wii, a LCD TV, a grill and assorted gift baskets. Be sure to attend the event to purchase a Raffle Ticket and do some shopping to benefit Open Arms!

Walk A Mile In Her Shoes

Dorney Plaza in Downtown Findlay was buzzing with excitement on Saturday, April 25. Open Arms hosted Walk A Mile In Her Shoes: The International Men's March to Stop Rape, Sexual Assault & Gender Violence.

Nearly 100 people turned out to walk, including Mayor Pete Sehnert who walked in red, 3-inch heels. Radio personalities Keith Hodkinson, Smokin' Joe Bacon and the Big Kahuna proved that they can talk the talk and walk the walk. Several local business organized teams to walk as well. The event was our sole fundraiser for this year, and we received over $10,000!

The festivities began with an opening ceremony from emcee Dave Glass, vice president and director of broadcast at the Findlay Publishing Company. Findlay High School student Lindsay Barlett sang the Star Spangled Banner and then the Gold Medal Platinum All Star Cheerleaders led the walkers down Main Street to kick off the walk.

Walkers could rest at three different "comfort zones" along the route and choose to buy out by purchasing flip-flops to wear instead of their heels. However, the majority of walkers strutted right past and finished the mile walk in heels - in fact, many of the heels are ripped straight down to the nail.

A reception and awards ceremony followed the walk. Awards for best time went to three students who finished the walk in under 10 minutes by running most of the way in heels. Judges also handed out awards for categories such as "best strut" and "most graceful."

Prizes were awarded for the adult and student walker with the highest amount of pledges. Student Erik Glass brought $225 in pledges and won a bike donated by the Bike Shop. Adult Dave Gerardi collected $546 in pledges and won a gift basket full of various gift certificates including $45 to Outback Steak House, a Hotel Night Stay at Findlay Fairfield Inn and a LaRiche Chevrolet-Cadillac hat, oil change, and “spa day” for your car.

The day was fun for the whole family. Food vendors offered tasty treats on the hot, sunny day. A children's area, with teachers from 1 Amazing Place child care, provided activities for kids. Walkers could soothe aching backs and feet with massages from Angel Hands, the Wellness Center and Chiropractor Dr. Charley Foltz.

View or purchase pictures here, thanks to photographer Marie Smith at Expressions Photo Art Studio. Then watch the video footage, provided by Flag City Online, here.

The event would not have been a success without our sponsors or volunteers. Thank you for your time and donations - your contributions made this walk possible. We are thankful for those who participated in this fun event to raise awareness about the serious issues of domestic violence and sexual assault. Get ready for Walk A Mile In Her Shoes 2010!

Ohio Fails State-By-State Report Card

Ohio failed the State-By-State Teen Dating Violence Report Card for the second year since Break the Cycle, a teen violence prevention organization, issued them. States are graded on a system which assigns positive and negative points to their laws regarding domestic violence and protection offered to teens experiencing dating violence. Ohio is among 11 states that failed the report, as Ohio does not allow teen victims’ access to a domestic violence protection order. New legislation could change this by offering protection to teens.

House Bill 10, sponsored by Rep. Edna Brown (D-Toledo), would allow juvenile court judges to issue protection orders to juveniles who are victims of dating violence. Currently, Ohio law requires that one must be 18 years of age or older to obtain a protection order. This law prevented Johanna Orozco, a 20-year-old Cleveland native, from receiving a protection order in 2007; her former boyfriend later stalked her and shot her in the face.

House Bill 19, sponsored by Rep. Sandra Harwood (D-Niles), would require school districts to adopt dating abuse policies and education in the classroom. This bill, dubbed “Tina’s Law” after 18-year-old Tina Croucher of Cincinnati who was murdered by her former boyfriend in 1992, is introduced again after dying in the Senate last year.

Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray supports HB 10 and HB 19. The bills are currently in hearings but still must be voted on by the Senate.

Open Arms conducted an anonymous survey to collect information about whether this issue is specifically impacting our own teens. In survey of about 200 Hancock County youth aged 13-19, 35% said they know someone who has been the victim of teen dating violence, and 50% know someone who has been the victim of sexual assault.

Open Arms encourages contacting your local state senator and representative to support the passage of HB 10 and HB 19, which will protect victims of teen violence and provide teen dating violence prevention education.

Use our letter as a template to write or call your State Senator or State Representative. Scroll down to the "More Information Box" at the bottom of the page and click on "Teen Dating Violence" to get the letter and to read Ohio's report card. Findlay residents can contact State Representative Cliff Hite at (614) 466-3819, and State Senator Stephen Buehrer at (614) 466-8150.

One Month Until Heels!

The countdown to Walk A Mile In Her Shoes: The International Men's March to Stop Rape, Sexual Assault & Gender Violence has officially begun! Today marks exactly one month until April 25, 2009 - track the time yourself by following our countdown timer at the bottom of the page.

Walk A Mile In Her Shoes asks men to raise awareness about domestic violence and sexual assault in a unique way - by walking one mile in women's high heeled shoes! We are excited for the community to put their best foot forward and walk to end violence - even Mayor Sehnert has agreed to walk!

Every one in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. Would you put yourself in her shoes? Step up and join us!

Walk A Mile In Her Shoes - Saturday, April 25, 2009

Dorney Plaza, Downtown Findlay & Coordinating Parade Route

Registration: 10am

Opening Ceremony: 11:30am

Walk Start: 12pm

Reception & Awards: 1pm

If you would like to walk or challenge a friend or co-worker to walk, visit the "More Information" box at the bottom of this page and click on the "Walk A Mile In Her Shoes" folder for the forms. If you're interested in volunteering, please call us at 419.420.9261.

Open Arms to Host "Investigating Sex Crimes" Training

Open Arms will host Gordon Goodrow, a senior detective with the Lower Paxton Police Department in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Goodrow will present “Investigating Sex Crimes,” training for law enforcement, prosecutors, medical personnel, advocates and other professionals on March 30 and 31 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at The Family Center.

Last month, Open Arms reported a 30% increase in the number of sexual assaults handled by the county’s Sexual Assault Response Team through the Blanchard Valley Emergency Department in 2008. A community task force is in place to address this issue, and Open Arms offers Goodrow’s training to further educate professionals working with victims and offenders of sex crimes.

The training is a one day training. The curriculum is being repeated a second day to allow agencies to stagger personnel schedules and allow more officers to attend. The Hancock County ADAMHS Board has underwritten the training so that the cost is free to professionals serving Hancock County and only $10 to out of county professionals. CEU’s and CNE’s will be provided. CLE’s are pending.

Goodrow has been in law enforcement for more than 20 years and as a detective is specially trained in sexual assault investigations, child pornography, child abuse, interview and interrogation, and homicide. He is a frequent trainer and has presented at statewide conferences. For more information about the “Investigating Sex Crimes” training, call Open Arms at 419-420-9261

Robin Givens and Denise Brown on "Larry King Live"

The recent case involving celebrities Rihanna and Chris Brown has brought public attention to violence against women yet again. Last night on "Larry King Live" guest host Joy Behar interviewed Robin Givens and Denise Brown. The topic of the discussion: domestic violence.

In the interview, Givens, actress and ex-wife of heavyweight champ Mike Tyson, shares her experience and history of abuse. Brown, sister of Nicole Brown who was O.J. Simpson's former wife, discusses the cycle of domestic violence. Both Givens and Brown visited Findlay to talk about this issue at Open Arms' Annual Meetings, Givens in October 2008 and Brown in October 2007.

Watch their interview here on our blog to learn more.

FBI, Ohio, and Child Prostitution

The FBI recently teamed up with local law enforcement across the nation to rescue child prostitutes. The three-day initiative, known as Operation Cross Country, targeted 29 U.S. cities – including Toledo, Cleveland and Lima – and recovered 48 children.

In Ohio, 18 adults were arrested. And of the 19 state busts, the only state with more targeted zones than Ohio was California. Lima was the smallest city on the list.

During the three-day period, more than 571 people were arrested on domestic trafficking and prostitution-related charges.

This is the third Operation Cross Country sweep to occur since the formation of the Innocence Lost National Initiative, a federal program created to fight child prostitution. Over the life of the project, the Innocence Lost Task Forces have recovered 670 children, including 9 girls in Pennsylvania who were sold from Toledo, Ohio, and forced into a prostitution ring out of state.

On January 6, 2009, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland signed into law a bill that requires stricter sentences for human trafficking crimes, including increased prison sentences and jail time for convictions on promoting prostitution, illegally using a minor in pornography and endangering children. The bill also encourages the Attorney General's office to form a Trafficking in Persons Study Commission to study the issue.

A Disturbing Increase

In the past we typically average between 21 - 26 reported sexual assaults a year at the ER. Currently, however, we have responded to 32 sexual assaults for the year 2008. This is a 30% increase. Even more startling, 25 of these assaults happened in the last six months of this year, 19 in the last 3 months of the year.

In every month of the last 6 months reported sexual assaults have been double what they were in the corresponding months last year. This is a highly unusual time to see a spike in numbers since winter is typically the quietest time of the year for sexual assaults.
These assaults correlate closely in time to the economic downturn. The National Institute of Justice recently completed research that indicates under financial strain crimes in families triple and after bouts of unemployment they quadruple. As we know, more than 70% of sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows, typically a relative.

Although unemployment in the core of Hancock County does not appear to be much changed there is still significant financial strain across the board, and the general pessimistic mood and constant fear about finances is creating an unprecedented strain in families.

These numbers are such a significant increase that they may be indicative of not just an increase in reports but an actual increase in assaults.

In addition to responding to the ER we sheltered 4 of these clients and helped 11 with protection orders. Nineteen of the 32 were over the age of 18; 13 of them were between 13 - 17 years of age.

We are working on some community trainings and discussions with other service providers and first responders throughout the system to try to understand root causes and how best to respond to this growing issue.

Past, Present and Future

Happy New Year 2009! Let's take some time to reflect on the past, present and future at Open Arms:

We were impacted significantly by the two large floods in August 2007 and February 2008, bringing our combined total in damages in excess of $70,000. What many people do not realize is that research indicates increases in family violence after a major disaster. These increases can last for as many as four years.

We have seen first hand the effects of this natural disaster on the need for family violence services. The number of children in foster care in our community experienced a 76% increase from 2006 to April of 2008. Supervised visitations for abused children have increased by 300%.

While we were already struggling to keep up, the economic climate shifted drastically. The National Institute of Justice recently conducted a study which revealed that during difficult economic times the incidents of family violence against women and children increase considerably. The rate of domestic violence among couples experiencing high levels of financial strain triples, and it quadruples if the family experiences two or more periods of unemployment. Reported sexual assaults in our community have increased by 30%, almost all of them occurring in the last six months of 2008.

In the midst of these unprecedented needs for service we are experiencing the most significant financial down turn in agency history. We are being forced to reduce the revenue in our operating budget by more than $60,000 in 2009. Several grants have been cut, including two federal grants that have been cut by more than 10% and to which further cuts will be made. Donations are also down; prior to Match Day they were behind by about $7,000.

2009 will see major changes, as funding cuts are projected in multiple areas. We have already eliminated some staff, both in Harmony House and the shelter program. We are hoping to simply maintain what we have, and find a way to triage and prioritize cases so that the people in most need get any available services.

We extend a big thank you to all of our volunteers and donors of 2008! As we enter this new year we look forward to your continued support while we work together to serve our community.