VOICES
Winter 2022
DVS AWARDED 2021 OVW TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROJECT PLANS TO STRENGTHEN HOUSING ADVOCACY EFFORTS
One of DVS’ major goals for 2022 is to develop a full continuum of housing assistance and options for domestic violence survivors, tailored to their needs. This continuum would include shelter diversion, emergency shelter, hoteling, transitional housing, and the Housing First approach. The Housing First model, which prioritizes providing permanent housing to people experiencing homelessness, serves as a safe platform from which survivors and others experiencing homelessness can pursue personal goals and economic stability. However, for domestic violence survivors with significant trauma histories and other serious barriers to securing permanent housing, transitional housing provides additional time to heal in community, engage in voluntary supportive services, and gather the resources necessary to achieve long-term success in permanent housing. Page | 1
Beginning in February 2022, DVS’s Bridge House Transitional Housing program will be funded for four years by an Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) grant. In addition to covering Bridge House operating expenses and increasing program staffing, the grant will provide direct assistance to Bridge House residents, who can be in the program for six to 24 months, in the form of supportive services, education, job training, child care, housing advocacy and move-in costs for permanent housing. Follow-up services will also be available. Supportive services and educational partners for the project include SACA, Lancaster-Lebanon IU 13, Tenfold, and PA CareerLink. Stay tuned for opportunities to get involved in DVS Housing Advocacy efforts – critical work necessary in order for domestic violence survivors to achieve safety and economic stability – and begin to thrive!
INSIDE
Domestic violence is one of the primary causes of homelessness and housing insecurity for women and their children in the United States. Emergency shelters provide immediate safe options for families fleeing abuse but may not provide enough time for them to secure safe, affordable permanent housing, especially in a rental market as tight and expensive as the current rental market in Lancaster city and county.
OVW Transitional Housing Project | 1 From the Director | 2 Thank You, DVS Donors | 3 Survivor Story | 4 Connect the Dots | 5 Meet the Team | 6 With Gratitude | 7
Director’s Letter
From the Director Christine Gilfillan Dear Friends of DVS: I hope this finds you well and enjoying nature’s beauty in winter. I am grateful that each new year brings with it renewed intentions and the promise of a fresh start! Speaking of a fresh start…DVS has some exciting things happening this year, and I welcome this opportunity to share our plans with you. After many successful Gala years, and much reflection, we’ve decided to go with a new approach to our fundraising, “friend-raising,” and awareness efforts for 2022. We are planning a year-long slate of events and outreach under the theme: “Connect the Dots” – connecting the dots between DVS and our community partners and between domestic abuse and other forms of violence and oppression. We’ll provide multiple opportunities for you to join us in these efforts! First, we will host two exciting yet informal social gatherings or “Mixers” for DVS supporters and potential supporters – one in the spring and one in the fall. The DVS Spring Mixer is scheduled for Thursday, May 12, 2022 from 5:30 – 7:30pm at the Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum. To expand our reach, we will ask you to bring a potential new friend or supporter at no additional cost. At the Mixers, we’ll have the opportunity to get to know one another better - and learn about what is happening at DVS in a fun, indoor/outdoor venue with music, light food, and drinks.
services partners, and other audiences that are interested in DVS. We will discuss ways that your group can join us. Third, our Community Awareness Committee will expand their outreach efforts throughout the year. We’ll educate and raise awareness by offering lunch-and-learns, workshops, and hopefully, more in-person awareness events. We’ll also continue to show up at community events around the county to spread the word about domestic abuse and DVS services. Sponsorships will be available and are key to our success! We will seek Business, Organizational and Individual Sponsorships for our year-long series of events – as a package. Sponsors will receive even more recognition than in the past, as they will be featured at the various events throughout the year. Finally, I would like to thank everyone who worked on the DVS Spring Gala committee over the years. This was a spectacularly successful event that raised hundreds of thousands of much-needed dollars for DVS! We are grateful to everyone involved with the Gala for their vision, commitment, hard work and enthusiasm, and we hope that you will join us in our new efforts. We will be reaching out in the coming weeks to provide additional information and help you make your plans to join us. Please do not hesitate to contact me via email at CGilfillan@caplanc.org with any questions. Wishing you safety and peace in your homes,
Our second new engagement opportunity is DVS “Circles of Support” – informal circle conversations with companies, organizations, faith-based groups, retirement communities, Christine Gilfillan Page | 2
Thank You, DVS Donors! Holiday Donors Costco Fulton Financial Corporation – Loan Operation Highland Presbyterian Church Giving Tree LCBC Church – Manheim Lutheran Church of the Good Shephard Moravian Manor Community Group Project Linus St. Leo’s Catholic Church Trout CPA Target Willow Valley Communities Tony & Sherry Chivinski Mandi Smith
Moravian Manor Community Group The Moravian Manor Community in Lititz, PA is consistent supporter throughout the year, going above and beyond to support our Safe House and Bridge House residents in multiple ways. From Mother’s Day to Christmas and all of those special occasions in between. We are very grateful for your generous support. Newcomers and Neighbors Thank you for collecting and delivering school supplies for the children at the Safe House! Traditions of America Thank you for supporting the children who stay at the safe house with school clothing, and pillow cases for the “good bye” bags they take with them. (pictured top left) Truist Bank Thank you for the welcome bags for adult survivors coming into the Safe House. (pictured top right) Trout CPA Thank you for the huge donation of pillows and blankets to offer comfort to our Safe House residents! (pictured bottom left)
DVS relies upon community donations to assist our clients and support our operations. We can do more because of your support! We appreciate you! We receive so many generous donations from groups, companies and individuals throughout the year, including donations received via our Amazon Wish List. We wish to thank everyone who donated for all of your donations, large and small. Every single one makes a difference! If you wish to coordinate a donation, contact Angela Keen at akeen@caplanc.org. Page | 3
Living the American Dream My Teen/College Dating Abuse Experience Survivor Story by Crystal M.
People go through many experiences in life. You learn many lessons through the experiences you go through. These lessons make you a better, stronger, and more informed person. Some are happy lessons while some are sad. Some experiences you may just ignore as irrelevant while others you take into your heart and let them overcome you. This is my experience having survived dating abuse as a college student. When I decided to go to college I wanted to experience the “college life” that I saw on TV. I was able to get enough scholarship money that paid for my books and a year of on campus housing. I did not have a car to travel back and forth so I had to take the bus. I was a full-time student who worked two jobs. I thought I had everything planned out, but that was before I got into a serious dating relationship. I started college in a dating relationship which made everything more difficult. He did not attend college and had no interest in going to college. He was not happy with the idea of me living on campus without him around. When they say “love is blind” it is a true statement. He gave me an ultimatum: if I stayed on campus we would not be together. At that time, I loved him. I also thought that I couldn’t find anyone else because I wasn’t pretty enough. So, every day I left campus after class and/or work to stay overnight at his mom’s house with him.
make it any better. Throughout this relationship he was verbally and emotionally abusive. He told me that I was fat and I wouldn’t find anyone better than him. When we argued he made comments about my weight. He told me, “You gained 50 pounds since we been together and you let yourself go.” Every time I ate a snack he said “you shouldn’t be eating that” and he took it from me. During that time, I didn’t know much about emotional or verbal abuse. I thought abuse was only physical. No one talked about it with me. I missed out on enjoying my college career and making friends. The only friend I had was my roommate who I barely saw. I wanted to join a sorority but he did not allow it. My grades in class were dropping because I wasn’t focused on my class assignments. I missed out on my college experience to make him happy. I put him before me and that was the biggest mistake of my life. I wish I knew more about dating abuse at that time. If I knew everything I know now, I would have ended the relationship much sooner than it ended. I let him destroy my confidence which took quite some time to rebuild. I will never again put a guy before me. My happiness comes first! If you are a survivor and would like to share your story, visit caplanc.org/breakthesilence
I struggled with low self-esteem and he didn’t
If you are experiencing domestic abuse,
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call DVS’s 24/7 hotline: 717.299.1249 or text SAFE to 61222.
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caplanc.org/dvsconnect
Aubrey Garman
Isabella Melito
Kim Webb
Welcome to the Team
Meet Aubrey, Isabella & Kim DVS is excited to have Aubrey Garman, Isabella Mlito and Kim Webb join our team and share their rich experience with those we serve in the community. Aubrey Garman works as a Resident Assistant at DVS, answering hotline and text line calls and helping Safe House residents. She reflected on the privilege of listening to a person’s story: “Many times, people not only need help, but also a listening ear and a caring heart. I hope to be that person.” Aubrey relies on respect as a cornerstone of the work she does at DVS. “Each individual that calls on the hotline or receives DV services has a personal story that deserves our utmost respect. Each individual is a person with choices, feelings, and beliefs. DVS does their best to respect the individual no matter the choices, the beliefs, or the story.” Aubrey got involved with this work as a student majoring in Social Work at Millersville University. Throughout her studies, domestic violence was discussed and it caught her attention. She wants to be on the “front lines,” helping those who experience abuse. Aubrey also recognizes that domestic violence impacts more than just individuals – it can contribute to breaking down the entire community. She encourages everyone to get involved. Isabella Melito or Bella, is DVS’ new Children’s Activity Aide. She assists the Children’s Advocate with the implementation of psychoeducational groups, therapeutic activities, direct care, supervision and guidance to children residing at the Safe House. Page | 6
Bella is Social Work major at Millersville University. She hopes to acquire personal and professional experience while offering genuine care for the well-being of children who live at the Safe House. In addition, Bella hopes to make a positive impact on each child and adult resident by supporting their individual empowerment and offering compassion because [she believes] it will help them gain strength and confidence. Kim Webb works as a Resident Assistant at DVS, answering hotline and text line calls and helping Safe House residents. In this role, Kim hopes that she can be a friendly face for staff and individuals living in the Safe House. As a senior majoring in Psychology at Millersville University, Kim is applying her education to “empower individuals who may not feel empowered - as a major step in one’s journey to becoming the best version of themselves that they can be.” Kim wants to encourage the community to join us in this work. “Helping does not need to be expensive, time consuming or laborious. Even simply sharing newsletters from us on social media and getting our word out to the public is helpful. Simply by bringing awareness to others around you that we exist can support us.”
WITH MUCH GRATITUDE Thank you, MARTY, for your commitment to DVS and the families we have served. Marty has contributed to our program in so many ways for more than 20 years! She has provided books and activities used as part of our trauma-informed curriculum. She has been a faithful and constant gardener at the Safe House. Marty has even helped with some DIY Projects like painting the Children’s Wing Library, making curtains for the Children’s Wing and donating tables and chairs and other items. Her consistent presence has comforted many children at the DVS Safe House. We are so very grateful the many gifts of time, talent and resources you have offered our families.
Commitment is what transforms a promise into a reality -Abraham Lincoln
Donation Needs
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Did you know that we supply our children living in our Safe House with school uniforms when they enroll at the School District of Lancaster? We do - and we need your Personal Care Products (full-sized bottles) help with stocking those uniform separates:
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Sanitary Pads (with wings) all sizes
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Undergarments all sizes
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Children’s Diapers (sizes: 4, 5, 6)
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Children’s Pull Ups
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Infant supplies (pacifiers, bottles, baby monitors, infant clothes and toys)
Pants/Skirts/Skorts Colors: Navy, Tan, Khaki Sizes: Boys Long pants 4, 5, 6, 8 and 16 Girls Long pants or skirt sizes 4, 5, 6, 8 and 16 Long Sleeve Shirts Colors: Navy or White Youth Sizes: S, M, L and XL
Short Sleeve Polo Shirts Colors: Navy or White Youth Sizes: S and L
Sweatshirts Color: Navy Youth Sizes: S, M, L and XL
Volunteer Opportunities & Domestic Violence Advocate Training Did you know that DVS team members, interns and direct services volunteers are required to complete a 45-Hour Domestic Violence Advocate training? Twenty (20) hours are completed online at your own pace, followed by 20 hours of live group training (in person or online). When these hours are completed each participant completes five (5) hours of hands-on observation with the DVS team. The training is offered two times each year, in the spring and the fall. Follow us on social media and join our electronic mailing list for updates. Contact Angela Keen, Community Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator, at akeen@caplanc.org to learn more. Page | 7
Stay Connected!
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Thank You For Your Support
DVS Advisory Committee
Kristy Aurand Heidi Bair Brian Nguyen Frank Christoffel, III Forrest Collier Jennifer DiCola Christine Gilfillan Linda Gort Dana Gulick Angela Keen Vanessa Philbert
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Artwork made by children living in our Safe House.
Gifts to DVS - CAPLanc.org/donate is a convenient way to support DVS. The official registration and financial information of the Community Action Partnership of Lancaster County, Inc. may be obtained from the PA Dept. of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, 1 (800) 732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement. www.caplanc.org/dvs Toll Free Hotline: P: 717-299-9677 717-299-1249 OR Email: DVSinfo@caplanc.org Text SAFE to 61222