Children find safety at Harbor House Earlier this year, Harbor House was bustling with 25 children staying in shelter with 11 moms. With children ranging in age from newborn to teenagers, Keri McGregor, program director, says those times are both “amazing and bonkers” as staff try to balance meals, schooling, counseling and advocacy. Safety for every member of the family is the top priority. When one mother, who had recently delivered a healthy baby despite being abused throughout her pregnancy, came to shelter, her older children were missing. The abuser had taken them and she didn’t know where they were. While she was safe in shelter with the newborn, she was worried sick about her other children. After two days, she learned the children had been found and were safe. Harbor House staff worked with her and DCF to reunite the family at the shelter.
A few days later, Keri says the mother told her, “my kids just told me this morning that they haven’t felt this safe and loved in a long time.” Those words meant so much to staff. “This is an example of what our families have been through prior to coming into services and, sometimes, what we are working on with them the first couple of weeks,” Keri says. “Many families have situations to resolve before we can even begin to address their goals and next steps. It’s safety first with every single person.”
Harbor House Hotline Available 24/7 If you or someone you know is in an unhealthy relationship, the Harbor House Crisis Hotline is available 24/7 to help. Call the hotline:
316-263-6000
Consider being a Queen Bee or party host by LeAnne Miller, Senior Director of Development If you like to socialize – either in-person or online – while raising support for your favorite causes, then Catholic Charities might have the perfect opportunity for you this summer and fall. We are looking for volunteers to be members of our 2021 Queen Bee Court this October. Queen Bees raise awareness of and funds for Harbor House Domestic Violence Shelter and St. Anthony Family Shelter during a six-week campaign. We give the Queen Bees the tools they need to inspire their networks of friends, families and coworkers to support the mission and work of Catholic Charities. Queen Bees of the past have used social channels, emails, letters, face-to-face contacts and small parties to raise money for their campaigns. Each year, the top
fundraiser is recognized as “Queen Bee Woman of the Year.” If an in-person gathering is more your style, we are seeking individuals and couples to host small parties for their families, friends and social contacts. These gatherings provide the hosts an opportunity to share with others why they support Catholic Charities, and gives us an opportunity to share our story and connect with potential donors.
We will make hosting a party easy by working with you to arrange for a venue, theme, invitations and personalized online giving page.
If you would like to know more about either opportunity, please reach out to me and I’ll be happy to share more details. You can email me at lmiller@CatholicCharitiesWichita.org or call me at (316) 264-8344, ext. 1221. We are grateful for the blessing of all those who help us raise funds so Catholic Charities may continue to share God’s love by caring for all people in our community.
