DaySpring Villa Spring 2015 Newsletter

Volume VIII, Issue I

SPRING 2015

Getting the Word Out Near the end of every year, DaySpring Villa explores other potential opportunities to bring our donors news and information about our shelter, services, guests, and volunteers.

With more communications channels available than ever before, we examine what will achieve the most with the resources we have.

We also look at the best avenues to combine traditional methods with electronic methods to satisfy our readers’ preferences while taking advantage of more immediate means to get time-sensitive information out quicker. For example, building our email list in Constant Contact is one way of communicating quicker and reaching those segments of our readers who prefer to receive information via email.

We strive to populate our quarterly newsletter, The Villa Voice, with content that is both timely and relevant to domestic violence, human sex trafficking, sexual assault and stalking.

All newsletter issues are available at DaySpring.com in a searchable format and can be viewed through issuu.com. We are also transitioning to an interim e-newsletter between printed editions.

We publish an annual report that features financial breakdowns on how your donations are put to work throughout the year, and describes the achievements we made and our goals moving forward. All of our annual reports can be viewed from our website through issuu.com for a sleek online reading experience.

Over the last few years, DaySpring Villa also has taken the lead to develop literature focused on youth and matters that affect them like bullying, dating violence, and the reality of sex trafficking.

Social media opportunities also are plentiful, so we are educating some local bloggers to inspire them to use their platform to help us spread the word. (See Aloha Luau story on page 2.) DaySpring Villa’s Facebook page continues to be an invaluable resource to share everyday goings-on at the shelter, special announcements, fundraiser information, and requests for items like diapers and toilet paper when we run out sooner than expected.

DaySpringVilla.com is our virtual home where anyone and everyone can learn more about our work, as well as the subjects of domestic violence and human sex trafficking. Our electronic sign-up and donate capabilities enable supporters to receive information and make financial gifts at the click of the mouse.

Not surprisingly, all of these efforts cost money. As a not-forprofit organization that receives no government or United Way CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

THE VILLA VOICE

Social Networkers Join DSV for an ALOHA Luau As part of expanding our communications reach on the Internet, DaySpring Villa hosted a special event at the shelter Jan. 29 for bloggers, social networkers and media mavens who regularly post information and opinions on their sites. These writers have dedicated followings of hundreds of readers, many of which were unaware of DSV and the shelter’s work with domestic violence and sex trafficking survivors.

The night’s theme was created around the ALOHA (A Life of Hope Ahead) bracelet given to every guest and visitor to DaySpring Villa and timed to wrap up Human Trafficking Awareness Month now observed in January.

The event’s organizers transformed a conference room into a luau-inspired

venue, complete with leis, sea shells, tropical grasses, and brightly colored hibiscuses. To symbolize DSV’s DaySpring Villa

lt e r Wome n and Children’s She

commitment to the sex trafficking victims they shelter and care for, a white-draped table featured a stunning birdcage centerpiece, its door wide open. More than 80 paper butterflies, each representing a trafficked woman DaySpring Villa has worked with to date, spilled out of the cage in a silent gesture of freedom.

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DSV staff and volunteers prepared Polynesian appetizers, and every attendee received a gift bag containing thankyou cards hand-drawn by the shelter’s youngest guests, a DSV bookmark, an ALOHA bracelet wrapped around a sea shell, a “text to join” button, and a fact sheet.

After sharing DaySpring Villa’s mission and fielding questions, Executive Director Wilma Lively, then divided the attendees into small groups where they were guided on tours by DSV staff, volunteers and board of directors members. Everyone later gathered in the chapel to hear more about the work required to help DSV guests find hope and healing after lifetimes of abuse. Attendees tweeted and posted on Instagram throughout the evening.

P.O. Box 1588 | Sand Springs, OK 74063 | 918.245.4075 | DaySpringVilla.com

In the month following the ALOHA Luau, DaySpring Villa experienced a spike in Facebook likes and sign-ups to receive The Villa Voice and email alerts. At least two bloggers featured their experience. Heather Davis wrote: “The people of DaySpring are in service constantly, literally, around the clock. And they would most certainly appreciate your help. First, and probably easiest: Subscribe to their newsletter. You can easily do this by texting JOINDSV to 22828. They will not bombard you with emails and their newsletters are so well done and very informational.”

Cheryl Lawson commented: “I really enjoyed touring the facility and learning about all of the good work they do. The mission of DaySpring Villa is to transform the lives of women and children in crisis and it was clear that they do a stellar job at making that mission a reality.”

You can read Cheryl’s entire post at http://socialmediatulsa. com/2015/02/03/visit-dayspring-villasocial-media-social-good/.

Thanks to everyone who donated their time and energies to make this event possible.

You can read Heather’s entire post by visiting http://www.minivan-momma. com/2015/02/doing-something.html.

GET TING THE WORD OUT

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

funding, keeping a tight rein on our budget is paramount. So how can we expand our visibility and share our stories with a broader audience—both of which are key to attracting new supporters who believe in our purpose?

More importantly, how you can help?

Use your own social media reach to tell your friends about DaySpring Villa. Let them know they can join our email list via our website, Facebook page, or text JOINDSV to 22828. If you or someone you know are interested in educating your 3

circle of friends about DSV, please contact us for a blogger’s or writer’s information packet or to schedule a tour.

To learn more about how you can become an Internet advocate for DaySpring Villa, call Wilma Lively at 918.245.4075.

THE VILLA VOICE

Featured Donation of the Month

No Reservations Denise is a shining example of a life transformed from trafficking victim to survivor. She arrived at DaySpring Villa last year, badly beaten from head to toe, clothes ripped and torn, her life in utter shambles.

How Denise became a trafficked woman is a tragic lesson in trust.

Now in her early 30s, Denise recalls falling head over heels for a man who wooed her to no end in the beginning. He soon professed his love for her but after a short courtship, turned threatening and violent. He then demanded Denise work the streets to bring in money.

But one night, Denise was brutally raped and beaten by customers. The experience in all its horror was a pivotal point for Denise. She made a conscious decision to change her life.

is going to school. We’re very proud of her.”

A short time ago, Lively received a phone call from Denise requesting a special favor. “She asked if I could teach her how to cook,” Lively says.

“After living on Ramen noodles for weeks, I think she was ready to learn some new skills in the kitchen.”

The two women met at the shelter on a planned evening, where Lively introduced Denise to the fine art of frying chicken and whipping up potato salad—Denise’s favorite meal.

DaySpring Villa is grateful for the many donations we receive during the year to help us care for our guests. But on some occasions, we receive donations that are a bit more curious than others. For example, an anonymous donor in March delivered 2,400 cans of Vienna sausages to the shelter, which left staff scrambling to find recipes that featured them. The good news is a quick Google search provided some pretty tantalizing options that we’ll leave in the capable hands of our kitchen artists. We’re also relieved to know that not all 2,400 cans will need to be consumed soon. Seems Vienna sausages have a shelf-life of a year and a half. Or longer.

Is there a second cooking lesson on the horizon? “Oh, I think so,” Lively says with a warm smile. “Like Ramen noodles, you can only live on chicken and potato salad for so long.”

“Denise stayed with us for five months,” says Wilma Lively, DSV executive director. “She now participates in our non-residential program, has a place of her own, and Kelly A. James, Ph.D. 4

P.O. Box 1588 | Sand Springs, OK 74063 | 918.245.4075 | DaySpringVilla.com

Giving Faithfully In the early days of DaySpring Villa, long before Wilma Lively was appointed executive director, she recalls the shelter received a handwritten envelope every month from an elderly woman who lived on a tightly fixed income.

adds. “But to us, with our expenses rising faster as our guests continue to stay with us longer, regular giving truly adds up and can make a huge impact on the amount of care we can provide to the women who need us.”

sex trafficking are now survivors and vibrant contributors to our communities.

Much like a church tithe, monthly giving requires personal planning and, sometimes, a sacrifice on behalf of others you may never meet or encounter.

What you will learn, however, are our success stories of lives renewed, and how women and children who were once victims of domestic violence or human

Thank you for in advance for your financial support to make DaySpring Villa a ministry that is purpose-driven to provide battered and abused women with the tools, goals-planning and spiritual guidance to live independent, self-sufficient lives.

Inside the envelope lay two $1 bills.

Lively would later learn that the $2 regularly donated by the woman could be compared to $200 donated by someone of different financial means; someone in which $2 didn’t make the difference between eating or going hungry for one day.

“The point is, that donor was willing to make a sacrifice to give a monthly offering to DaySpring Villa because she strongly believed in the service we provide to women and children caught up in a devastating situation,” Lively says.

“To many people, a monthly donation of $2 may seem so insignificant,” Lively

Save the Date October 1, 2015

Your monthly contribution is vital to help us, help them.

Whether it’s $2 or $200, your gift—your sacrifice—can make all the difference to those who desperately need our shelter and services. What’s more, DSV makes monthly giving fast and easy. When you visit DaySpringVilla.com, you can set up an automatic monthly donation by credit card or debit card. You can also mark your calendar to send us a check for an amount that is affordable for your individual situation.

This year, DaySpring Villa’s largest perennial fundraiser, the Annual Royal Feast and Live and Silent Auction, will be held Thursday, Oct. 1, at the Renaissance Hotel located off 169 and 71st Street. Mark your calendars now for this not-to-be-missed event that continues to feature great music, delicious food, enticing auction items, and the personal testimony of a DSV guest. Most importantly, the Royal Feast benefits every battered or trafficked woman and her children who depend on DSV throughout the year.

“We’ve had a number of supporters tell us that Thursdays work better for them than Saturdays, so we’re hoping to see an even larger turnout this year,” says Wilma Lively, DSV executive director. “After deciding on that change, we also thought it would be an ideal time to look at an alternative venue. Seeing all The Renaissance Hotel offered, we think everyone is going to enjoy this change too.”

the ROYAL FEAST LIVE SILENT AUCTION

Until then, preparations are already underway to make the 12th Annual Royal Feast an all-new experience for everyone. Save the date, reserve the date, preserve this special date, and plan to spend your evening with DaySpring Villa, Thursday, Oct. 1, at The Renaissance. We’ll see you there.

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THE VILLA VOICE

The Unsung Heroes of DaySpring Villa PART II – SUSAN COX “The most difficult part of my job is when a guest leaves our program and she’s not ready to make it on her own. I can go home one evening after a guest has told me how thankful she is to be at DaySpring Villa, then come back the next day to find that she’s gone.

Those are the times I really have to trust God and the process.”

There are few occasions when DSV Assistant Director Susan Cox isn’t wearing a smile. Her love and joy for her position at DaySpring Villa is evident from the beginning of her workday until it’s time to put away her responsibilities and return to her role as wife and mother of her own family.

“I couldn’t put away those emotions at first,” Cox explains. “After I went home in the evening, I’d call and check on the guests and staff. I didn’t set boundaries.

But I’ve learned that I am not in control.

Only the guests are in control of their own lives. I cannot make decisions for them. Through counseling and prayer, I have set firm boundaries for myself. I allow myself to be at home when I’m home. My family needs my attention.”

Previous to her position at DaySpring Villa, Cox worked for a non-profit insurance company where she learned aggressive budgeting, serious team work, problem-solving, and developing the patience of Job when it came to customer service. Looking back at the skills she learned, Cox believes God prepared her for a career at DaySpring Villa.

Shawna Howard DaySpring Villa Case Manager

DaySpring Villa Assistant Director, Susan Cox, addresses the luau attendees about programs at the shelter. (See story on page 2)

A typical day for this assistant director calls upon all of those skills and more. She interviews candidates for staff positions, volunteers and interns. Returns phone calls and emails. Meets and greets any volunteers or groups scheduled for shelter tours.

Attends meetings that address the issues of domestic violence, sex trafficking and the homeless. Meets with case managers and guests to ensure their goals are on track. Meets with guests who are experiencing problems adjusting to their temporary life at DSV. Meets with staff to review house guidelines. Attends board meetings and speaks on behalf of the shelter at outside events. She also works closely with Executive Director Wilma Lively to ensure no needs are left unmet.

What does Cox love most about her job?

“Watching the impossible happen,” she says. “Watching hardened hearts soften

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when they listen to the whisper of Christ.

To see a child settle into a routine, eat good meals, have a regular bedtime, go to school, and come back here happy because they sat with a new friend during lunch or made an A on a test.

Transformation is amazing.”

P.O. Box 1588 | Sand Springs, OK 74063 | 918.245.4075 | DaySpringVilla.com

Me morial s a nd Honor arium s In Memory of Evelyn Cline DeLoy Smith Mari Attebury Laurence H. & Thea Lovo Lancaster David K. & Laura R. Cline Betty F. Prentice Marian Rose Lair Don & Mildred Queen Jim & Nora Cook

In Memory of E.O. Sumner James & Jonaline F. Craig

In Memory of Steve Sheline Betty F. Prentice

In Honor of Ron Lundin Dave & Linda Ivins

In Memory of Jennifer G. Medina, my niece and all victims of violence Conn & Sharon L. Berkenbile

In Memory of Opal Hopson Bill & Helen Laird Sherry Hogins

In Honor of Linda Myers Siena Marcus Michael A. Marcus

In Memory of Sharon McKinley Strauss In Memory of Glenn & Joan McKinley Bruce A. Betts

In Honor of Linda Kats Julie Shoaf

In Memory of Wilma Lacy Willie Baugh Donald G. & Billie J. Taylor Larry N. & Lahoma McAfee Jim & Rhonda Etchieson Ed & Nancy Etchieson Jim & Margie Barrow Anna Drew McFarland Doris E. Lamkin E. Kathrine Foster Holly J. Smith Cimarron Baptist Assoc., Cushing, OK Douglas C. & Linda Tutcher Ken W. & Shanda Jackson Allan & Wanda Payne Patrick A.& Sarah J. McKee Linda S. Vincent Hickory Baptist Church, Roff, OK Town of Hickory, Roff, OK Joe F. & Margaret A. Sledd Donald H. & Ima Jean Smith John C. & Brenda S. Hager Alfred C. & Donna G. Nye

In Memory of Jennifer Johnson Aunt Brenda S. Fuller

In Memory of L.H. Gassaway Cheri Burns Corene Kay DeMaranville Wilma A. Lively Patricia Susan Davis Dave W. Groves Susan J. McAdams Anthony Hall Geoff Hirman Michael J. & Kathleen M. Howard Charlotte Edmundson Jon D. & Dana D. Chancellor Peggy Jane Taylor John H. & Marsha L. Krummel CHS Propane Jeanette D. Sprague Martha Hutton

In Memory of B.F. Rice Linda G. Russell In Memory of Elsie Harding’s Homegoing Clyde & Debbie J. Harding In Memory of Rev. Paul Box Jim & Nora Cook In Memory of W.H. “Bill” & Ethel Grimes Kamille F. Maddux In Memory of Lee Lair, my son Marian Rose Lair In Memory of Ann Pryer Scott & Kay Pryer In Memory of Evelyn House Todd & Sheila Mitchell Wilma A. Lively In Memory of Richard Nigro Michael P. & Jill Minihan In Memory of Arley J. Newton, our son J.C. & Marianna Newton In Memory of Richard & Wilma Chapman Michael & Dianne Lail In Memory of Jeannine Fisher Anna Lee Walker

In Memory of Geneva Rainwater In Memory of Marvin Stokes LeAnn Christine Blaylock In Memory of Jennifer Medina M.K. & W.C. Blackler In Memory of Gloria Phillips Diane T. King In Memory of Carolyn Carlton Gloria J. Towry In Memory of Doris Payne Janet Lynn Kohls

In Memory of Margaret Simmons Rebecca J. Riess

In Memory of Glen Morast J.T. Deweese Wilma A. Lively

In Memory of J.D. Reese In Memory of Gene Abernathy In Memory of Beth Adkins Naomi Sunday School Class Southwood Baptist Church

In Memory of Jack & Nancy Ellen Gatewood Samuel Forrest Gatewood Carlin Pruitt Dennis Scroggins Jeffrey T. & Janice Van Sickle Coral Swimming Pool Supply Company Drummond Law PLLC AAA of Oklahoma Robert E. Patterson Janice Raye Feigel Mitchell & Donna Rhyne David N. Appleby David S. & Marilyn Lawson John W. Pettit

In Honor of our granddaughter Maddy’s birthday, March 24 Clyde & Debbie Harding In Memory of the following: Sarah Adams Jackie Norman David Todd Darren Wilson Carrie Veteto Pat & Desiree L. Bennett In Memory of Maryanne Barclay Homer & Carol Canada

In Loving Memory of Owen Beeson, my brother In Memory of Maxine Branham In Memory of Clare Whitley Don & Mildred Queen

In Memory of Carrie Jo Sutphen Rob & Becky Riess In Memory of Mary Kelley Jack David Kelley & Mary Ethel Kelley Gift Annuity

In Memory of Kathleen Smith Dorothy F. Webber In Memory of Ruth Garrison Kidd Rebecca J. Schwarz Riess Cynthia L. Whitaker Tom Gable Kathy Hays In Memory of Ruby Campbell’s birthday, February 5 Clyde & Debbie Harding In Memory of Jack Hamilton Michael P. & Jill Minihan Wilma A. Lively

In Honor of the following: Karen Minton Dr. Pat Shah Debbie Hinch Dr. Laura Lee Pat & Des Bennett In Honor of our children Mary & Richard Miller Michael E. & Elaine M. Miller One Day of Caring - April 12 In Honor of Jane Hess In Honor of Linda Prier In Honor of Wanda Grimes Ben & C. Jane Hess In Honor of Des Bennett Laura L. Lee, M.D. In Honor of the following: Tracie Crone Bobby Hart Matt McClure Jeff Elkins Kathryn Johnson Deron Spoo Eric Costanzo Brad Henderson Larry Merideth Andy Merideth Tennie O. Bright In Honor of Mary Ann Medawar Nora H. White

In Honor of Jesus Christ’s Birth Clyde & Debbie J. Harding

In Honor of Kathy Young Karen Steele

In Honor of Vickie Dawkins-Kersey Jennifer Judson Communicating Arts Inc.

In Honor of Jarene Robison Robert O. & Ellen P. Langland

In Honor of Maxine Coats Beverly Farrell In Honor of Steven Knapp, our son Rollin W. & Glendola Knapp In Honor of Jim & Sam Johnston Gregory J. Johnston

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In Honor of my grandchildren Jordan Ashley Nathan Ashley Rebecca Cox Ethan Cox Jacob Cox Cameron Cox Sara Cox Wilma Lively

In Honor of Halle Doll Saied Family Foundation James R. Saied Delia Pierson In Honory of Lizzie’s birthday Dana S. Drummond

Inside

2014 Intake: 183 Guests

Average Guest Stay = 111 Days

144

Domestic Violence Guests

39

Sex Trafficking Guests

87 women 57

children

Left abusive homes.

27 women 12

children

Escaped traffickers.

Avg. stay of 111 days x 3 meals/day = Avg. of 333 meals/guest

Social Networkers Join DSV for an ALOHA Luau

2

No Reservations

4

Featured Donation of the Month

4

Giving Faithfully

5

Save the Date / Royal Feast

5

The Unsung Heroes of DSV / Part II

6

Memorials and Honorariums

7

DSV by the Numbers

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Nora Cook, President Ed Luna Ron Lundin Des Bennett John Nikkel Bill Coody Scott Palmer Patty Eck Rebecca Riess Cindy Graham Jarene Robison Bob Green Judy White Ed Hicks Phyllis Zimmerman-Wade

© 2015

OUR MISSION IS TRANSFORMING LIVES. DaySpring Villa is Oklahoma’s first faith-based, certified shelter for domestic violence victims and adult victims of human sex trafficking. Since 1995, we’ve transformed the lives of more than 6,700 women and children in crisis.

Through goals-based programs, spiritual guidance, human compassion, and open hearts and minds, DaySpring Villa turns victims into vibrant survivors. As a non-profit organization, DaySpring Villa receives no United Way or government funding, so our ability to provide these women and children with protective shelter, basic needs, and professional services relies on financial gifts from caring individuals, corporations, foundations, and churches of every denomination.

DaySpring Villa is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization

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Board of Directors

Avg. of 7 phone calls/day seeking help

DaySpring Villa Women and Children’s Shelter by the Numbers

Getting the Word Out

© 2015 DaySpring Villa

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