Chest of Hope Magazine

HELPING HOPE

Raina Dent, a senior at West High School, first heard about Chest of Hope about two years agowhenhermomandaunthelpedwithadonationdrive. InspiredbythatdriveandChestof Hope's mission, Raina wanted to contribute to the community by organizing a drive to benefit the organization. On November 19th, Raina set up a drive at Treasure Chest Thrift to collect feminine hygiene products and toiletries. When asked why feminine hygiene products and toiletries, Raina replied," When people think of donation drives, they usually collect the typical stufflikefoodandclothes,butwomenalsoneedperiodproducts."

Although she hasn't named her donation drive yet, she said she plans to come up with a name before she graduates. After graduating, she hopes someone at her school will continue the drive. Raina graduates next year and plans to major in journalism and public policy, focusingonpolitics.

By JESSICA ALFARO

HOME FOR HOME FOR CHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS

Chest of Hope is currently the only organization in San Joaquin County known to provide comprehensive services to victims of domestic violence and human trafficking. The services include but are not limited to crisis intervention, individual and group counseling, financial literacy education, parenting classes, legal support, transitional, and now, emergency housingforvictims

This time of year, many are hustling and bustling to shop for the perfect gift, but for Chest of Hope, the last several weeks have meant working in overdrive to prepareforitslatestmajorproject-anemergency

housing facility serving victims of domestic violence and human trafficking in San Joaquin County. The project completion comes on the heels of an already busy season. Chest of Hope operates three transitional housing programs, including a family home for victims, a community thrift store whose proceeds help support victims, and the emergency shelter, which is scheduled to open next week Development Director Gerilyn MartinFeatherston stated, "It's been a long time coming.(ContinuedonPage9)

Legislating Hope

Transforming Legislation To Transform Lives

Domestic Violence:

AB 2790

Existing law requires a health practitioner, as defined, to make a report to law enforcement when they suspect a patient has suffered a physical injury that is either self-inflicted, caused by a firearm, or caused by assaultive or abusive conduct, including elder abuse, sexual assault, or torture. A violation of these provisions is punishable as a misdemeanor.

This bill would, on and after January 1, 2024, remove the requirement that a health practitioner makes a report to law enforcement when they suspect a patient has suffered a physical injury caused by assaultive or abusive conduct.

Bill authors Assemblymember Buffy Wicks and Cristina Garcia believe the bill protects. Assemblymember Buffy Wicks tweeted, "Research has shown that mandatory reporting to law enforcement can keep survivors of domestic and sexual violence from seeking health care." (Continued on Page 11)

We have had people calling us for 6 months, trying to escape their situations. We prioritize victims of domestic violence, and the emergency shelter offers a quicker housing solution for those escaping violent situations rather than waiting to get into transitional housing. When you ' re trying to get out of the situation right away, the emergency shelteristhebestway"

Last December celebrated 10 years of serving victims of domestic violence in San Joaquin County. Earlier this year, during its Supporter Appreciation event, Chest of Hope unveiled its plans for expanding its service reach in the county with an emergency shelter Just in time for Christmas, the organization is meeting its expansion goal, and according to the Development Director, it already has two potential clients seeking emergency shelter. This does not come as a surprise. In an October interview with ABC 7 News, Founder and Executive Director Merlyn Pittman shared that calls for service to her organization had reachedbetween400-500.

The 2021 Data Report provided by the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Officeshowsthat1,342domesticviolence cases were filed, including 180 stalking/human trafficking cases. Victim Services and Family Justice Centers data showthat16,662individualswereserved, and 35% of those served were impacted by domestic violence 7, 790 were referred to some type of supportive service.

For more information about Chest of Hope and the programs offered to support survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, please visit chestofhope org or call 209 831 7889

For various reasons, many domestic violence crimes go unreported, and many communities do not have the resources to support victims' comprehensive and complexneeds.

Chest of Hope recognized this issue long ago It began the process of building a comprehensive program that would provide victims with a safe space to live and accesstheservicesandsupporttheyneededtoleadsafe,healthy,andindependent lifestyles.

The organization watched that need increase exponentially during the COVID-19 Pandemic, where stressors such as illness, deaths, isolation, job loss, school closures, and more created a perfect storm for increased violence and abuse among San Joaquinfamilies

Chest of Hope continues to support victims of domestic violence and human trafficking by offering emergency housing for victims of abuse with an immediate need to escape dangerous and life-threatening relationships. Chest of Hope works closely with many community partners and supporters who support the organization through volunteerism and financialandmonetarysupport.

In addition to community support, earlier this year, the organization received a Non-County Organization Grant from the County Board of Supervisors in the amount of $103,930 for its new emergency shelter opening in Manteca Supervisor Robert Rickman representing the 5th district led the charge for a more equitable distribution of funding to South County organizations that had often, over the years, been overlooked for funding During the board meetingwherethefundingwasawarded,Rickmanstated,"Lastyear,wefoughttoothandnail for Tracy Interfaith, and that was one of the rare times we actually saw South County get something for services Then you look at this year, and you have Empowered Men, that was from Tracy; Tracy Interfaith, Tracy Boys and Girls Club; Chest of Hope, which covers both MantecaandTracy,BreadofLife,eventhoughtheyareinStockton,Iworkwiththemonmany, many occasions; Community Partnership's branching out to Tracy. So South Tracy is being representedmoreefficiently,morefairly."

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The bill has been met with much opposition from domestic violence advocates, including San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan opposes the bill, "This is quite outrageous. This bill makes absolutely no sense. Imagine a victim arriving at the hospital stabbed multiple times, and the doctor cannot report to law enforcement It's unfathomable that we will subject our victims to this treatment How is this going to protect them? They didn’t stab themselves," said Stephan

According to the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development, each day in the United States, three women are murdered by their intimate partners Before the passing of AB2970 in May of this year, physicians were mandated to report suspected physical abuse The new law now requires a healthcare practitioner who suspects a patient has suffered an injury due to domestic violence to provide brief counseling, education, and a referral to local or national domestic and/or sexual violence organizations and advocacy services

Once the law becomes effective, a healthcare practitioner is not civilly or criminally liable for any report made in good faith and complies with these provisions.

Chest of Hope is a domestic violence and human trafficking support agency offering comprehensive support services to survivors. Services include transitional housing for individuals and families, emergency housing, counseling, parenting classes, legal support, and more. If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, don't hesitate to get in touch with Chest of Hope's helpline at 209 259 5552

Sources: https://www cbs8 com/article/news/local/ca-bill-could-change-how-domestic-violence-crimes-are-reported/509-5fe89fbbc6ec-4ccd-b6e6-d56141d54279

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT A PARTNER IN HOPE

GERILYN MARTIN-FEATHERSTON

As we review 2022, Chest of Hope has grown and expanded our resources to fit the growing need of the clients we serve. We have had successes with the support of our community members, board members and new networking partners and we are grateful. We had several fundraisers, starting with our Live Laugh and Love conference, then we were ambitious in the month of October with 5 fundraisers and community events for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The

Chest of Hope will now be serving Alameda County residents for domestic violence and human trafficking. We also recently opened a new Emergency Shelter and will start intake in midDecember for those needing services for Domestic Violence or Human Trafficking.

We are in the holiday season, and we must look to the next year of fundraising events, cement in locations, and figure out how to continue supporting our victims and survivors. We are consistently raising funds for our survivors to help keep them safe, help keep them supported, and at times counsel the children that need support and help them understand what is happening to their families So, we always do an end-of-the-year appeal to help with the costs of sheltering, feeding, counseling, and other necessary costs to support the whole person or/and family.

We are asking you to join us and put an End to Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking and raise awareness of the facts, signs, and behaviors of these abuses With your help, Chest of Hope can make a bigger difference next year in the lives of survivors and their families Here’s how you can join our fight:

Donate

Volunteer with us

· Help get the word out on social media by sharing, tagging, and liking our posts

Together we can reach our goal of $50,000 but it’s only possible with the generosity of people like you Thank you, and have a safe, happy, and prosperous holiday season!

YOUR EQUITY CAN WORK FOR YOU IN THIS MARKET YOUR EQUITY CAN WORK FOR YOU IN THIS MARKET

The week of November 14th, suddenly, rates dropped following the consumer price index report. Inflation is starting to get under control. Rates dropped from approximately 7% to 6.5%. We should continue to see improvement. Still, with higher rates, many don’t want to touch their attractive interest rate on their first mortgage But, there may be a need to pay off debt, get cash, or do home improvements A HELOC is a line of credit borrowed against the equity that exists in your home It is a 2nd mortgage. You can draw funds for the amount you need, as needed. You can pay the balance down and still have access to the maximum line amount. For example, you may get a $100,000 line of credit (HELOC). Your initial draw at closing may be $50,000. You’d have access to $50,000 more later. Most banks don’t have a “Pre-payment penalty.” HELOC rates are adjustable and determined by the current Prime Rate (now 7%). The “margin” is added (determined by your fico score and the loan amount vs. the amount owed on your first mortgage. This is a combined loan-to-value or LTV). The Prime rate plus the margin will determine your interest rate and monthly payment. Minimum acceptable fico scores are generally in the 620 range. Higher fico scores and lower LTVs mean lower rates. Rates in the 8% - 12% range aren’t unusual for HELOCs. However, most offer a 10-year interestonly payment, lowering the monthly payment.

A HELOAN is a fixed rate 2nd mortgage. The monthly payment is fixed based on the loan amount, rate, FICO, and LTV. Payments are fixed. This may be a solution in this market. Your lender can determine if it’s an affordable option for you.

Maria Valenzuela began her career with the Tracy Chamber of Commerce nearly 20 years ago as the events coordinator and has held several positions within the Chamber over the years. Having had experience managing the chamber's day-to-day operations on more than one occasion, Valenzuela was offered the CEO position after the previous CEO resigned last July In a recent interview, Valenzuela shared how she enjoys her new role and the difference between her current and former roles "I love my new role as CEO; I take it very seriously The key differences between my new role and my former role are being able to maintain the focus on the Chamber's Mission and put our business community first; My new role will allow me to be a strategic liaison with the Chamber Board of Directors, Chamber Ambassadors, our local businesses, and the community to maintain great partnerships."

Valenzuela stated that her vision for supporting the business community, including non-profit organizations, is to build upon the Chamber's mission statement, "Creating a Community Where Business Thrives " In addition to being a constant support to businesses, the Chamber hosts several fundraiser events throughout the year. As Christmas approaches, Valenzuela wants to remind the community about the Chamber's Annual Holiday Mixer that brings the community and businesses together.

"The Tracy Chamber is always available to answer any questions, hear feedback and provide resources to the community and our local businesses We can be reached at (209) 835-2131 or at info@tracychamber org Don’t forget to follow us on our social media platforms, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, for frequent updates " Valenzuela shared

Every year in San Joaquin County, several organizations, groups, and individuals collect toys to distribute to families needing extra support during the Christmas holiday, a few drives are listed below.

Chest of Hope

Benefits children impacted by domestic violence residing in CoH transitional housing facilities Visit: chestofhope.org or call 209.831.7889

Brighter

Benefits Tracy families in need. Visit: https://brighterchristmas org/

When: December 20, 2022 Visit: bit.ly/3P43u2C

For more information about Chest of Hope and the programs offered to support survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, please visit chestofhope.org or call 209.831.7889.