2010 ANNUAL REPORT SHELTER HOME OF CALDWELL COUNTY 397 women and children received emergency shelter and essential services during 2010 at no cost thanks to the generosity of our community and the support of this Mission. Of those 397, 68 of them left shelter and returned again within the month. The state only recognizes 329 as unduplicated within a 30 day period. Each number represented in this report, however, has a face and a story. With the help of a generous and caring community, your Shelter Home staff and volunteers gave hope, safe haven, warmth and food, connections to community services, job opportunities, court advocacy, housing, community donations, clothing and basic essential needs, to women and children dealing with the trauma of family violence. Of the 329 sheltered, 147 were children. 130 were under the age of 12. 87 were women between the ages of 18 and 30. 87 were also women between the ages of 31 and 55. Domestic violence and rape and sexual abuse do not discriminate with regard to age, gender, profession or socio economic situation. 77 sexual abuse clients were assisted during 2010. The dynamics of recovery and rebuilding for these victims, both adults and children, are long term and require much more than 90 days in emergency shelter to deal with the trauma of sexual abuse. Our Shelter provided 4,616 “bed nights” during 2010. We were full 9 days during the year. As an emergency shelter, our service is provided for up to 90 days. Within that time we seek to assist the resident and their children in finding appropriate housing, seeking employment, some to seek to pursue their education, connect to critical community services, all in three short months – or less. The Court Advocate assisted 1,001 individuals with information, referrals, Domestic Violence Protective Orders, and legal aide assistance. Most of those assisted through the court system were not sheltered residents, but victims of family violence, assault, or stalking who needed court advocacy to understand the process and to be given vital information for their safety and to connect to community services. She also developed and presented a new program for “Victim Education” in 2010. The Rape and Sexual Assault Program delivered the Good Touch / Bad Touch program in 5 elementary schools and 2middle schools 88 times in 2010 to 1,887 children and adults. She presented the Darkness to Light overview and 3-hour curriculum to school
system members, church groups and individuals during 2010, and has formed a collaborative partnership with the Child Advocacy Center – The Robin’s Nest to support this very compelling program to our community. Volunteers and community members donated 3,304 hours of their time in service to the Shelter Home during 2010. Some provided child care while support groups were being held. Other sorted through donations so that residents could find clothing or donated articles for themselves and their children. The grass is mowed weekly during the summer, but never by staff. That is a donated service. The room that was painted by a church group, or the playground that was made safe for children to play by a school group, the new mulch and trimmed shrubbery, are all donated tasks and time by people who care about people. The Domestic Violence Program provided 67 support group and Life Skills sessions during 2010 to sheltered residents and open to community members as well. With goal setting, empowerment, our service-driven mission saw many residents go back to work, go back to school, move into new safe homes for themselves and their children. Many of them took community donated furniture and household goods to begin their new lives. The bridges we build, the community partnerships that are formed to better help the people we serve, are what makes our community’s human services assistance work in Caldwell County. The Shelter Home does not pay rental assistance or utility bills or provide fuel assistance. But the partner agencies in our county that do provide that wide variety of critical assistance put lives back on track and give hope and opportunity to people who often believe there is none. Church missions, school groups, businesses, civic organizations and individuals who have delivered the basic necessities to operate our facility day-to-day, allow us to provide the services we do at no cost to our clients on the budget that we have. If it were not for community donations, our mission could not operate. This mission belongs to our community. Thank you for your partnership in service in 2010.