ISSUE 111
NEWSLETTER
JANUARY 2021
@home
WITH COLDWELL BANKER TOMLINSON
Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery: Sadly, but Vitally Important to Spokane A Personal Appeal by Sara Throckmorton, Coldwell Banker Tomlinson
I
recently had the opportunity to work on staff at The Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery at 2230 E Sprague Ave in Spokane. To say I was given a heaping dose of perspective would be an understatement. For those of you who are not familiar with it, The Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery exists as a resource for families to prevent neglect and abuse for overwhelmed parents. They recently built a new facility so they could avoid turning away any of the tragically increasing number of children and families who need the care they provide. Their website provides a frank and disturbing look at their origins: "Vanessa Behan was founded in 1987 in memory of Vanessa Behan, who died from child abuse injuries at the age of two. The cause of death was a ruptured bowel caused by a blow to her abdomen. An autopsy revealed that during her short life, Vanessa had suffered many previous injuries, including a fractured arm, head trauma from having her hair pulled and twisted, a fractured skull and cigarette burns. The tragedy of Vanessa’s death outraged and saddened the Spokane community. A handful of people initiated a grassroots effort to create a safe place where parents could bring their children any time they are having
difficulty providing them with safe and nurturing care. Since then, Vanessa Behan has impacted the lives of more than 103,000 children and their families." What do they do? Vanessa Behan prevents child abuse and neglect in our city by offering 24-hour child care for infants and children under the age of seven, parent education, crisis counseling for parents, referrals to other community agencies, and emergency supplies such as diapers and wipes. Did you know it costs nearly $1,000 to diaper a child in their first year of life? Many of the families using the nursery live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $8,000 per year. Child abuse in our community is much more prevalent than most people know. A zip code in Spokane exhibits the highest incidence of child abuse in Washington State. Every day, 18 children are reported abused or neglected in our community. I encourage you, if you are interested in learning more about Vanessa Behan, to reach out to Keith O’Brien, Development Director, or a member of his staff (Tel: 509-340-0482. E-mail: keith@vanessabehan.org). Rather than relying on government funds, since opening, Vanessa Behan has been 100% privately funded and fueled by our community.