PSAs Released to Promote the Prevention of Interpersonal Violence
Hope Haven and Living Out Ur Dreams (LOUD), an arts-based non-profit program dedicated to empowering young people, released three public service announcement (PSA) videos help prevent violence in teen dating relationships and same-sex relationships. The organizations worked together to secure the necessary funding and coordinate the PSA project.
"The students were immediately excited about the opportunity to create and star in the PSA campaign," said LOUD Creative Director Jamie Fleming. "They were very eager to utilize what they learned through the Mentors in Violence Prevention training offered through Hope Haven and believed that their words might be able to bring change in the community."
Funded by a grant from the Ms. Foundation, a national social justice organization headquartered in New York City, the PSA project is intended to challenge viewers to reconsider assumptions about interpersonal violence and promote better choices. Each of the PSAs can be viewed here or at www.livingouturdreams.org.
"LOUD's PSA project is a great example of how young people will work for positive change if you point them in the right direction and give them a chance," says Shauw Chin Capps, Hope Haven's executive director. "We are so proud of the young men and women who worked on the PSAs and had the courage to stand up for what they believe."
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Local Business Steps Up to Help Victims Find Healing
What does yoga have to do with helping victims of sexual violence and child abuse? One of Hope Haven's goals is to not only help victims recover emotionally and psychologically, but to also help them feel better physically. A recent 2010 study from Boston University's School of Medicine found that yoga increases the brain chemical GABA (the same chemical released when we drink wine) which has a positive effect on a person's mood and decreases anxiety.
Put simply, practicing yoga brings your brain to a more balanced state, making you feel better. Armed with this new research information, our executive director, Shauw Chin Capps, approached Shelley Lowther, who owns Dancing Dogs Yoga in Beaufort. Shelley opened Dancing Dogs Yoga with an intention to serve special populations, such as kids, pregnant mothers, seniors, and those who may not be able to afford regular yoga practice. So when she was approached with the opportunity to partner with Hope Haven, she reached out with open arms. Hope Haven's therapists now make yoga practice a part of the treatment plan for all their clients; Shelley donates class passes to Hope Haven at no cost.
HH board vice chair Silvia Lalinde with Shelley Lowther of Dancing Dogs Yoga before a power yoga class
On behalf of our clients, staff and board of directors, we extend our sincere thanks to Shelley Lowther for her generous spirit! For those of you of have not checked out Dancing Dogs Yoga, you should. If you own a business and want to know how you can help Hope Haven, give us a call.
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Mid-Year Service Statistics
From January to June 2011, Hope Haven served:
- 242 direct victims of child abuse and sexual assault.
- 71% were children under the age of 16
- 43% were children under the age of 11
- 73% were child sexual abuse and sexual assault cases
- 45% were child physical abuse and/or neglect cases
- 254 indirect victims (family members, loved ones, spouses, siblings)
We have seen an increase in the demand for Hope Haven's services this year and, as a result, resources are spread thin. Our counselors are working overtime to reach each and every victim, but limited staff resources translate into placing some children on a waiting list for counseling.
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Staff
Shauw Chin Capps Ashley Bratcher Executive Director Therapist Jeanne Newland Mary Beth Hefner Director of Prevention Therapist/Forensic
/Outreach Services Interviewer
Christine Smith Kristin Dalton Sexual Assault Outreach Child Abuse Medical Specialist Provider Corenza Vaughn Katie Ashburner Executive Assistant Program Manager
Sarak McKenna Marian Lindsey
Family Advocate Family Advocate Jamie Flemming Kim Statler David Ames Chairman Chair Emeritus
Silvia Lalinde Court Babcock Gloria Daly Vice Chair Treasurer Secretary
Keith Dance Joan Regan
Tripp Presnell Karl Twenge
H. Glenn Neff Terri Brashears
Carol Allred Jodi Herrmann
John Patten Juanita Graul |
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Changing Lives: A Mother's View of Help Received from Hope Haven
Katie came to Hope Haven at her wits' end. She struggles to manage the behavior of her daughter, Maddie, who is defiant and refuses to listen to adults. So troublesome was Maddie that Katie's parents refused to spend time with her. In addition, Maddie's refusal to listen to her mother's instructions have put her in dangerous situations.
Katie and Maddie
Hope Haven's therapists are currently undertaking an intensive year-long training from Duke University to learn Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). PCIT restructures interaction patterns between parents and children in order to strengthen the bonds between them. The program aids parents in identifying alternative and more appropriate discipline strategies, which leads to improved parenting skills, a decrease in child behavior problems and more positive parent-child relationships. All of these benefits help to mitigate the risk factors associated with child maltreatment and have been shown to reduce the repetition of child abuse by parents who have been violent in the past.
Katie and Maddie were Hope Haven's first clients to undergo PCIT. Says Katie, "It's like night and day. We are able to spend quality time without fighting. I feel more confident as a parent and Maddie is so much happier. I have the tools now to manage her behaviors and it works!" As for Maddie, she spent the entire summer with her grandparents with absolutely no reports of behavior problems.
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Grants Generating Grants
Hope Haven was recently awarded $45,000 by the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry to hire a fund development specialist for one year to develop and implement a long-range fund development plan. The Winkler Group, a Charleston-based fundraising consulting firm, began working with us this past summer. We sought out funding for this project because it is absolutely critical for Hope Haven to have a strong donor base to help sustain the life of the organization. Thanks to this grant, we have already finished a complete assessment of our fundraising operations, created a strategic plan that diversifies our funding sources, and conducted our first-ever summer fundraising appeal.
The Duke Endowment awarded Hope Haven a two-year grant of $70,000 to continue support of Hope Haven's Program Manager's position and enable the Executive Director to devote her time to the fund development work ahead. The Community Foundation grant provided the necessary leverage for The Duke Endowment to award their grant because Hope Haven is showing tangible movement towards a sustainable organization.
We want to thank our grantors for supporting Hope Haven's ability to fulfill its important mission.
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Congratulations to Our New Volunteers!
The following energetic community members recently completed Hope Haven's 25-hour volunteer training: Charles Bush, Bree Trott, Claudia Slater, Jennifer Staton, Linda Bishop, Nancy Duncan, Rydel Leake, Tracye Blue, Christina Chandler, Samantha Wolfe, and Debra Hall.
These volunteers are now fully equipped to answer our 24/7 hotline or accompany sexual assault victims to the emergency department at the local hospitals. Additionally, these volunteers will help out in the office, assist with fundraising, and host community outreach events. Congratulations and welcome to Hope Haven!
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Partnering to Protect Our Children
Beaufort County School District first partnered with Hope Haven of the Lowcountry five years ago to provide the Stewards of Children child abuse prevention workshop for first-year teachers. As a result of this partnership, well over 400 new teachers and hundreds of veteran teachers have been trained to detect the signs of child sexual abuse and to understand the steps to take to report such suspicions.
Beaufort County teachers walk away from the training with a greater sense of urgency and a deeper understanding of their responsibilities to report abuse. One of the teachers wrote, "I've learned that even the unnoticeable needs to be noticed." The Stewards of Children program creates an intentional awareness of the signs of child abuse and provides empowerment for teachers to make a difference in the life of a child. We are grateful for the Beaufort County School District's commitment to make the lives of our students safer through this teacher training.
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Hope Haven of the Lowcountry
P.O. Box 2502
Beaufort, SC 29901-2502
Tel (843) 524-2256
Crisis Hotline (800) 637-7273
www.hopehavenlc.org
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