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C H R I S T M A S F O R C L I E N T S

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Did You Know?

InsightInsight TheThe

National Stalking Awareness Month

began twelve years ago as a galvanized

effort from the National Center for

Victims of Crime. The event was

presented as a method of awareness

and education based on the findings of

the Stalking Resource Center, which

was funded for the NCVC by the U.S.

Department of Justice’s Office on

Violence Against Women. It was also

created in response to the activism of

Debbie Riddle, whose sister was

murdered by a stalker. Riddle, along with

activist Erin Brockovich, helped create

the Lifetime television program

“Stalking: Real Fear, Real Crime.” The

NCVC then, along with Representative

Heather Wilson (R-NM), presented the

program at a Capitol Hill Congressional

briefing, with Wilson then introducing a

congressional resolution to enact

National Stalking Awareness Month. The

following year, NSAM held its first

observance.

According to the National Crime

Victimization Survey conducted by the

U.S. Department of Justice, in a year’s

time about 3.4 million people in the

United States become victims of

stalking. About 46% of victims reported

at least one stalking incident once a

week. 25% of victims reported that they

were being cyberstalked by receiving

overwhelming numbers of unsolicited

emails, instant messages, and social

media comments. 75% of victims

reported knowing their stalker in some

capacity.

Hope Crisis Center has been doing our

part in an effort to bring attention to

National Stalking Awareness Month.

Social media has been a great resource,

allowing us to reach hundreds of

followers with several posts a day using

verified facts, figures, and statistics to

illustrate the epidemic of stalking and

harassment. You can visit

www.stalkingawarenessmonth.org for

more information, watch “Stalking: Real

Fear, Real Crime,” and learn how to

promote awareness during NSAM and all

year round.

By Eric

Welcome to the Team! Natalie Julin-McCleary is excited to join Hope Crisis Center as the data entry specialist. Natalie is married to Brian, has two children, Toby and Sophie, and a cat named Tiger. She loves theater, coffee, cooking, gardening, knitting, board games, reading good books, watching quality television and traveling to beautiful places. Originally hailing from Seattle, Natalie graduated from Pacific Lutheran University (Tacoma, Washington) with a degree in Spanish and Women's

Studies. After years of employment in various retail and administrative roles, Natalie is excited to finally be working in her field of study as a member of the Hope Crisis Center team!

By 8:00 pm on November 4th, Hope Crisis

Center’s 3rd Annual Dueling Pianos event was well

underway at the Fairbury Elks Lodge. As

evidenced by our silly “Selfie Station” photos

above, there was no shortage of fun for everyone

in attendance! In addition to the entertainment

provided by both the performers and the guests,

we also boasted a wide array of awesome silent

auction items, including airfare from Southwest

Airlines. Of course, none of this would have been

possible without the generosity and support of our

many sponsors, donors, and guests. Thank you so

much for helping us make this event a success!

3rd Annual Dueling Pianos

Page 2

Christmas for Clients

For many of us, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the

year. It’s a time of warmth, giving, fireplaces, and freshly baked

cookies. It’s also a time for coming home, revisiting old

traditions, and making new ones for the next generation to

treasure.

The very things that make Christmas great for some of us are,

however, the same things that make Christmas a stressful

mess for others—particularly those whose homes have been

torn apart by violence. For survivors, the sentimentality of the

season can dredge up all sorts of unpleasant feelings and

problems. Many have difficulty making ends meet with the

added expectation of gifts, decorations, and big meals. Others

struggle getting in the spirit because of loneliness and grief.

Each year, with a little help from our community, Hope Crisis

Center tries to spread cheer to families that have recently fled

abuse. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, five

families (five adults and nine children) received Christmas gifts

this year. To those of you who helped make this possible, we

thank you for keeping these families in your hearts this season!

In addition to giving gifts to families in need, we also display

Christmas trees at various locations to make people aware of

our services. This year, one of our trees was voted “Most

Beautiful” by the Beatrice Chamber of Commerce! Kudos to

Christina and Cari for their awesome decorating skills!

Voted “Most Beautiful Tree” by the Beatrice Chamber of Commerce

Gifts Received 2 sets of dishes

3 comforters

Towels

Dish drainer

Pots and pans

Laundry basket

4 baby dolls

Ninja Turtle action figure

2 sets of toy dishes

Kids’ toy food set

Barbie clothing

Kids’ pajamas

Kids’ clothing

The Insight Page 3

2016 Year End Review CLIENT SUCCESS STORIES

A woman fled from her abuser and came to

our service area seeking assistance. Since she left

nearly everything behind, the Advocate worked

with Foster Friends to acquire clothing, books, and

some toys for the client and her three children. The

Advocate was able to work closely with this client

during her time in shelter and they devised a

safety plan. At that time, the client decided that

moving closer to her support network was the best

option. After a few days in shelter, she was able to

make arrangements with another agency and

relocate.

Over a period of three weeks, an Advocate helped

a client prepare an escape plan and a Protection

Order narrative. After extensive safety planning

and working with BVCA to find a rental, the client

was able to obtain three months of rent and utility

assistance. Once housing was secured, a church

agreed to help the client move while her husband

was at work. Two days prior to the move, our

Advocate helped the client file the Protection Order

and it was granted. The Advocate immediately

contacted the Sheriff’s Office to ensure that the

Protection Order was served only after the client

had safely left the home. Since the move, the

Protection Order was served and no safety

concerns have surfaced. The client reports that

she is happy and grateful to be out of the

abusive marriage.

An Advocate helped a client get approved for in-

come-based housing at an affordable rate until

she gets approved for disability. Our program as-

sisted with the $50 deposit and will pay her rent of

$100 for four months. Upon leaving her abuser’s

home, the client was very worried about leaving

her dog behind. Hope Crisis Center was able to pay

the pet deposit of $190 with the assistance of a

Josie’s Fund Award of $100. It was a great

success to see the client’s joy, tour the beautiful

apartment, and hear her excitement when she was

allowed to bring her beloved dog with her. With the

support of her family, she was able to get all

moved in and is happy in her new home.

QUICK STATS Adult victims served: 678

Children served: 107

Minority adults served: 44

Adult victims provided shelter: 30

Children provided shelter: 40

Total number of shelter nights: 1,025

Total crisis line contacts: 4,361

Presentations: 220

Staff training hours: 285.5

Home inspections: 24

Housing assistance: $15,114

Other necessity items: $22,883.51

Shelter: $19,021.18

Medical: $830.39

Food: $2,270.57

Events and Awareness January: Daily Stalking Awareness Month

social media posts

February: Teen Dating Violence Awareness

Month sidewalk chalking and student art

project

April: 12th “Put Your Foot Down Against

Sexual Assault” Run/Walk

October: Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Candlelight Vigil in Seward

October: Yard Sign Campaign and Silent

Witness Project in several communities

November: 3rd Annual Dueling Pianos Show

and Silent Auction Event

2016 was a busy year for Hope Crisis Center.

Take a look at some quick stats and a few of our favorite client success stories.

The Insight Page 4

Client NeedsClient Needs Serving survivors of domestic violence

and sexual assault is a big job and we

can’t do it alone! If you are interested in

contributing to our cause, please

consider donating items from the

following list:

Kitchen trash bags

Hand soap

Laundry soap

Bathroom cleaner

Kitchen cleaner

New hair brushes

DONATIONSDONATIONS A big thanks goes out to everyone who donated during

October, November, and December! We apologize if your

name has been inadvertently omitted from our list!

Alexandria Presbyterian Church

American Lutheran Church—Fairbury

Marilyn Bachle—Fairbury

Doug Bristol—Fairbury

Countryside Church Women’s Fellowship—Fairbury

Gail and Sylvia Cross—Fairbury

Elaine Davenport—Lincoln

Dirty Biz Laundry—Fairbury

Marcia Duering—Fairbury

Colleen Endorf—Daykin

Crete Food Mart

Fairbury High School Spanish Club

First Congregational UCC Women’s Fellowship—Geneva

First National Bank of Fairbury

First National Bank of Omaha

First United Presbyterian Church—Fairbury

Food Service Fabrication—Wilber

Todd Fritzen—Beatrice

Gerdes-Meyer Funeral Home—Fairbury

Husker Rehabilitation and Wellness-Fairbury

Toby Julin-McCleary—Fairbury

Kappa Phi Zeta—Crete

KUTT 99.5—Fairbury

Joyce Lahodny—Diller

Trudy Leonard—Fairbury

Jane Lewis—Fairbury

Little Blue Belles Club—Fairbury

Merry Modern Club—Diller

Nancy Mau—Fairbury

Network Consulting Services Inc.—Beatrice

Peace Lutheran Church—Deshler

PEO Chapter AO—Fairbury

Plymouth Electric

Jane Pretzer—Diller

Mary Pulse—Lincoln

Rocky Road 4-H Club—Fairbury

Sandman Family Foundation—Diller

Seventh Day Adventist Church—Fairbury

St. Paul’s Church—Diller

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Women—Gilead

Charles and Kristine Stone—Endicott

Try N Do Extension Club—Fairbury

Union Bank and Trust—Fairbury

United Methodist Women—Fairbury

United Methodist Women—Hebron

United Methodist Women—Seward

Women of the ELCA—Beatrice

Wymore Library

Zion Countryside Church—Fairbury

The Insight Page 5

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2016- Fourth Quarter Client Services(October, November, December)

*If you would be interested in serving on Hope Crisis Center’s Board of Directors, please

contact Carmen at our Administrative Office 402.729.2570

Find us on the web @

www.hopecrisiscenter.org

For Newsletter Information Contact:

Administrative Office

PO BOX 365

425 F Street

Fairbury, NE 68352

Phone: 402.729.2570

Fax: 402.729.2572

Email: chinman@hopecrisiscenter.org

Beatrice Outreach Office

Phone: 402.223.6635

Crete Outreach Office

Phone: 402.826.5727

Seward Outreach Office

Phone: 402-643-3056

York Outreach Office

Phone: 402-362-7527

Toll-Free Confidential Crisis Line

1.877.388.HOPE (4673)

www.hopecrisiscenter.org

http://nosilencenoviolence2.tumblr.com/

Find us on Facebook and Twitter

Hope Crisis Center is a non-profit

organization committed to empowering

victims of domestic violence and sexual

assault as well as our communities

through advocacy, education, and

confidential emergency services.

Tyler Weishahn, Gage

Board President

Heidi Gubanyi, Seward

Vice-President

Tami Brose, Thayer Secretary

Sandy Reikofski, Jefferson Treasurer

Guadelupe Avelar, Saline

Member

Morgan Neverve, Gage

Member

Vicky Hanseling, Seward

Member

If you would like to receive this publication as an e-version only,

please email Mandy at prevention@hopecrisiscenter.org with your

request.

Please recycle - share this newsletter with others!

Board of Directors:

Staff: Carmen: Executive Director

Mindy: Program Manager

Mandy: Education and Development

Specialist

Christina: Victim Advocate— Gage

County

Suzy: Victim Advocate—York and

Fillmore Counties

Natalie: Data Entry Specialist

Sydney: Seward County Victim

Assistance

Eric: Victim Advocate—Saline County

Cari: Sexual Assault Advocate/Victim

Advocate—Jefferson and Thayer

Counties

Michelle: Victim Advocate—Seward

County