QUOTES OF SUPPORT
“Warsaw/Kosciusko County is a progressive and caring community. I am confident that through collaboration of efforts a networking program can be formed to provide improved comprehensive services to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The success of one-stop centers in cities across the U.S. has proven to not only be safer and more convenient for the victims, but also more effective and efficient for the agencies in providing better, more thorough services to those in need.”
Mayor Ernie Wiggins
City of Warsaw
“This facility would allow the victims to not feel victimized again. With a one-stop center, they would be able to realize that their interest is what is important for everyone involved in their case.”
Lynne Eberle, KCH ER/Sexual Assault Nurse
“The Warsaw Police Department is committed to effective collaboration with our community law enforcement officials to help eliminate domestic violence in Kosciusko County. Through intervention and education, family violence can be prevented. No one deserves to be abused; everyone has the right to lead violence-free lives with dignity and self-respect. A centralized facility will provide a safe place for victims to get the help and support they need to regain control of their lives.”
Chief Perry Hunter
Warsaw Police Department
"As a victim advocate for the past eight years, I have had the opportunity to speak with many battered women. One of the obstacles in leaving their stressful situations is the difficulty in making contact with the agencies they need assistance from that are scattered throughout our city and county. Some women do not have phones, and some are even without transportation. Some women feel that extra burden and added stress is not worth it and choose to stay in their abusive relationships. To have a safe ‘One-Stop’ facility in our community would be a great asset to the women (many with children) trying to leave a dangerous situation."
Lorna A. Ladd
Embarq
Quoted to me from a woman: "When you are used to living a life of survival every day, you get so exhausted. It feels like you can't even hardly remember your own name. You almost feel like a little child and need to have someone walk you through all the steps. It is hard to do it by yourself and everything seems to take so long until you finally enter that safe house and you know (he) can't get to you."
Personal Quote: “My dream for the community and the survivors of abuse is to have a place where a woman can go and be led with reassurance and compassion through the steps to becoming free, where she can know her children are safe and that she can take care of details with all the help she needs under one roof.”
Darla France, Exec. Director
LifeTouch Ministries
“Trying to come up with a ‘short quote’ is difficult, since I know our community needs this type of facility to help our families. I truly believe victimized children need the opportunity to tell their story one time to one person. As it is now, they must repeat the trauma over and over again to different adults in different settings.”
Sally Mahnken
CASA of Kosciusko County
“One day in a quiet moment, a customer shared with me her need of a place to ‘flee.’ I was shocked because she appeared to be a strong woman with her life ‘together.’ As my business has grown, so have the number of admissions similar to hers. This woman’s need was one of sealing our friendship, but also one more on the list of contacts who somehow have found their way into my life, in need of a place to help them put their lives back together one piece at a time because of abuse. In today’s world of social services, a one-stop center for victims should be more easily attainable with conscientious community helpers working together to provide services under one roof. We can and should work to attain this place for victims of abuse in Kosciusko County.”
Paula Popenfoose, Director
Mary Kay Cosmetics
“It has been very frustrating to me over the past few years to help individuals and families that are victims of domestic violence to get the help they need. Becky Moreno does a great job and has always been available when called, but it is very difficult to convince victims to see her. It is also upsetting when victims have seen her, need the services of a doctor, or find a safe place for protection—and have to travel all over the county for help. Most victims rarely find the nerve to step forward with their problems in the first place, and if they do they lose heart quickly when they can't find all the help they need.
I believe if we had one centrally located facility, readily accessible and known to all, it would be easier for the victims to respond. Domestic violence comes in many forms and is much more widespread that I ever realized until I began working directly with the victims. It is a problem that affects entire families and generations of families. I strongly urge the support of a one-stop county domestic violence service center.”
Pastor Cindy Gackenheimer
Celebration Church
“The community is essential in a child’s development when living with violence within their home. Peers are asked first for advice—advice which is most often unwise and can dictate choosing a path of destruction. Offer extended family, church, concerned teachers, and an opportunity for counseling, and the child has a chance to survive and break the cycle of violence. I know, because that support system made me a survivor.”
Pamela Kennedy
Executive Director -
Warsaw Housing Authority
"At Combined Community Services (CCS), our mission is to help break the cycle of poverty. While domestic violence is in all economic classes, a majority of the people we serve are victims of domestic abuse. Therefore, CCS supports Warsaw's Victim Assistance Program and their work to increase awareness of this community problem."
Lewis R. Jones
Executive Director,
Combined Community Services |
