PDC Orenda Center's Sheltering Hearts Fundraiser to Benefit Victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coming February
Tuesday, February 4th, 2020 -- 11:29 AM
-The PDC Orenda Center here in Neillsville will be holding their Annual Sheltering Hearts Fundraiser next week.I spoke with Tina Steinkamp, as well as PDC Neillsville employees Amy and Jody, and they explained the service the PDC Orenda Center offers.
“PDC is a private non-profit domestic violence, sexual assault agency. We’ve been serving the northwood county, great Marshfield area and all of Clark County for over 42 years with an office here in Clark County for about 25 years. We provide advocacy for individuals who’ve experienced domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, harassment, teen dating violence and all the other little realms that can fall into.”
“Through that, we provide the ongoing, personal, one-to-one support through advocacy and counseling types of interactions. We also provide some legal advocacy where we can assist individuals pursuing different ways and methods to maintain or achieve safety in their lives, including things like restraining orders and injunctions to protect them and keep some distance from the individual that’s been harming them. We can also assist with things like preparing statements for hearings, attend hearings with individuals so they have some personal support there with them during that process since it can be so intimidating.”
“We attend things like divorce hearings. Our agency also provides supervised visitation and safe exchange programming, so that individuals who may need to have a neutral 3rd party assist with their exchanges to keep children out of conflict when they’re going between periods of placement and custody. We also have the visitation center itself, which provides the supervision in cases where a parent is unable to have time with their child without supervision. We can provide that 3rd party supervision. Additionally, we are the emergency response for what is called the LAP program, or Lethality Assessment Program, which is what law enforcement utilizes right when they’re on the scene of a domestic incident and they are able then to immediately connect that victim to an advocate so that advocate can work through safety planning, and assessment of what resources may be needed and provide what is needed immediately for safety. An opportunity then to connect to moving on in the future right away while they’re on scene.”
“We respond to the Marshfield Medical Center for individuals who present at the emergency department for SANE exams following a sexual assault. So, we’ll provide personal advocacy throughout that exam. We also respond to the child advocacy center in situations where children are brought in having experienced sexual assault, abuse, neglect, drug endangered children and we’re part of that multi-disciplinary team to help address and support families through that process.”
“Almost a year and a half ago, we did open a shelter at the Marshfield location, so we do have emergency crisis shelter for individuals who are looking to flee that abusive situation. They then have a place safe to stay, have that ongoing support right on site and have that safe living situation as well.”
Tina then explained the Sheltering Hearts Fundraiser being held February 13th.
“Sheltering Hearts is our annual, kind of our signature event, our signature fundraising event. It’s our 16th annual. It is a nice night of a great meal, a live and silent auction, musical entertainment and socializing too for all of our PDC staff, our Board of Directors, our volunteers and the community to come together and have some social time together and enjoy a really nice evening.”
She then explained what the funds from the fundraiser will be used for.
“All of our funds from our fundraiser go to support direct services to victims. And that can be anything from providing food and shelter to gas cards to be able to get to those court hearings. Some of those fees to support the legal process. Pretty much anything to support the victims."
She also explained the importance of an event like the Sheltering Hearts Fundraiser and an organization like the PDC Orenda Center.
“Every victim of domestic violence, sexual assault is a very unique individual. They’re experiences all look different, but in each and every one of them there’s a personal violation of some sort. It’s a taking away of safety and security. It’s also a very psychological, traumatizing event that you can’t just go to the doctor for. Visiting your family care practitioner is not going to fix the problem. There’s so many underlying factors and things that play into as well as play into any decision to leave. Whether there’s children involved, financial concerns, the social stigma that goes along with.”
“So, working with advocates on that one-to-one basis really provides opportunities for victims to work through all of those as well as our advocates are able to connect them to community partners, resources that they may not know are in existence. That they may be uncomfortable even asking for that help. A lot of times victims stay in a situation much longer than even they would like because they don’t know how to address those needs once they leave. They don’t know where to even start. It can be so overwhelming to think about starting over or just want that implication is on the entire family.”
“So, advocates are able to connect them with resources. They are able to connect them with other community partners who have other supports. Things like counseling, transportation, employment, housing are all huge barriers for our victims that we work with. So, advocates are able to work through each one of those step-by-step at that victim’s pace. So we can also take into account the trauma they’ve experienced, the known and unknown triggers that can put them back into a situation that is unsafe or even a mental state that makes it hard to move forward.”
“Establishing those community partnerships is essential to what we do to provide full support and that wrap around support for a victim because without all of the community partners, we don’t have the resources then and a victim would then feel even more isolated. And we don’t want them to feel like they have to jump from person, to person, to person and retell that story, that is so personal and so traumatizing, to everyone they encounter. Where we can make some phone calls and we don’t have to make those disclosures, but they have an understanding of what we do and when were talking with those partners they know that if we’re calling about resources we’re working with a victim and it’s the victim that’s in need and that victim’s story doesn’t need to be told again.”
Finally, Tina explained why a fundraiser like this is important to the PDC Orenda Center as a whole.
“As a private non-profit we are 100% grant or donation or fundraising funded. So, we truly depend on each of these things. And, grants are great, but they only go so far. And, without our community’s support, we can’t operate. So, fundraisers are always an essential part of our day-to-day. And we really respect every person that takes that step to make a private donation or to attend a fundraiser or to take part in anything that we’re doing, we see that it’s something that they’re giving of themselves. We hold that at a high regard.”
Once again, the Sheltering Hearts Fundraiser is being held on Thursday, February 13th from 5:30pm-9:30pm at the RiverEdge Golf Course south of Marshfield.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.