The McConnell Foundation Grants $1 Million

to One SAFE Place Capital Campaign

The McConnell Foundation Board of Directors announced today a pledge of $1 million in support of the One SAFE Place Capital Campaign.  The new shelter, named the Sierra Center, will more than double One SAFE Place's current capabilities for helping victims of domestic and sexual abuse, and will accept women, men and their children.

 

This extraordinary gift also establishes a new partnership between One SAFE Place and The McConnell Foundation who will be the founding sponsor of the One SAFE Place - One SAFE Community Initiative. 

"During the planning process for our campaign, the individuals we interviewed expressed a strong interest in finding practical, longer-term solutions to address the problem of domestic violence and sexual abuse," said Jean King, Executive Director of One Safe Place.  That evolved into the vision for the One SAFE Place - One SAFE Community Initiative, a forum that will aim to produce a model for change that can be implemented in Shasta County and other communities across the state and the nation.  Plans for the new initiative are still in the very early stages, but the goal is to create an annual summit that brings together thoughtful leaders and serves as a forum for innovation. 

Bill Cox, Chairman of the Board of The McConnell Foundation said, "The Board agreed to play a major role by partnering with entrepreneurs and others who have demonstrated success by implementing a creative approach to solving problems and who bring new perspectives to building a model that will affect measurable change in communities.  The mission of The McConnell Foundation is to help build better communities through philanthropy.  The Board feels the core focus of the One SAFE Place - One SAFE Community Initiative aligns perfectly with our mission.  We are excited to partner with One SAFE Place and the community leaders who have stepped forward to support the campaign in a significant way, such as Sierra Pacific Foundation, The Redding Rancheria and others who are committed to this critical capital campaign."

About The McConnell Foundation

The McConnell Foundation is an independent foundation located in Redding, California. As a Northern California broad-based funder, grants are awarded to 501(3)(c) nonprofit organizations, public education institutions, and government entities. The Foundation began making grants in 1988 and has provided funding for projects in the areas of Arts & Culture, Community Vitality, Education, the Environment, Health Care, Recreation and Social Services.
  

Redding Rancheria Gift

We were thrilled when we learned that the Tribal Council at Redding Rancheria pledged a total of $250,000 toward our new shelter and client services building, Sierra Center. Once completed, we will nearly triple the space for victims seeking shelter, we will provide individual rooms for each family, male victims and their families can stay, and all will be able to stay up to 90 days rather than the current 30 days. Statistics show a greater likelihood of success when victims can get longer-term help. We are thankful for our friendship with Redding Rancheria and grateful for their continued generosity. These funds are designated solely for the construction costs for Sierra Center, and do not go to providing client services.

$125,000! Dancing with the Stars, Shasta County Style was our best ever fund raising event. This years’ cast successfully executed the best attended, most diverse, and most profitable event in our 35-year history. Words alone cannot express our gratitude to all our dancers, volunteers, and sponsors with special recognition to our marquee sponsor, the law firm of Barr & Mudford. The income from events such as this goes directly to support our programs and services. Without your help, we would not be able to fund the advocates, crisis line services, Camp Hope, and Outreach and Education programs among others.

“Bystander Engagement,” the centerpiece of our NO MORE Campaign, is what everyday citizens can do to help stop family violence and make Shasta County a safer place to live. Here is an example of what Bystander Engagement means: This morning, a man was having an altercation with a woman across the street. She was trying to get away as he followed her yelling and gesticulating. Two young men driving by parked their car and went over to them. They had already called 911 and stood between the two until he started walking away, and she was safe. Within minutes, RPD arrived, spoke with the two men and then went looking for the abuser. With safety as a priority, bystander engagement is the kind of action we can all take to change our community. You can make a positive difference by caring about what happens to other people and taking simple actions to make things better.

Response to our request for food last month was overwhelming. Within a few weeks, our coffers were filled. Our community is so generous, always doing what needs to be done. Thank you so much for your support.

Together we will build One SAFE Place - One SAFE Community.

With much appreciation,

Jean King

Executive Director

Sierra Pacific Foundation Gift

It’s been a great month for One Safe Place. Sierra Pacific Foundation recently pledged $1 million toward our goal of building a new Shelter and Client Services Center by Fall of 2015. Our total project goal is $5 million. Words cannot express how excited and grateful we are for Sierra Pacific’s support and leadership in making our community a safer place. Since the announcement last week, reaction from the community has been overwhelmingly positive. This project is just the beginning of making a real and lasting change in our community. Feel free to call my business phone, 244-0118 x203, if you have any questions.

The $1M pledge will be paid incrementally over the next five years, and the funds are dedicated exclusively to our new Shelter Project. While we are working on this capital campaign, we still need to raise money to support our current programs and activities. Nearly 35%, or $600,000.00, of our annual operating income comes from community and foundation donations. We hope you will continue to support us as we proceed with the everyday work of changing people’s lives.

So, while this generous pledge is tremendously exciting news, we don’t have any plans to slow down. We’re going to keep charging forward until all of us can celebrate a community free of domestic and sexual abuse. Thank you for being a part of our work, and thank you for caring enough to get involved.

Warm regards,

Jean King
Executive Director

No More

On April 2, One SAFE Place, along with the Women’s Fund, Health and Human Services Agency and the Strengthening Families Coalition, launched an awareness and educational campaign focused on the national “NO MORE” campaign against domestic and sexual abuse. Over 500 citizens of Shasta County attended our presentations that day and agreed to join our campaign.

We are so fortunate to live in a community that really cares about what we do and demonstrates that by listening, giving and volunteering. We have heard a lot lately about all the problems in the Redding and Shasta County area. There is no doubt our community has its share of challenges. So, what are we to do? Well, I think it is time we said, “NO MORE.”

Dr. Alan Berkowitz spoke at the forum about “Bystander Engagement” offering advice on what each community member can do. Simple actions can make a difference. Below are just a few. If you would like more information or to request a presentation, please email me at jeank@ospshasta.org

• If you see a friend with bruises – don’t ignore it. Let them know you’re there for them and can help them get help at One SAFE Place. Do it discretely.
• A fight is going on next door – create a distraction – set off your car alarm. Approach the victim when it is safe or call 911.
• Use your cell phone
• Discourage derogatory comments about women

I agree with Silas Lyons’ editorial in the Record Searchlight on March 29th. It is time for a new vision, a time to look forward - a season of change. If we pull together as a community, I believe we can meet these challenges. Since becoming the Director of One SAFE Place three years ago, it’s been my position that all of us are the solution. No non-profit can do it alone. It has to be all of us coming together as a community.

These are the reasons that the Shasta Women’s Refuge and Family Justice Center merged into One SAFE Place, why we launched an awareness campaign, why we expanded our education program and why we expanded our partnerships. We are stronger together.

We want to do more. The goal is to provide our community with the information and tools they need to help neighbors, friends and family suffering from abuse. When we commit to “NO MORE,” we’re saying we WILL do more. Much as Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) began, we urge a grass roots response. We can do better!

As part of the campaign, we now have great tools on our website that help you recognize abuse and learn how to safely intervene. By saying “NO MORE," we’re showing that we’re committed to doing all we can to make our community a better place, a safer place. If you’re like me, ready for a new season of change, please join us in saying, “NO MORE."

Warm regards,

Jean King
Executive Director

Bystander Engagement

So much has changed at One SAFE Place, but one thing that remains unwavering is our commitment to provide safety, healing and hope to people traumatized by abuse. Last month I shared a lot of positive news and numbers around all the great things that we achieved through your support of One SAFE Place in the last year. This month, I want to share more news on activities coming up in April that will help us achieve even greater things going forward.

April marks “Sexual Assault Awareness Month,” a national campaign where we raise awareness about sexual violence and educate communities and individuals on how to prevent it. First, the Women’s Fund is hosting an upcoming forum on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault on April 2nd , at 12 noon at the Redding Library. This will be a time to hear more about the issues and learn how you can make a difference by understanding BYSTANDER ENGAGEMENT. Nationally recognized expert, Alan Berkowitz will speak about how Bystander Engagement can help our community reduce abuse. Later that evening, you won’t want to miss our “Take Back the Night” candlelight vigil, 5:30 p.m. at the Atrium in downtown Redding.

Accompanying our theme of BYSTANDER ENGAGEMENT, we’ll be launching a media campaign engaging our community in the National “No More” campaign. Look for the “No More” PSA’s, posters and other materials that you can share with others.

A special thanks to all the courageous people who will be joining our “Walk-A-Mile in Her Shoes” and “Pizza and Pumps” event on May 10th. Because the vast majority of abuse victims are women, this is a “walk-a-thon” event focused on bringing men and their families together to honor the women in their lives and show others their willingness to “step into their shoes” as they walk a mile in high heels. Following the walk, we’ll have food, music and other family activities like bounce houses and games. You can register on our website. Please come and join us.

In conclusion, I want to take a minute to thank all of our dedicated staff who hear such tragic stories each and every day and who work so hard to turn those tragedies into triumphs. They couldn’t do it without your support and encouragement. So, a heartfelt THANK YOU to the dedicated staff who make a difference everyday for victims of family violence.

Warm regards, 

Jean King
Executive Director

What We've Accomplished Together

Happy New Year!  With our first edition of the "Advocate” for 2014, it’s a time to celebrate all you’ve accomplished by supporting One SAFE Place last year. That’s right. The accomplishments of 2013 are yours. Your support and commitment to victims allowed us to meet increased needs in responding to those traumatized by abuse. Below are statistics from 2013 to highlight the impact you’ve made.

As you know, we changed our name to One SAFE Place. This new name better reflects the breadth of services we offer to victims of domestic and sexual abuse. One reason for the change was to dispel the myth that we only served women. We are already seeing increased numbers. In the last year, we noted a 19% increase in the number of men who have sought help, most of that coming since the name change. In fact since July of last year we have seen a 32% increase in men seeking service versus the same period a year ago.

Overall we experienced a 15% increase in domestic abuse victims seeking help. In addition, we provided over 4,000 nights of safe emergency shelter to over 200 adults and 165 children. And, our Client Service Center received over 5,100 visits for service in 2013. You gave these families a real chance at a new life. You helped children receive specialized care to help them break the cycle of abuse for generations to come. And, because of you, these children now have hope.

Speaking of hope, our second annual Camp HOPE took a huge leap forward this year. First, we moved our camp to Kidder Creek, which expanded the activities we were able to offer. In addition, the University of Oklahoma also studied the impact the camp had in increasing the level hope in youth traumatized by abuse. We are proud to report that because of your support, Camp HOPE made a measurable difference in these children. Campers were surveyed 30 days before camp, the last day of camp and 30 days after camp ended. The results were encouraging. When asked, “I can easily trust others” before camp, 39.2% of the campers reported they felt this way most or all of the time; 30 days after camp that number jumped to 58.2% for most or all of the time. Another encouraging indicator emerged when campers were asked, “I think I will achieve my dreams.” Before camp 68.9% of the campers reported most or all of the time; 30 days after camp, that number jumped to 78.9% for most or all of the time.
In addition to serving victims, we are working diligently to prevent abuse through community education. Last year our team of trained educators made over 160 presentations to schools and community groups, reaching over 4,000 people with information and training on how to help prevent abuse.

Please remember that your support is making a difference. Our vision is to see our community free from abuse. And, we can do it by helping one child, one mother, one father, one neighbor at a time.

Thank you for all your support.

Warm wishes,

Jean King
Executive Director

Celebrating Our Veterans

Hello Friends,

Every November we celebrate our Veterans, those of all branches of service and all conflicts. The holiday and its timing grew out of the victories won by “The Greatest Generation” in overcoming the tyranny that created World War II. In that spirit, I want to tell you about a woman I recently met named Debbie Sprague, an overcomer in her own right. She is the author of “A Stranger in my Bed” ($19.86 Amazon.com). The book chronicles the near destruction of her family as a result of the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) suffered by her husband as a result of his experiences in the Viet Nam war.

As a community we are doing more for Veterans. Thanks to the relentless work by Sen. Maurice Johannessen and many others, our community now boasts a new Veterans Home. I have felt for a long time that there is more we at One SAFE Place can do to help families of abuse, and particularly veterans. In learning more about Debbie’s story, I gained inspiration. While our first and foremost concern is to help victims find safety and healing, we know that there is more to the equation than that. And, Debbie’s book prompted me to take a fresh look at how we at One SAFE Place serve Veterans. Since meeting her, I have met with several veterans organizations, read countless articles and am now passionately committed to making OSP a resource for our veterans affected by PTSD.

We know that as a community we need to address the whole issue of domestic and sexual abuse, not just pieces. That’s why we continue to reach out to and work with others in the community who can help. One such resource is the Batterers Intervention Program (BIP) started by Hope City that will be launching soon. This program is a resource to those who recognize their need for help in overcoming their anger or tendencies toward abusive behavior. In the last two years we have begun to emphasize the need for prevention and we applaud Hope City for recognizing and responding to this need in our community. We would encourage anyone to seek help who honestly seeks to avoid resorting to abusive behavior.

I don’t want anyone to misunderstand me. We as a society cannot tolerate abuse. However, we can do more to overcome it. And, while One SAFE Place will always remain committed to the safety of victims, Debbie’s book, her story and her experience have shown me that we as a community can do more to assist them in their journey toward healing. I think these sentiments can best be summarized by the actor, Patrick Stewart whose first hand experience with this issue has inspired him to become active in the cause. He, too, has refocused his efforts based on revelations in recent years of the impact of his father’s wartime military service on the family. You’ll understand more as you watch the video.

Warm regards, 

Jean King
Executive Director