Congratulations to our Indianapolis Brackets For Good nonprofit match-up competitor, Brookside Community Development Corporation (Brookside CDC), on winning Round 2 of the #BFG18 tournament. Thank you for being such a great opponent in the tournament. We immensely thank every donor for helping. We displayed a valiant effort but admit Brookside CDC overtook us in the game. 

Our team here at Beacon of Hope Crisis Center absolutely wanted to win but we are now thrilled to encourage support for Brookside CDC as they advance to a win in Round 3. What I liked best about this match-up is that the Brookside community received a double win in Round 2! The double win is that both of our organizations serve the Brookside neighborhood and both of our organizations benefited from numerous donations!

Every organization competing in Brackets For Good wants to advance and keep raising much needed funds. At the same time as we are disappointed that we lost Round 2 we truly couldn't be more thrilled about Brookside Community Development Corporation advancing in the tournament. Brookside CDC is all about play-based childhood trauma reversal initiatives, societal reentry, and focusing on ending generational poverty to create opportunities of renewal and transformation for the residents of Brookside.  Please rally behind them Indianapolis, let's help them win Round 3!

46201 is where a large number of the clients we serve at Beacon of Hope Crisis Center reside. Center Township is one of the reasons why we relocated and expanded our agency, ensuring we were accessible by way of a bus-line. We serve all of Central Indiana and our data shows Marion county and Center Township at the top in our service numbers. Beacon of Hope Crisis Center is focused on helping to reduce our overall homicide rates by serving victims of domestic violence and intervening before situations escalate.

I encourage everyone reading this to follow us and learn more about the positive difference Beacon of Hope Crisis Center is making in Central Indiana for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.  Please continue to consider us in your portfolio of charities when making individual and mission gifts.

Good luck to Brookside CDC in Round 3! Track Their Progress Here

Ways to follow and contact Beacon of Hope Crisis Center:

"Echo!" someone calls. He perks his ears, lifting his head even though he was just in a deep sleep, looking for whomever just called his name. "Hey, handsome boy!" it's the counselor who frequently uses Echo for his calming presence in her sessions with clients. She says, "You ready to work, buddy?" He sits up and stretches out his paws for a long bow-like stretch paired with a yawn. He stands up and puts one paw off of his bed, looking at me as a way to ask if he can get up.
 
"You're free!" I say, giving him permission to greet the counselor. He leaps over to her, showing his excitement for the day. "Heel," I tell him after he's gotten a decent amount of post-nap scratches. He obediently comes over and enthusiastically places himself at my left side, ready to go greet the client at the door.
 
We walk together with the counselor to the front door of the office to greet the client and walk them back to the counseling room. We open the door and he wags his whole body with excitement as he sees his client for the next hour; a young child, the perfect height for Echo to greet with an enthusiastic face lick. "You're free!" I tell Echo, giving him permission to leave my side. He goes over to the child and leans on his legs, whacking the furniture with his tail on the way over.

We walk the child back to the counseling room where they decide to sit on the floor, holding Echo in their arms. The child tells the counselor about their week. Echo looks admiringly up at the child as they talk, firmly believing that every word the child says is the best sound he's ever heard. The smile upon the child’s face says it all. Echo has thoroughly engaged with that child and made the child’s day even brighter by his presence.
 
As Echo gains more and more clients, his excitement at the call of duty only grows as he greets each client at the door and listens to the cadence of their stories. He may not understand the words they say, but it's clear he understands the importance of them. Echo has been a great addition to the Beacon of Hope Crisis Center Team and we are so excited to see him grow as he continues to work with clients.

          Thank you donors for helping us win Round 1 of our match up in the Brackets For Good Tournament.  Because of you Beacon of Hope Crisis Center advanced to Round 2! 
          We still need you please stick with us, share and rally more support for us so that we keep advancing.  Staying in this we could win an additional $10,000 for our cause.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

At Beacon of Hope Crisis Center (BOHCC), we are always looking for ways to get involved within our community. It’s a way to not only support the community that we work and live in, but also a way to communicate to thousands our mission and why we do what we do. So, it was of no question when we submitted our application to be a part of the Brackets for Good (BFG) competition beginning March 2nd.

What is Brackets for Good? BFG is the only sport for nonprofits. Inspired by the annual college basketball tournament in March, BFG hosts online fundraising tournaments where up to 64 selected local nonprofits rally support through the community, family and friends, board members, and the community to donate money while also increasing awareness. Picture the NCAA tournament and replace it with nonprofits competing to be the final champion.

Getting involved and voting is extremely easy. Each $1 donation turns into one point for that organization. The rounds are single elimination, mirroring a bracket-style fundraiser. During each week, individuals can visit indianapolis.bfg.org and give to their favorite organization to advance to the next round. Each organization isn’t in it alone, though, as they each have community teammates helping them along the way.

For BOHCC to be a part of this for the second year in a row is extremely exciting. Not to mention, we are even more excited for our corporate sponsor: Stacked Pickle - Southport! Throughout the first round, we will be hosting events at Stacked Pickle Southport, 7040 McFarland Blvd, Indianapolis, IN 46237.

Events Include:

Take A Bite Out of Domestic Violence / A Dine To Donate Event:  Sunday, March 4th from 4pm-8pm join us for dinner at Stacked Pickle Southport and for just bringing the flyer to hand to your server when you order you can help advance our cause. 
Come meet Champ our BFG mascot!  He’ll be giving high-fives and doing photo-ops for 30 minutes every hour during this event!

Get To The Top Two Hour Hang Out Event:  Wednesday, March 7th from 6pm-8pm join us for serious fun and bracket advancement entry chances for amazing prize drawings in the bar at Stacked Pickle Southport.  Hang out, play games and advance BOHCC in our BFG Bracket Match-Up!

For more information on both Beacon of Hope Crisis Center and Brackets For Good, visit our about us page and our BFG matchup page.

GAME ON!

Take A Bite Out of Domestic Violence at Stacked Pickle Southport on Sunday March 4th
Indianapolis domestic violence and sexual assault center partners with local restaurant for competition
(INDIANAPOLIS, IN—February 27, 2018)—Are you hungry, Indianapolis? Beginning March 2nd, the community of Indianapolis has the opportunity to participate in Brackets For Good, a competition that allows individuals to support their favorite causes and organizations through an online bracket-style tournament.
 
One of the many participants this year is Beacon of Hope Crisis Center (BOHCC), a services and referral nonprofit organization that empowers victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in central Indiana. Alongside this organization participating in Brackets For Good is a corporate partner, Stacked Pickle, supporting their cause by hosting events and encouraging the surrounding communities to donate.
 
“BOHCC served 904 victims this past year and as we continue to grow, it’s increasingly important to not only talk about these tough issues, but to also get our community involved. Being a part of Brackets For Good allows us to have a voice in the community and to share all of the exciting things happening,” said Sandra K. Ziebold, CEO / Executive Director of Beacon of Hope Crisis Center.
 
This year, Beacon of Hope Crisis Center has partnered with Stacked Pickle Southport. Kicking off this exciting partnership there will be a ‘Dine to Donate’ event held on Sunday, March 4th as well as another event loaded with creative fun on the evening of Wednesday, March 7th at the Southport location.
 
"Stacked Pickle Southport is happy to team up with Beacon of Hope Crisis Center.  We are always looking for different ways to impact the local community and give back to the guests of our community.  We’re hoping that this partnership will facilitate awareness of Beacon of Hope's services and raise money for their inspiring work,” said Michael Earnest, General Manager of Stacked Pickle Southport.
 
Getting involved is easy! By visiting indianapolis.bfg.org, starting March 2nd you can instantly select Beacon of Hope Crisis Center and give online. With each dollar donated, one point will be distributed in support of Beacon of Hope Crisis Center.  Thank you for joining Stacked Pickle and so many others wanting to make a positive difference in our community by supporting Beacon of Hope Crisis Center in the 2018 Brackets For Good Tournament!
 
About Beacon of Hope Crisis Center 501(c)3
Beacon of Hope Crisis Center a Christ-centered organization empowering victims of domestic violence and sexual assault to become self-sufficient by providing safety, support and education. Since 2009 Beacon of Hope, through its Crisis Intervention, Victim Advocacy, Counseling, "Teen Talk" Outreach and Education, Criminal Justice, Economic Sustainability and Foster Pet Programs has offered victims of domestic violence assistance in overcoming barriers that hold them in abusive situations. Beacon of Hope is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization located in Indianapolis, Indiana.  More information about Beacon of Hope can be found at beaconofhopeindy.org.
 
About Stacked Pickle
Established in 2010, Stacked Pickle offers their guests a casual dining experience, as well as a full menu and plenty of events throughout Indianapolis. Locally owned and operated by former Indianapolis Colts player, Gary Brackett, Stacked Pickle has been voted Indy’s #1 neighborhood and sports bar. For more information on Stacked Pickle, visit stackedpickle.com.

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, which raises awareness and sparks conversations when it comes to abuse in teen and early twenties relationships. While many may not think abuse happens to younger generations, we want you to know that dating violence is more common than one would think. One in three teens in the U.S. will experience physical, sexual or emotional abuse by someone they are in a relationship with before they hit the status of adulthood. We help educate the community on dating violence and encourage victims to seek help.

According to the Center for Disease Control, dating violence can have a negative effect on the victim’s life spanning many years past the traumatic events. Teens thru early adulthood who are victims are more likely to experience symptoms including: depression, anxiety, drug-use, and alcohol abuse. To support those statistics, the NCADV reported that half of youth who have been victims of both dating violence and rape attempt suicide compared to 12.5% of non-abused girls and 5.4% non-abused boys.
 
With over 50% of teens knowing someone who has suffered from physical, sexual, or verbal abuse in a dating relationship, it is our job to start having those tough conversations, as well as keep an eye out for signs that we’ve talked about in past blog posts.

Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month has encouraged us to take action, and you should too. Whether in your community or household, below are a few ideas:

• Talk to local health teachers to hold classroom conversations about dating violence and the importance of seeking help
• Talk to local school officials on how they can create policies to support their students
• Encourage parents to talk with their teens about healthy relationships and what they look like
• Have conversations with your own teens about toxic relationships, prevention, and how to get help
• Work with local domestic violence and sexual assault agencies to collaborate with surrounding communities on facts and statistics
• Host support groups for parents of teens and young college students
• Volunteer with local shelters and organizations to not only support them, but also educate yourself about issues

As a domestic violence and sexual assault agency, Beacon of Hope Crisis Center is passionate about raising awareness of dating violence. If you know of or are a teen and/or young adult that is experiencing dating violence, call our crisis line to speak with an advocate. Advocates are available Monday-Friday 8:30am – 4:30pm at (317)731-6140.

We want to say thanks to our Speedway PD partners for a really great meeting this week.  The energy and excitement felt by both our teams was inspiring. 

The Chief and our CEO agreed on a renewal partnership through 2020.  Speedway Police Department Captain Jason Dierdorff and Sergeant Mirantha Hockemeyer and Beacon of Hope Crisis Center CEO Sandra Ziebold and Director of Victim Advocacy Tiffany Wilson met and reviewed victim services data and engaged in lots of victim services focused conversation. 

We brought a total of 45 crisis bundles for adults and children that the officers will have on hand for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault crimes.  In a moment of fleeing to be safe victims often leave with nothing.  These crisis bundles will help meet immediate needs in the community of Speedway.

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month – a time dedicated to efforts that support teens and young adults as they navigate unhealthy relationships. While dating abuse may look different in each relationship, researchers have found early warning signs that everyone should be aware of (listed below). Help us educate the community and raise awareness of dating violence by making a donation today. Education is key to preventing future dating violence among teens and young adults in our community.

Warning Signs of Teen Dating Violence*

• Excessive jealousy
• Constant checking in on activities or whereabouts
• Isolation from friends, family, or social groups
• Insults and name calling
• History of bad prior relationships
• Controlling behaviors
• Pressure to make the relationship serious quickly
• Belief in strong stereotypical gender roles

If you identify several warning signs in your own life or in a loved one’s life, there may be an increased likelihood that the relationship will become violent. Reach out to a victim advocate to learn more about the resources in your area. Advocates are available Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm when you call our Crisis Line (317) 731-6140.
*www.ncdsv.org/images/WarningSignsofTeenDatingViolence.pdf

It was not my intent upon adopting Echo that he become a therapy dog, but as I grew to know him more it felt like something he needed to do. The healing power of dogs, I think, has many levels. The foundation being that dogs just are. They’re with you in the moment, no matter how uncomfortable. You don’t have to question their motives or if they really love you. You don’t have to wonder if what they’re doing is genuine or not. They don’t get caught up in their own thoughts, opinions, or judgements. They’re pure, and with the struggle of waking up and living in a world with people who may not be exactly how they seem, it’s refreshing to be around a dog who just is.

A therapy dog’s job is to provide comfort where they go. Their very presence is enough to help most people feel more relaxed and taken care of. Echo, however, adds a bit of a deeper level than many therapy dogs I’ve encountered. Soon after I adopted Echo, I realized his whining didn’t coincide with situations that made him anxious, but with when the people around him felt bad. And not only did he mirror one’s emotions, he sought to comfort the people whose energy he was feeding off of. It was with this realization that I decided to name him “Echo,” on account of him echoing the energy of the people around him.

Having trained dogs for several years, I knew the simple fact that he reacted to changes in emotions wasn’t completely uncommon. What stuck out to me about Echo was that he knew how you felt, felt it with you, and tried to make you feel better. He didn’t just soak up your emotions, he empathized with them. That caring, and empathy isn’t something that can be trained into a dog.

As a victim is navigating the heart breaking and traumatic dynamic of an abusive relationship, or dealing with the aftermath of sexual assault, Echo’s tenderness and genuine presence can add a peace and clarity of mind that may have been otherwise impossible in the complicated world of human interaction.  He’ll be there with the victims we advocate for, through the good and the bad, and hopes for nothing in return.

Beacon of Hope Crisis Center Adds A Trauma Therapy Dog And Receives Large Donation From Bob’s Discount Furniture
Exciting start to 2018 with additions of comfort for victims of crime receiving services from Beacon of Hope 
(INDIANAPOLIS, IN—January 25, 2018)—This brand new exciting year of 2018 kicks off for Beacon of Hope Crisis Center (BOHCC) with new additions to the team which includes Echo and his handler Lydia.  Comfort abounds to assist with healing at this local agency serving victims of domestic violence and sexual assault here in Central Indiana. Lydia and Echo joined the team on January 1st, Lydia is a Victim Advocate and Echo’s Trauma Therapy Dog Handler. She is getting her masters in psychology and has experience training service dogs for victims suffering from post-traumatic stress.
 
“We are thrilled to add Echo, a trauma therapy dog, and his handler Lydia to our team and touched by the generosity of our corporate partners, Bob’s Discount Furniture. Thanks to their large donation we now have waiting, counseling and meeting room furniture to make those we are serving comfortable while dealing with their traumatic struggles. And adding Echo to our team helps victims dealing with the traumatic dynamics of an abusive relationship or the aftermath of sexual assault.” said Sandra Ziebold, CEO / Executive Director at Beacon of Hope Crisis Center.
 
"One of our main goals as a company is to give back to the community, so we are honored to provide new furniture for the Beacon of Hope Crisis Center to ensure they are well equipped to serve their growing number of clients," said Cathy Poulin, Director of Outreach and Public Relations at Bob's Discount Furniture.

Echo knows how you feel, feels it with you, and tries to make you feel better. He doesn’t just soak up your emotions, he empathizes with them. This caring and empathy isn’t something that can be trained into a dog, but this innate gift is what makes Echo an exceptional trauma therapy dog. Echo’s tenderness and genuine presence adds a peace and clarity of mind. He helps the victims we advocate for, through the good and the bad, and hopes for nothing in return. 
 
BOHCC served 904 victims of domestic violence and sexual assault this past year, the agencies 2017 annual report is available on their website.  The complexity of cases they are managing and the increase in demand for their services continues to grow.  BOHCC advocacy services are desperately needed 24/7.  BOHCC serves victims in Central Indiana and has advocacy partnerships with local police departments serving victims of crime. In 2018 BOHCC hopes to increase major donor support to help them be able to operate 24/7 and add language services. You can help, learn more and donate now at beaconofhopeindy.org.

About Bob’s Discount Furniture
Bob’s Discount Furniture provides quality furniture at every day low prices. With furniture stores located across the United States, the Manchester, Connecticut based company has become the 12th-largest U.S. furniture chain. Bob’s is committed to the communities they serve through a variety of charitable giving efforts. Bob’s Discount Furniture Charitable Foundation provides organizations and individuals with over $2.75 million in donations yearly. For more information on Bob's charitable programs, follow Bob’s on Twitter @MyBobs and on our LinkedIn Company Page, and subscribe to Bob’s on YouTube.

About Beacon of Hope Crisis Center 501(c)3
Beacon of Hope Crisis Center a Christ-centered organization empowering victims of domestic violence and sexual assault to become self-sufficient by providing safety, support and education. Since 2009 Beacon of Hope, through its Crisis Intervention, Victim Advocacy, Counseling, "Teen Talk" Outreach and Education, Criminal Justice, Economic Sustainability and Foster Pet Programs has offered victims of domestic violence assistance in overcoming barriers that hold them in abusive situations. Beacon of Hope is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization located in Indianapolis, Indiana.  More information about Beacon of Hope can be found at beaconofhopeindy.org.
 
BOHCC Blog:  beaconofhopeindy.org/blog
Twitter: @bohindyorg 
Facebook: @Beaconofhopeindy
Instagram: @beacon.of.hope.indy
            # # #
January 25, 2018
 
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT
Sandra K. Ziebold, CEO / Executive Director
Beacon of Hope Crisis Center
317 731 6131
info@beaconofhopeindy.org