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By Sandra K. Ziebold and Merideth Bush  Beacon of Hope is a Christ-centered crisis center. To some, it may sound as though we exclusively offer services to the Christian community or that we impose Christian beliefs on those we serve, but this could not be further from the truth. When we say that we are a Christ-centered agency, we mean that our approach to victim services seeks to imitate the qualities exemplified by Christ’s interactions with the hurting people in his community: qualities such as kindness, respectfulness, non-judgement, and acceptance.
What does this look like in practice? It looks like reaching out to leaders of refugee communities, including those which represent ethnic and religious minorities, so that they know what the laws are regarding intimate partner violence, how to recognize it, and where to find service providers that will respect and accommodate their religious and cultural needs alongside traditional legal and advocacy services. It looks like looking past gender stereotypes to recognize that 1 in 4 men will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime. We welcome and advocate for male victims with the same dedication and compassion we show to female victims. It looks like reaching out to service providers of our immigrant population to make sure they know that they can seek help to escape intimate partner violence regardless of their citizenship or immigration status. It looks like seeking partnerships with interpreters so that we can overcome language barriers. Domestic violence and sexual assault are not limited by languages. The advocacy we offer shouldn’t be either. It looks like recognizing that the LGBTQ+ community suffers from domestic violence and sexual assault with the same frequency and severity as their heterosexual counterparts, and welcoming members of this community with open arms when they choose to seek help. It looks like the relief on the face of a client from a marginalized community when they turn to us at the end of an advocacy appointment, smile for the first time that day and say, “Thank you. I honestly didn’t think I’d find anyone willing to help me.” This is Beacon of Hope’s Christ-centered approach to victim advocacy in action. Regardless of race, religion, gender, culture, sexual orientation, or any other label that may differentiate us, the Christ-like qualities of kindness, respectfulness, non-judgment, and acceptance are the inspiration for our interaction with every client, and lie at the very heart of who we are at Beacon of Hope.
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Victim Advocate - Beacon of Hope Crisis Center “Thank you. Honestly, I didn’t think anyone would be willing to help me.”  I received a call from a client who comes from a marginalized victim population in which admitting to domestic violence victimization is extremely taboo. Though this client could barely muster the courage to describe their situation as “abuse,” as they told me their story it became clear that they were a victim of financial, verbal, emotional, and physical abuse. The client recognized the need to protect themselves and their family from their abuser, so we set up a time to meet for Protective Order filing assistance later that same day.
The process of filling out the paper work was an emotionally turbulent one for the victim. Not only was it difficult to admit to the abuse and to seek help for a problem their culture tells them they shouldn’t even acknowledge, but the fact is they still cared deeply for their abuser, and were grieving as though for the loss of a loved one. I supported them as best I could, giving them privacy to cry when they needed it, and validation and comfort when appropriate. It was a difficult process, but after two hours of re-living the abuse and filling out the paperwork that made their “victim” status so shockingly real to them, the victim took a deep breath, stood up, and for the first time, smiled. Before walking out the door they looked me in the eye, relief written across their face and commented, “Thank you. Honestly, I didn’t think anyone would be willing to help me.” By Sandra K. Ziebold  Do you stand out? Are you up for the task of elevating a nonprofit? Beacon of Hope Crisis Center is seeking seriously committed, sustainability producers. If you can deliver and want to schedule an interview, call Sandra Ziebold CEO/Executive Director (317) 731-6131. Board Member Opportunity for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault 510(c)(3) Organization
Perry Township based Beacon of Hope is a non-profit crisis support organization serving victims of domestic violence and sexual assault primarily in the central Indiana area. The Board supports the work of Beacon of Hope and provides mission-based leadership and strategic governance. Each board member also makes annual personal donations, helps bring additional funding from outside donors and supports various fundraising events. If you are interested in a two-year commitment, please see our website to learn more about our agency and reach out to talk with me about the opportunity of joining our wonderful team that is a making a difference in Central Indiana. Sandy Ziebold, CEO / Executive Director (317)731-6131 By Caleb Bailey | Beacon of Hope Crisis Center Intern “My victims use the hotlines daily” – Detective Hinshaw of Lawrence City Police Founded in 2007, Beacon of Hope Crisis Center opened its doors in 2009 and has remained committed ever since. The immense change that Beacon of Hope brings to the community has been expressed by many–including the police department. Tiffany Wilson, Beacon of Hope Crisis Center staff member, interviewed Stacy Hinshaw, Detective of the Lawrence City Police Department, on how different her job is when Beacon of Hope Crisis Center is involved. “A huge Impact”, said Hinshaw. “The resources of Beacon of Hope have helped our victims at their most vulnerable times”. The collaboration with the Lawrence City Police Department has exhibited positive outcomes. When asked about the successes, Detective Hinshaw had “several victims pursue protective orders and charges filed against abusers”. As a result of teamwork, victims were able to “find the strength to leave their abusers and start a new healthy life”. “My victims use the hotline daily”, Hinshaw added. This is just one of the reasons why Beacon of Hope Crisis Center is known for collaborating with all organizations that help prevent and protect victims of domestic violence.  By Sandra K. Ziebold   We had the pleasure of attending the Julian Center Judge’s Luncheon on Wednesday, April 12th. During the luncheon the Domestic Violence Network presented our Senior Victim Advocate, Tiffany Wilson, with the Baker One Outstanding Advocate award! Tiffany leads our Criminal Justice Advocacy Team serving victims of crime in partnership with our 5 police department partners.
This award is given out to an outstanding advocate that shows consistent exemplary effort in the field of domestic violence or sexual assault advocacy. The advocate has to have demonstrated advocacy efforts working with generally high-risk or unique domestic violence/sexual assault situations. This award recipient must consistently demonstrate the Baker One Project tenets of offender accountability, homicide prevention and victim safety. It is such an honor to gather with so many wonderful officers, departments, judge's, prosecutors, servant focused individuals and agencies that collaborate and serve domestic violence and sexual assault victims. Victims, survivors and conquerors as the special guest speaker, Officer Ethan Roark, likes to say and referenced in his speech. Officer Roark had wise and wonderful words to share with those in attendance. He is someone that we work with all the time as the partner agency providing advocacy for Southport Police Department and we know first hand his level of passion for making a positive difference in the lives of others. Great luncheon, wonderful hosts and I couldn't be more proud of Tiffany! She is very deserving of this award! By Lauren Shafer  It can be challenging for a victim to keep a strong bond with their child while they seek help after an abusive relationship. Some ways to ensure a healthy relationship between the parent and their child is to try the following:
Sources: http://www.singleparents.org.uk/information/abuse-violence/top-10-tips-for-parenting-during-and-after-domestic-abuse http://www.instituteforsafefamilies.org https://www.pinterest.com/pin/498773727457228021/ http://sophia.stkate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1367&context=msw_papers  By Megan Harris  When the topic of domestic violence comes up, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Is it the abusive relationship, the physical and emotional injuries, the isolation of a loved one, or the feeling of being helpless? There are some important people closely involved in these toxic relationships that often go unseen and unnoticed. They often keep quiet in order to protect themselves and their family out of fear. These people are the children who live in households with domestic violence occurring around them. The thought used to be that if a child doesn’t see the domestic violence it doesn’t effect them, but recent studies strongly suggests otherwise. Domestic violence has many indirect effects on children. When there is domestic violence in a household the dynamics between parents/partners change. Not only does this affect the adults’ relationship, but it also affects their relationship with their children. In a household where the father is abusive towards the mother their parenting style tends to shift towards being more authoritative, neglectful, verbally abusive, and can even expose the children to the risk of emotional and physical abuse. Mothers who are being abused may assume a more passive parenting role. They may become less emotionally available to their children in order to protect them and herself. In some cases mothers who are abused turn to a variety of coping mechanisms such as substance abuse. In order to keep the peace in the household mothers often try to protect their children from the abuse by defending the abuser or down playing the events. This creates emotional distance between the mother and children because the children don’t feel they can bring their feelings and fears to their mother’s attention. Aside from parenting changes, the exposure to domestic violence has immediate and long-term effects on children. The effects are numerous and every child reacts differently to domestic violence. Typically they can have two extremes. On one hand the child may exhibit an increase in aggressive behavior, rebellious behavior, mood swings, drug or alcohol abuse, poor school performance, and/or anger management problems. On the other hand they may internalize their trauma. This may result in anxiety, low self-esteem, shame/guilt, withdrawal, dependency, isolation from friends, trust issues, and nightmares. These are just a few ways children react to domestic violence and they may show signs that fit both of these scenarios. Some of the less recognized effects of domestic violence are stress manifesting itself into physical symptoms such as frequent headaches and stomach aches, tiredness, frequent illness, regression in mental development, self abuse, and poor personal hygiene. Other symptoms may mimic mental disorders such as hyperactivity disorder, ADD, OCD, and oppositional defiant disorders. By addressing their exposure to domestic violence with counseling and healing, these symptoms may go away. In order to help these children through the healing process, seeing the world the way they do and listening to how they think is crucial. When we understand the reasoning of children we can better discuss the situation in a way that they would understand. For example, a child may think that if the police are called to the house, everyone will go to jail. What every child needs :
Facts and Statistics
During a child’s life their minds and character are being shaped into the adult they will become. When a child’s life is surround by domestic violence the cycle can keep going, but if their emotional and mental health are addressed and cared for we can stop the cycle of domestic violence. Creating awareness of the effects domestic violence has on children and teens can create a strong and healthy generation focused on ending domestic violence in the world we live in. If you or someone you know is in need of counseling, please call Beacon of Hope. We are here to help. Beacon of Hope Crisis Center Crisis Line: 317-731-6140 References: CHILDREN’S WITNESSING OF ADULT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE www.ncdsv.org/images/childrenwitnessingadultdv.pdf When Dad Hurts Mom: Helping Your Children Heal the Wounds of Witnessing Abuse Author: Lundy Bancroft Published: March 1, 2005 Children and Domestic Violence abetterwaymuncie.org/signs-of-domestic-violence/children-and-domestic-violence/  By The Beacon of Hope Team  By Ashley Steeb, The Statehouse File and Ashley Shuler, The Statehouse File  |
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This blog is about our domestic and sexual violence crisis center, Beacon of Hope. We hope you find it full of helpful information, motivation, creativity, serious facts and positivity. We hope that it will help you know what is happening in our center, in our community and with our events. We hope you follow our blog in support of our organization and our mission. Archives
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