Thanks for a Great National Night Out!

By: Cheyenne Taylor

Being an advocate means that you not only have to walk the walk, but talk the talk. We are actively involved within the community to help raise awareness about domestic violence and sexual assault and the services we provide to those victims, at no cost. On Tuesday, August 6th, several of our advocates and Criminal Justice interns went to different communities to participate in National Night Out and show support for our law enforcement partners as well as connect with any victims and survivors present at those events.

Team members from Beacon of Hope Crisis Center attended National Night Out in Greenwood, Lawrence, Southport, Beech Grove, and Speedway. During these events, we spread the word about our agency, our services, and our connection with law enforcement partners. We passed out a lot of flyers to people interested in our Foster Pet Program, which you can learn more about here. We were also able to connect with several advocates and supporters who are helping to drive our mission and  let victims know that they do not have to be alone. We believe them!

We understand that a lot of interactions with officers or with us are during times of great distress, but this event gave us the opportunity to connect with the community in a fun way and establish a bond. The children in these communities had a blast from bouncy houses to ice cream. We were even chosen as a spot on the Bingo cards in Southport, which allowed us to meet a lot of friendly faces. This event really highlighted how working side by side with law enforcement in the community can make an impact on someone’s life. In fact, we know Echo, our therapy dog’s life was changed. He was rumored to be making kissy faces at the K9s in training.

Overall, National Night Out was a great success! We are so grateful to be able to work
closely with our law enforcement partners and the community. We work hand in hand to make sure that the people in our community are safe and able to live healthy and happy lives. If you or someone you know needs help dealing with domestic violence and/or sexual assault, call our confidential crisis line at 317-731-6140. If you are an emergency, please call 911.