Response Throws Easter Party for SSC

For many of us when we think of Easter we think of family, Easter dinner, a visit from the Easter Bunny and lots of candy.  Sadly, many of our clients at the Social Service Center are without family and resources to enjoy holiday’s such as Easter.

Last Saturday, April 11, Response Church came into the shelter and threw an Easter Party for the women and children living here.  Clients enjoyed an Easter Egg Hunt, petting and getting their pictures taken with a real live Easter Bunny, a few games of Musical Chairs and Simon Says (with prizes for the winners of course) and coloring Easter themed pictures.

Response Church is an urban church plant in Downtown Indianapolis that has partnered with the Social Service Center to volunteer and uplift the clients living in the shelter.  If you or your organization are interested in volunteering please contact Julia Sipes at julia_sipes@usc.salvationarmy.org.

Mother’s Day Flower Project

For the 25,000 women who’ll spend this Mother’s Day in a battered women’s shelter, concerns like securing a new home, keeping their children safe and putting food on the table make the holiday just another day to survive. This year, go above and beyond flowers and brunch, and honor the women you love by supporting women in need.

Every spring in time for Mother’s Day, JWI’s Mother’s Day Flower Project sends beautiful bouquets to 150 battered women’s shelters across the U.S., including the Social Service Center, while raising funds for initiatives that work every day to educate communities, empower women and break the cycle of abuse.

On a single day in September 2008, nearly 61,000 victims of domestic violence were served by DV programs across the country (up from 53,000 the previous year); more than 21,000 hotline calls were answered; and almost 9,000 requests for services were unmet due to inadequate funding or lack of available staff to assist these victims.

If you are interested in donating to the Mother’s Day Flower Project please visit www.jwci.org.

Emergency Bed Space

After being referred by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Janeca* came to the Social Service Center Emergency Bed Space Program with her six children.  Her husband was in jail due to the violence perpetrated towards her and her children.

Janeca and her children were transferred into a traditional room at the Center two nights after coming into the Emergency Bed Space Program.  She met with her case manager and arranged transportation to get her kids to and from school.  She also got connected with a counselor for her and the children to go to.  After two days in the shelter she became frightened after seeing family members near the shelter.  Her case manager worked with another agency and was able to transfer her to another shelter.

Janeca is still in contact with her case manager for support services and is doing well.  Her husband is in jail on numerous charges.  She hopes to have an apartment within the next three weeks.

*Names have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the client.