Spring 2014 Board of Directors Sandy Howard President Mark Skrade President-elect Susy Barr Past President Karen Braun Secretary Sharon Faulkner Treasurer Sheriff Jim Arnott Rita Baron Dr. Allyson Goodman Jann Holland Kelly Layman Amy Lea Pam Leggett-Lutes Alison Miller Stephanie Montgomery Catherine Moore Brooke O’Reilly John Oke-Thomas Joe Page Steve Peterie Nancy Price Karen Shannon Clif Smart Jon Swope Jon Timson Susie Turner Carol Wooten Ex-Officio Members: Bob Belote Jennifer Kennally Collin Quigley Dr. Todd Schaible Partners include: Burrell Behavioral Health City of Springfield Community Partnership of the Ozarks Spring has sprung and with it comes rebirth, a chance at a new beginning! CoxHealth Mercy Missouri State University Springfield-Greene County Park Board Please consider helping children and families in the Ozarks have the chance for a happy, healthy home by pledging your support to strengthen families! United Way of the Ozarks Founding Agency: Junior League of Springfield Congratulations to our annual coloring contest winner! In recognition of April being National Child Abuse Prevention Month, Brayden’s art was featured on an area billboard. Spring is finally here! What a joy to see flowers bursting into bloom, have longer days, and hear children’s laughter throughout Isabel’s House! We are blessed that Isabel’s House is here to provide care and support to each child and family in need. Our families are facing crisis – homelessness, overwhelming stress, and the fear that they may hurt their child. What courage it takes a parent to say “I need help!” What strength they muster to entrust their child with us, as they begin to move forward to create a better life for themselves and for their family! Did you know that Isabel’s House has connected more than 1,300 families to our greater community resources? This assistance is free to our families, and therefore we must raise the funds to support each child and each family who uses our services. Andrea Vent Executive Director In our ongoing effort to raise awareness of Isabel’s House mission, and to raise the necessary donations, we welcome Linda Becker as our new director of development. Linda comes to us with fundraising experience and a huge heart for children and families in crisis. We are blessed to have her join the Isabel’s House team and expand our efforts to fund our programs. Please allow me to extend a special thank you to Kelly Layman, Allyson Goodman, KSPR, and the entire Hooray for Hollywood committee, sponsors, and guests – Isabel’s House appreciates your support! Although we were disappointed the winter weather prompted the cancelation of the event, we are very thankful for the hard work and assistance from everyone involved. Thank you, again, for your continuing support of Isabel’s House, our families, and our children in need! Many blessings, Andrea Vent Executive Director, Isabel’s House April was National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and it’s no secret that child abuse and neglect rates in Greene County remain extraordinarily high. To our community’s credit, there are countless initiatives, programs, and organizations working locally to address this complex issue – each in unique and important ways. But the very best dollars we can spend are those spent on prevention. As an organization committed to child abuse and neglect prevention, Isabel’s House provides a safe-haven during a family crisis BEFORE the abuse or neglect happens. I am inspired by the families who have the courage to seek out our services – the mothers and fathers and grandparents who leave their children in our care while they get the help they need to create a more stable environment. Sandy Howard Board of Directors President Our mission would not be achieved without our incredibly talented and dedicated staff that support these families and care for their children, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. They are there when a mother calls at 3am because she is suicidal or when she is fleeing a domestic violence situation or when a family does not have safe housing. Our community must continue to do all we can to break this cycle of child abuse and neglect – one family, one child at a time. Isabel’s House staff will continue to do just that. And it is through the generosity of our donors, supporters, and community partners that we will continue to raise the necessary funds to carry out the important work of preventing child abuse and neglect. We are indeed grateful for your ongoing support! Sandy Howard President, Board of Directors Join Us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/IsabelsHouse Follow Us on Twitter @isabelshouse Executive Director – Andrea Vent Development Director – Linda Becker Program Manager – JaeLeann Velten Asst. Program Manager – Keke Davis Family Advocate – Helen Bailey Family Advocate – Deb Ford Family Advocate – Ashley Gilmore 865.C A RE (2273) 2 Printing provided by Mercy Health Springfield Communities Funding for this project was made available by Missouri’s Children’s Trust Fund. Certain project costs have been underwritten by the Missouri Department of Economic Development. isabelshouse.org Although Hooray for Hollywood was canceled due to severe weather, the show must go on and indeed it did! With stage hands, the crew, and the outstanding event chairs (Kelly Layman and Allyson Goodman), the online auction was up and running along with an opportunity for the community to sponsor a child. Due to the efforts of the Hooray for Hollywood committee, the Board of Directors, and the generosity of the event sponsors and the community, Isabel’s House received over $154,000! On behalf of the children, thank you! 3 Isabel’s Tree Special Thanks to... Thank you to Houlihan’s restaurants and O’Reilly Hospitality Management for their support of the 2013 Isabel’s Tree fundraiser! This year over $36,000 was raised to support the children and families served by Isabel’s House. We would also like to thank the community for getting involved and supporting this campaign! Thank you to the following businesses who participated: Isabel’s House thanks the following individuals and organizations for fundraising and hosting special events held to benefit the children of Isabel’s House. 417 Magazine — thank you for hosting the Cutest Baby Contest in March and raising over $250! We would also like to thank everyone for submitting photos and voting for the cutest baby! Acacia Spa — supports Isabel’s House all year long and has raised over $1,000 to date! Pamper yourself by visiting them. Mention Isabel’s House and 10% of your sales will come back to support the children. Remember Mother’s Day is right around the corner and a gift card to Acacia Spa would be a delightful gift for mom! Acacia Spa Academy Bank Arris Pizza Aspen Chemical Bauer Orthodontics Bush, Ramlow & Shore The Clip Joint Cookie Cutters Dining By Design DMTS Creations, LLC Dr. Rosen Dental Office Empire Bank Lloyd’s Cleaners Mama Jean’s Natural Market Robbies Tire & Service Center Sanford & Associates Shaw, Faulkner & Werner Financial Group Springfield First Community Bank St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Sugar Graphic Incorporated Sunrise Media Partners, LLC The Thicket Donor Next Door Join us neighbor, as our next “Donor Next Door”! The great thing about this sustaining program is that once you sign up, we take care of the rest. You can choose a monthly, quarterly, or yearly donation that will be automatically deducted from your checking account or credit/debit card. Contact Isabel’s House Development Director Linda Becker at lindab@isabelshouse.org 417.865.CARE (2273) for more information. Coloring Contest First Place: Brayden Biggers, 8 Hickory Hills Elementary Valen Lemm, 6 Robberson Elementary Bray de n Bigg ers Chase and Houlihan’s — With the long winter and being cooped up in the house, we really needed some extra help with deep cleaning. We are so grateful for the support from the community and especially Chase and Houlihan’s! Evangel University — The volunteer time donated from the students at Evangel is priceless! We appreciate the one on one time you are able to provide the kids on Fridays! Evely Haseden, Aleksander Hoffman, and Hunter Skornia — for sharing their birthday parties with Isabel’s House by donating their gifts and birthday money to support the children. Junior League of Springfield — for donating books in honor of Senator Bob Dixon who personally signed his book in appreciation of the services that Isabel’s House provides and Missouri House of Representatives Eric Burlison. Junior League of Springfield, Kids Count Committee — Thank you for hosting a Valentine’s Day party for the kids! The kids enjoyed the festivities... especially the valentine boxes. They also enjoyed the Easter Egg hunt which took place in April! Llyod’s Cleaners / Mr. Dry Cleaners — Look your best by using their services at one of 8 locations throughout the Springfield area. A percentage of sales will come back to Isabel’s House. Thank you for donating over $750 in the past year! Nature Scent — for keeping Isabel’s House fresh Payroll Company — for processing our payroll rnett estynn Bu mm & W Valen Le Thanks to Springfield Public Schools for their enthusiastic participation. Thanks also to volunteers from the Junior League of Springfield and to CoxHealth for generously providing print services! 4 Allied Waste Management for keeping us waste free Kiwanis Cans for Kids — Kiwanis South Springfield Club hosted a Cans for Kids day at Harter House in April. They donated over 100 bags of groceries plus over $200 to help feed the kids and families served by Isabel’s House. Way to go Kiwanis! Congratulations to our 2014 Coloring Contest winners! Honorable Mentions were awarded to: Westynn Burnett, 7 Robberson Elementary Action Sales and Rentals for an onsite storage unit Scenic Mini Storage — for offsite storage Lydia Swan, Sherwood Elementary School, and Girl Scout Troop 70941 — for donating Easter Baskets and cards for the children at Isabel’s House. Your generosity is greatly appreciated. Burger & Brat Festival Spyderfest 2014 The 2014 Burger and Brat Festival will be held at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds on May 3 from 2–7pm and Isabel’s House has been chosen as the charity for the People’s Choice Award! Thank you to PitBull Powersports Inc. for sponsoring this year’s Spyderfest 2014 and for choosing Isabel’s House as its charity of choice! Come vote on your favorite burger and brat with 100% of the proceeds supporting Isabel’s House! We will have an Isabel’s House team there, so Simon says stop by and sample our wares! Entry fee to the festival is $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Come join us at Ozark Empire Fairgrounds April 30 to May 4 for the festivities from Spyder demo rides; drag racing to secret pie runs! For more information please visit spyderfest.com and, of course, visit the Isabel’s House booth at the event to show your support. For more information please visit: ozarkempirefair.com/events/2014-burger-and-brat-festival. Community Tour Day Thank you to the volunteers from Junior League of Springfield, Isabel’s House staff, and community volunteers for making this day a huge success! We had over 150 people learn about our services, take a tour, engage in craft activities with their kids, play in the bounce house, and of course enjoy a hot dog or two! Thank you to board members – Suzy Barr, Joe Page, and Karen Braun for their support in welcoming the community to Isabel’s House. Volunteering with Heart — Fred & Max Fred Allen has been coming to Isabel’s House with his dog Max every other Friday for over a year now to play with the children. The kids’ faces light up as soon as Max comes through the door. "Anytime I say, Max it's time to go to Isabel's House, Max gets very excited!" says Fred Allen. We are happy to have volunteers like Fred and Max be a part of the Isabel's House team! Our next Community Tour Day will be held in September – watch for details in our next newsletter. WELCOME l house! to our specia Commu nity To Day Fun ur ! Pinwheels for Prevention Thank you to Mercy for their efforts in the prevention of child abuse and neglect in the Ozarks by displaying Pinwheels for Prevention on the corner of Sunshine and National Avenue during April. Volunteers planted over 260 pinwheels with Thanks each of them representing 10 Mercy! children that were served by Isabel’s House since our doors opened in July of 2007. Thank you to KOLR10 for covering this story and sharing it with the community. Since we opened, we have served over 2,600 children and over 1,300 families that have been in a crisis. Thank you southwest Missouri for supporting families in crisis through Isabel’s House! 5 Join Isabel’s Team & race for strengthening families! Hope Butterfly Campaign & Go Blue Jeans Day Isabel’s House has once again been chosen to partner with the Bass Pro Outdoor Fitness Festival (BPOFF) charity program which provides organizations with an opportunity to raise funds, build teamwork, and generate awareness of the services Isabel’s House provides to the community. Spring arrived and so did April, which is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Despite attention in the past, child abuse and neglect rates continue to increase. Greene County remains on the list as one of the top five counties in the state of Missouri having the highest number of reported child abuse and neglect cases. Isabel’s House is working to lower these numbers by providing an immediate refuge for children while their parents are working through their crisis. Please consider fundraising for Isabel’s House in one or more of the following BPOFF events: Sunday, October 5:Tour De Bass Bike Ride (25, 42, 77 and 102 mile rides) Saturday, October 18 & 19: Dogwood Canyon 15K and 25K These two runs are already sold out and are now only available through charity fundraising efforts! Contact Isabel’s House SOON at 417.865.CARE (2273) for more information. Saturday, October 25: Rock4Kids Zombie Run – Rutledge - Wilson Farm (.25 M, .5M, 1.0M, or 1.8M run/walk) Thank you to all of the businesses and individuals who joined Isabel’s House Hope Butterfly Campaign and/or hosted a Go Blue Jeans Day to raise awareness and funds to support the services Isabel’s House provides! The Bank of Missouri Bistro Market Cash Saver Country Mart Mr. and Mrs. Maza Price Cutter Ramey Shaw Faulkner & Werner Financial Group Smitty's Sonic Springfield Catholic High School Summer Fresh Saturday, November 1: CAMO Color Run for families (2 Mile walk/run) Sunday, November 2: Bass Pro Conservation Marathon, Mercy Marathon Relay, Cohick Half Marathon, Springfield News Leader 5k Run For more information, please visit isabelshouse.org and click on the BPOFF icon or contact us at 417.865.CARE (2273). TAX CREDITS NOW AVAILABLE Champions for Children (CFC) & Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) minimum donations of $100 (CFC) / $1,000 (NAP) along with additional criteria may apply Get Your License to Care… We want to take a moment to acknowledge and thank the Missouri Children’s Trust Fund (CTF). CTF is a non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of child abuse and neglect through grant distribution, education, and awareness. CTF granted us a special opportunity to market and sell “Prevent Child Abuse” license plates to benefit Isabel’s House. Need a unique gift that will also benefit Isabel’s House? These license plates are perfect for the family member, friend, or coworker who has everything! Who doesn’t love seeing the license plates around town that include a child’s handprint? Not only are these colorful and adorable, but if you purchase a CTF license plate, you will benefit Isabel’s House and send a message that you are taking a stand to prevent child abuse and neglect. The cost is only $25 for an annual donation or $50 minimum donation for two-years on your license plate. Your donation for your personalized license plate will go directly to Isabel’s House. The process is simple and in most cases, you can even transfer your current plate to a lovely CTF license plate. For more information, contact Linda Becker at lindab@isabelshouse.org. 6 Call 865.CARE (2273) to learn more. Upcoming Events….. April 30 – May 4: Spyderfest May 3: Brat and Burger Festival at Ozark Empire Fairgrounds May 11: Mother’s Day — see details inside this newsletter about how you can honor your mother and support Isabel’s House! June 1: Online bidding for the Bass Pro Outdoor Fitness Festival Dogwood Canyon run will begin. Visit isabelshouse.org for info. July 1: Happy 7th Birthday Isabel’s House! July 1: Individual ticket sales will begin (depending on availability) for THE Summer Party August 7: THE Summer Party of the year! Love is in the a ir! 7 Return Service Requested NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. Postage Paid Springfield, MO PERMIT NO. 155 2750 W. Bennett Springfield, MO 65802 Isabel’s House Mission The mission of Isabel’s House, the Crisis Nursery of the Ozarks, is to provide immediate refuge for children ages birth to 12 whose families are in crisis. By partnering with families and the community, we will strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect. Isabel’s House Family Highlight Katie, along with her three children, utilized Isabel’s House this past fall. Katie was in a domestic violence situation with her exhusband; Children’s Division was called to the home where Katie and her children were staying. Children’s Division then contacted Isabel’s House in regards to Katie because she had nowhere else to go with her children. Katie’s older two children attended a school about 20 minutes outside of Springfield and she didn’t have the gas money to continue transporting them. Katie was relieved when she learned her children would be able to attend their own school during their stay, thanks to Isabel’s House providing transporation. During the children’s stay, Katie was determined to find a solution to her situation and establish housing for her family. Katie worked very hard with the family advocate to find housing and inquired about space at the Missouri Hotel and Salvation Army. Katie also worked with OACAC Housing Center to obtain rental assistance. Eventually, Katie was able to work out a living situation with a friend which would allow her children to remain enrolled at their same school. Also during her children’s stay, Katie was able to obtain employment! Throughout her children’s stay, Katie maintained excellent contact with children which included phone calls, visits, and passes. On the day of discharge from Isabel’s House, Katie was extremely grateful to Isabel’s House. The children were very excited to be going to their new home — together! Good ies fo r IH K ids! n! aster Fu ts for E u o c S l ir to the G Thanks Wish List Items radio with CD player bean bags musical Cd's (nursery rhymes & books) crafts (for ages 8-12) paper products (paper towels, napkins, plates) outdoor activities (kites, sidewalk chalk, bubbles) sticky notes Aveeno lotion detangler batteries – all sizes especially AAA brushes/combs light bulbs – 40 and 60 watts swaddle blankets clear storage bins spring jackets (all sizes) Tupperware (large bowls with lids) swim wear liquid dishwashing detergent beach towels liquid dish soap