Happy New Year!

2014 is just around the corner, it is hard to believe another year has passed. 2013 was a year filled with challenges as well as the strength and wisdom to persevere and conquer the challenges. We always reflect on the year passed and what the New Year holds in store for us, the possibilities for us as an agency and for the individuals we serve. It is a great time to set goals and reflect on our accomplishments. We will review our programs and make any necessary changes and look to what else we need to do to address the needs of our clients, always with the goal of ending domestic violence.

We will continue to be a voice for those who are struggling and to make a positive impact in the lives of those we provide services to every day. We couldn’t do what we do without the community support that we receive. We are so grateful to everyone who supports us in carrying out our mission. We have so many volunteers and supporters who help us every day and make our services possible. We are so appreciative of all that they do.

I wish you all a happy and safe New Year and look forward to working with you in 2014 to ending the cycle of violence.

The holidays are here, with Thanksgiving being so late this year everything seems upon us sooner than we are ready. We are working hard to make sure that everyone who is with us has the best holiday and is able to celebrate in the way that they choose. Whether they celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas or any other celebration, we want it to be special for them. Being in shelter during the holidays can be tough for families. There are traditions and expectations of being with family and when one is in shelter those traditions can be difficult to celebrate and to maintain.

We have had many groups volunteering for us. Some help out in the holiday store, some host toy and food drives, and other are hosting holiday parties for those in our services. One gentleman dropped by with seven Christmas trees - complete with lights - to donate to those in our outreach program or for those just leaving shelter and who may not have a tree. We’ve had groups do collection drives for us and when they've dropped the donations off they were just as excited to give the gifts as we were to receive them!

The holidays have a special magic to them and people in our community are so generous with their time and resources. We are grateful for the support that we receive. Thank you to this wonderful community for helping us to make sure no one goes without. Mothers do not have to worry about how they are going to provide a holiday meal for their family or how they’re going to make sure Santa comes to their house or to shelter. Somehow Santa finds them no matter where they are and, even if for just a short while, the adults can put their worries aside and enjoy the season.

It truly is the most wonderful time of the year as we celebrate everyone’s uniqueness and share our good fortunes with those who are less fortunate. Thank you for sharing this season with us and making a difference in the lives of those we serve.
Happy holidays!