Brownwood News – The Ark Domestic Violence Shelter (The Ark) is kicking off its first ever capital campaign to raise funds to replace the windows for their shelter. The Ark’s total goal is to raise $50,000 to replace all of the 72 current windows and to update the security system.
The “Help Them See a Way Out” campaign will start August 1, 2017 and go until August 1, 2018. The Ark is asking for community donors to pitch in and help them meet their goal. As an incentive The Ark is offering four Texas Rangers tickets (good through September) to the first person that makes a $1000 donation to the campaign. The Ark will also proudly display the names of individuals or companies that donate $1000 or more to the campaign, on a plaque that will be displayed at The Arks admin building, located at 2900 Coggin Ave. The Ark is a 501c non-profit organization, so all donations to the organization are tax deductible.
“The most vital reason why this this campaign is so important is because of The Arks commitment to providing a safe shelter for victims of domestic and sexual violence,” said Vice-Chairperson of The Arks Board, Ann Beadel. Mrs. Beadel also stated, “Without a safe place to go many victims are forced to return to an unsafe home where they are often faced with insurmountable obstacles, including physical violence that can escalate to fatal force.” According to the Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV), every year in Texas alone, there are at least 100 women that are killed by their intimate partners. This heartbreaking statistic helps highlight why it is so important for communities to support their local domestic violence shelters.
The shelters current windows are leaking due to being severely weathered. If the windows are not replaced soon the wood will continue to rot and the windows will eventually fall out; which will make the shelter unsafe for the clients to reside in. If the shelter becomes unsafe, staff will be tasked with trying to find other accommodations for victims. However, staff of The Ark is concerned that if there is no local shelter available for victims, many will just return to their abusers.
The Ark is constantly trying to improve the safety and security of the shelter for the victims they serve, according to The Arks Executive Director, Terri Densman. “With the help of our community we hope to make the shelter even safer for our clients. We want every victim that comes to the shelter to feel assured that we are taking their safety concerns seriously. In light of all the data and statistics that concern domestic and sexual violence, we know that we must do everything in our power to provide a safe haven in our community were victims can go to get the services they need.”
For more information or to make a donation, please call Savannah Cox, Community Education and Volunteer Coordinator, at 325-643-2699 or email savannah.cox@arkshtler.org
