Last month was Sexual Assault Awareness Month and here at River City Domestic Violence Center, we spent the month spreading awareness, education, and hope.
Hopefully you were able to catch us out around town, whether it was putting up posters in over 50 locations, tabling at Mount Marty and USD, presenting at St Johns, or painting rocks at ACE Hardware (pictured above).
Our message this month was clear, END VICTIM BLAMING. Rapists rape, period. Clothes, alcohol, flirting; these are not excuses for rape. We must change the way we speak about sexual assaults. Victim's MUST know that we believe them. So, the next time you hear about a sexual assault in the news, believe it, because if you use victim blaming phrases like, "she's just after his money" or "do you see how she dresses?", your children or friends will hear what you are really saying; "They won't believe me, I can't tell them what happened."
Spread the message of "We Believe" to the community, your children, your family, and your friends. End victim blaming and change the message to one of love and hope.
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Donation and Service Spotlight |
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Great Western Bank gifted us with a "Making Life Great" Grant last week! You heard the call for help and answered it magnificently. THANK YOU for your financial gift, and for your willingness to help us move forward!
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We'd like to give a HUGE "Thank You" to the Mount Marty University Campus Ministry for thinking of us during their 40 Days of Giving! Their continued support of our mission truly brings smiles to our faces and the faces of those who come through our doors. THANK YOU!
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"As we work to create light for others, we naturally light our own way."
Thank you to these future girl bosses of Yankton for their generosity! Their donation is very much appreciated by all of those we serve and we truly appreciate their continuous support of our mission. Thank you Yankton Girl Scouts!
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We want to give a great big "Thank You" to Kellen Rock, Sand, Gravel and Excavating! They generously donated the rocks for our Survivor's Rock, family fun event! We could not have had this event without their generosity. Thank you Kellen Rock!
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Service Spotlight: Calvin Starzl and Maurice Meredith |
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These two men deserve a big shout out for all their volunteer work they do for our agency. Our team calls them “Calrice” , we need both of them to fulfill our needs at the agency and they each bring their unique talents to us to help serve our community. THANK YOU to Calvin Starzl and Maurice Meredith! Click below to read the great article about their volunteer work with our shelter.
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(Clockwise from top left) Emily Monier, Stacy Starzl, Reata McDonald, Beryl Olson, Anna Meredith, Maggie Jensen, Alicia Mefford, Kim Cap and Johanna Lippert (not pictured) all in blue for Child Abuse Awareness |
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As Yankton nestles into Spring, River City is reminded of the change that comes, with fresh blooms and inevitable life transitions.
No matter how hard we try to hold on, our "family" here at the agency must bloom and transition, as well! In the next few months we will be saying "goodbye" to THREE (yes, I said three!) of our lovely blossoms.
The first to leave us will be Johanna Lippert, our Housing Specialist. Johanna was the first in her position and absolutely knocked it out of the park! Her advocacy brought our ESG program to new levels, housed numerous survivors, and she even spearheaded the cause for a new Senate Bill 102 that was passed in February to protect the voting rights of survivors in shelters. Johanna's gentle nature and stick-to-it-tiveness made her an amazing advocate that will truly be missed by her team and clients. Her future is a bright one as she continues her studies and plans a move to cyber intelligence to protect victims of violence.
Next to leave us will be Alicia Mefford. Alicia works in our Family Connections center but has also interned as an Advocate as she completed her Masters in Social Work. She's been an integral part of our team and has brought joy to the office and the clients she's worked with. Her dedication to our mission makes it hard to see her move on, but as she graduates USD this month, we must let her chase her dreams. Trust me when I say, we tried very hard to keep her here in Yankton! She will be moving on to a bigger city and new shelter position, and we could not be any prouder of calling her a part of our River City family.
Maggie Jensen, our Anti-Human Trafficking Coordinator will also be transitioning. In these next few months, she will be working on training her replacement as she prepares herself for an amazing next step in life; Physicians Assistant school! Maggie was our first Anti-Human Trafficking Coordinator and led the way for a successful integration between victims of human trafficking and our agency. Her constant yearning for knowledge in the field and passion for survivors, will truly be missed. All who have had the pleasure of working with Maggie, clients and team members, will truly miss her energy. She is the first to step up and the last to back down. Maggie is going to ROCK P.A. school, and we can not wait to see what her future holds.
So, wish these AMAZING ladies "good luck" on their adventures! We will miss them all and call them "family" always.
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Do you need some "me time"? Have you been through any type of trauma; harrassment, unhealthy relationship, abuse, etc.? This class is free for anyone who's suffering from trauma. It is held at EMPOWER Fitness, Saturday's 10-10:45 starting May 8th. To register for these free classes, click the link: FREE Class
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May 9-15th is Law Enforcement Appreciation Week, and here at River City, we want to extend are sincere "Thank You" to the Yankton Police Department for all they do! We will be holding an appreciation breakfast for our YPD to come enjoy and meet the staff on May 11th. Don't worry, we didn't forget about the night shift, we have a special delivery planned for them! |
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Do you have a passion for safe housing? Join our team as a Housing Specialist to help suvivors and their families move beyond the traumas of abuse. You will be working along side our Coordinators on suvivor advocacy and casework, specializing in the rapid re-housing and homelessness prevention aspect. This is full time position, with vacation, sick leave and medical benefits. Associates degree and experience in ESG preferred. |
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Is your current 9-5 paying the bills but not fulfilling you? Our oncall advocates are such an important part of our mission. They carry the crisis phone a few times a month, giving our full time advocates a much needed break. Feel free to give us a call to talk more about this position and what it entails. Pay for this job is a nightly stipend, plus hourly pay if you have to take any calls. No experience necessary, just the heart to help! |
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