For people dealing with domestic violence, home is not a safe place. Mandates to quarantine may keep you safe from a pandemic, but can be deadly when you live with an abusive partner. Domestic violence spikes during times of stress and economic hardship. Violence can be less predictable and more severe. The following PDF is a quick bulletin with tips on how to best handle a domestic violence situation during this time.
Rainbow House Domestic Abuse Services is pleased to announce receiving a $5,000 grant from the Community-Wide Endowment held at the M&M Area Community Foundation. The award will be put towards our Survivor Emergency Fund to help survivors of domestic violence have access to resources and services to create a sense of security, and empowerment in their lives.
Thank you to Little Rapids Corporation – Egan Family Foundation for their generous grant of $2,500 to aid our response during the COVID-19 pandemic! We are grateful for your continued support of our mission.
The Wisconsin Public Service Foundation has awarded Rainbow House a grant of $1,000 towards our COVID-19 relief efforts. Thank you for your generosity and community support!
Rainbow House Domestic Abuse Services is pleased to announce an award from the Bond Foundation. The LEON H. AND CLYMENE M. BOND FOUNDATION, INC. is a family endowed Foundation committed to the growth and improvement of Oconto County and its surrounding areas. The Foundation was established in 1993 by Leon Bond (benefactor of the Foundation and founder of the Bond Pickle Company) and Earl DeCloux, residents of the City of Oconto. To date the Foundation has given over $4 million dollars to support our local community.
Those experiencing domestic violence are now, more than ever, unable to escape abuse as a result of coronavirus. Survivors and their children may be trapped in homes with abusers, unable to call for help. Usual resources for seeking help are limited. Children can no longer communicate concerns with a teacher or school counselor. Family and friends who might have provided a safe place to stay may now be sheltering in place themselves, often with limited resources and an insistence on maintaining social distancing. Many survivors may feel as though they have no place to turn. Rainbow House remains open. Our Advocates are staffing the crisis line 24/7. We’re still responding to survivor needs for shelter, food, legal assistance, and safety planning around the clock. However, the model by which we provide services has changed. We are now housing each family in their own separate housing units. This model creates greater safety for survivors as well as staff by reducing the risk for communicable disease transfer. It is a more expensive model of providing shelter, but a far safer approach. The Bond Foundation has provided $11,440 for three months of off-site shelter and crisis-line coverage for survivors in Oconto “We’re well on our way towards providing greater safety and access to resources for survivors. We can’t thank the Bond Foundation enough for their support of our mission”, says Courtney Olson, Rainbow House Director.
If you are involved in a domestic violence situation, the number for Rainbow House is 715-735-6656. Please call 24 hours a day for free and confidential services.
