Newsletter - Volume 1, Issue 3

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Volunteer Voice
October 1, 2009
STAFF Genevieve N. Waller, Esq. Executive Director Joan Amado, LMSW, MPA Director of Crisis Services Sherry Lewis, MA, LPC Director of Therapy and Outreach Katie Reid, MSW Community Education Program Director
October2009
October 2009
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu 1 Rockin’ Oyster Fest 4 5 6 Anonymous Kit Training 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 DV Rally at Fort Jackson 18 Newberry Volunteers 25 26 19 20 Coffee Hour 21 22 23 24 7 8 9 10 Fri 2 Sat 3
Mary Dell Hayes Volunteer Services Coordinator Melanie Griffin, MSW Sexual Assault Services Coordinator Daphne Pearson, MA, LPC-I Advocate Counselor Jennifer Gantt, MSW Group Services Coordinator Georgina Hance Office Manager
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 IN THIS ISSUE
October Calendar Upcoming Event Information Ask An Advocate Updates
STSM Rockin’ Oyster Fest! All the cool people will be there! More information on page 2. Our last MANDATORY Anonymous kit training will be at the office on Tuesday, October 6 at 6:30pm. We need at least two volunteers to attend a rally for Domestic Violence at Fort Jackson on Saturday, October 17 from 8:30am—11:30am. Show your support for survivors of domestic violence! Newberry Volunteers will meet at 3:00pm Join us for coffee at Starbucks in the Vista on Gervais Street from 5:30pm—6:30pm.
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Page 1
Speaker’s Bureau Welcome to our eight new Speaker’s Bureau volunteers! These volunteers completed training on Saturday, August 28. These volunteers will be presenting STSM to different community groups to raise sexual assault awareness. From left to right: Marlene, Karen, Mae, Sarah, Nova, Alexis, Priscilla, and Mike.
Before 9/14 tickets are $30, VIP tickets $45 After 9/14 tickets are $35, VIP tickets are $60
***Oyster Roast***Chili Bar***Custom Designed Rocking Chairs*** ***Music by Weekend Bender***Beer***Wine***
We need five volunteers to work at this event!
Page 2
Contact Mary Dell for more information about volunteering.
The Nuts and Bolts of STSM
This month’s article is written by Rebecca Rabern. Rebecca has volunteered with STSM since February of 2009. In her “real life” she is an actuary with Companion Property and Casualty. She is married and expecting her first little boy in January! Rebecca started volunteering to get more leadership and communication experience and to become more involved in the community.
Individual Donations Special Events 3% 8% Corporate (LMC and BCBS) 13% Federal Grants 47%
From a volunteer advocate’s perspective, STSM is a great group of people, kindhearted enough to go on call each and every month to help comfort a survivor in need. But how does this group function? How do they continuously help others without charging a penny?
Local Municipalities 13%
Other Grants 4%
State Grants
12% STSM is a private, non-profit organization. Non-profit organizations are those that do not distribute their annual earnings to shareholders, but rather use them to help pursue their goals. By being a non-profit organization, STSM is eligible for financial aid on federal, state, and local levels. Take a look above at last year’s actual sources of revenue:
Notice that the grants and local municipality funds only make up 76% of the total funds needed to cover expenses. This would only cover the expenses of STSM employee payroll, benefits, and other employee-related costs, leaving an unfunded need for office rent, supplies, equipment, and other miscellaneous expenses. As a result, STSM heavily depends on the generosity of our local community. Corporations such as Lexington Medical Center and Blue Cross Blue Shield contribute a significant sum of money, as do individuals in our community who donate either directly or indirectly through their support of fundraiser events. As we enter further into the depths of an economic depression, STSM is one of the agencies at the mercy of people like us. That’s why volunteers are so important. The grant money STSM receives each year is contingent upon a certain amount of volunteer service hours. Yes, those monthly logs are not just a way for Mary Dell to hassle us! They are extremely important because without them, we’d be without much of our grant money and be that much more at the mercy of the generous community in which we reside. In fact, there are many other ways volunteers can help (without spending more Saturdays in an emergency room)! The following are ways in which we can increase the funds received so that we can serve even more! -Volunteer for the Speaker’s Bureau -Become a Group Facilitator or Office Volunteer -Contact a reliable, kindhearted family member or friend and introduce them to the volunteer staff -Advocate for the agency at work during United Way pledge time. If a United Way contributor does not specify an agency, no percentage of their donation will go to STSM. Ask them to consider allocating all or part of it to STSM! -Tell people about the direct donation link on the stsm.org website -Invite friends to attend fundraising events such as the “Tee it Up for STSM” Golf Tournament or the Rockin’ Oyster Fest. -Invite your “Shopaholic” Friends to help fulfill the Wish List on the website. Each and every survivor is given a set of new (with tags) clothing and undergarments. These clothes have to come from somewhere! Lastly, remind others of the chances that either they or someone they love is likely to be affected at some point by a sexually related assault. Let them know the importance of having this organization in our community.
September Call Totals
Total Hospital Calls: 24 Hospital Calls answered by volunteers: 13 Hospital Calls answered by staff: 11 Total Hotline Calls: 5 Hotline Calls answered by volunteers: 2 Hotline Calls answered by staff: 3
Updates and Other Important Information
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Please submit a photo via email or regular mail for STSM to have on file. We will be honoring a volunteer’s service each month and would like to put a face with a name! If you don’t have access or would like just to visit, we can schedule a time for an in-office photo shoot (Don’t expect Glamour Shots!). The locker has moved again at Lexington Medical Center! Please ask the social worker to show you where our clothes are.
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Upcoming Dates to Remember: Thursday, October 1: STSM Oyster Roast Sunday, October 18: Newberry Volunteer Meeting Tuesday, October 20: Volunteer Coffee Hour 6:00pm-7:00pm Tuesday, November 10: Continuing Education on Teen Pregnancy in SC Thursday, November 26: Thanksgiving—Paid Holiday! Friday, November 27: Thanksgiving—Paid Holiday!
***You must attend at least one continuing education event and one anonymous kit training for this fiscal year! Attend early and attend often!***