DAR presents $11,276 check to Haven House

“Aiding victims of domestic violence and sexual assault is more than our job, I believe it’s a calling,” said Amber Tinker executive director of Haven House.

On an average day, more than 19,000 calls flood domestic violence hotlines nationwide according to The National Coalition for Domestic Violence.

“Those national averages are important,” said Tinker, “but I think what is more important to discuss is what we are doing here locally so that people who are contributing know that their dollars are being spent locally to help people here in our area.”

Earlier this year, Haven House was designated The Daily American Republic’s charity recipient for the newspaper’s Difference Makers program. The DAR awarded a portion of its profits from the program, and all the money from the fundraisers at Thursday night’s banquet at the Black River Coliseum to Haven House.

DAR Publisher Chris Pruett presented Tinker and Haven House with a check for $11,276.

“Once the newspaper selected Haven House as this year’s charity recipient, and I met and spoke with Amber, it was obvious we made a great selection,” Pruett said. “The work Haven House does is so important. It’s sad such services are needed, but without what Amber and her staff are doing, there would be many doing without such services.”

The Daily American Republic presented Amber Tinker, Haven House director, a check for $10,396.50. The total amount raised for the charity during the event was $11,276.00.

DAR/Brian Rosner

Pruett stressed the DAR wants to help local charities as much as possible.

“Giving to a charity fits perfectly with our Difference Makers program. The many volunteers we honor every year spend a lot of time working with these charities,” Pruett explained.“We try to lead by example, and that’s why we give a portion of our profits to a charity and try to help raise as much money as possible for them.

“Our employees do such a great job with this program. A lot of hard work and planning goes into this one night, but after it’s over, it’s such a good feeling knowing we help our community.”

"I'm honored that Haven house was chosen. I personally believe that everyone received help from someone, somewhere, at some point in their life. So if you ever wonder what it is that we do, I would encourage you to think of a time that you needed help, who did you turn to? And what did your support system look like? And now imagine if that hadn't been there, in a nutshell, that's what Haven House does," said Amber Tinker Haven House director.

DAR/Brian Rosner

According to Tinker, “year-to-date, nearly 1,500 victims have been served,” by the local Haven House facility.

“Of that number, we have had nearly 200 in shelter, and we still have four months of the year remaining,” said Tinker. “To put that into perspective, we had 209 in shelter for the entire 2021 year.”

She went on to add the organization has also provided outreach services to 1,265 victims year-to-date and assisted with 438 hotline calls.

Overall, more than 10 million adults in the United States experience intimate partner violence every year. Statistically speaking, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 10 men will experience physical or sexual violence by a partner in their lifetime.

It is something that can affect anyone, regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic status, and can negatively affect families for generations, as 1 in 15 children are witness to the violence every year.

“Dysfunction becomes normal to children who grow up in these kinds of households,” said one former victim who wished to remain anonymous. “It usually affects relationships they have later in life, leading them to tolerate the same abuse they have grown accustomed to seeing as kids, but people don’t always understand it isn’t as easy as just saying. ‘OK, I am going to leave, there really is a cycle of violence created.”

Tinker went on to explain that finances, housing, mental health and fear were large contributing factors that lead many to remain in volatile situations.

Haven House, which was established in 1985, is a 31-bed facility that provides shelter and advocacy services for victims of domestic violence or sexual assault.

The shelter not only provides a safe harbor for families in need, they also provide food and hygiene products at no cost, as well as peer support groups and individual counseling.

A 24-hour hotline is available for those in need of a listening ear, information, or assistance with a safety plan to remove themselves from a bad situation.

“I’m so proud of the work that the Haven House staff is doing. They are truly the heart of this organization,” said Tinker.

Advocates are always available for anyone affected by these issues. If you are concerned about yourself or a loved one, the hotline number to call is 573-686-5064 or you can text 573-429-5730, for outreach services call 573-686-4873 and ask for Amanda.