We here at Crippen are looking to make 2017 a record year for giving back to our communities. We are holding monthly intraoffice fundraisers to benefit 12 different charities this year through our new Crippen Cares™ initiative. Our nonprofit spotlight is on September’s fundraiser recipient, Haven of Lake & Sumter Counties, Inc.
Haven of Lake & Sumter Counties, Inc., was established in 1977 to meet the needs of domestic violence victims. In the 30+ years of existence, Haven has expanded its base of services and today provides comprehensive, unduplicated services to victims of domestic violence and sexual violence. Their primary objectives are to provide these victims with alternatives to abuse or life-threatening situations, and empowerment to establish a violence-free life. Their three core areas of service focus on Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Training & Education.
Their Domestic Violence Services include 24-hour hotlines that provide immediate crisis intervention. Victims and their dependent children receive temporary emergency shelter, food, clothing, and counseling (both individual and group). They also offer courtroom advocacy, referrals to other community organizations, assistance filing for victims compensation, and/or victims relocation assistance. Their Sexual Assault Services include a rape crisis helpline, available 24 hours a day, to provide immediate response to sexually assaulted victims. Their professional staff, with assistance from trained volunteers, provide much needed emotional support for medical examinations and law enforcement investigations. Haven also provides 24 hour SANE services for Lake and Marion Counties. These services include a SANE-trained RN that will respond to perform a sexual assault forensic exam for any request in their service area. In 2017, Haven began providing a support group for survivors of sexual assault as well. They also provide crucial Training & Education Services to law enforcement, healthcare professionals, and students. Their presentations spread awareness to the general public that have been, and will continue to be, the most powerful tools to combating domestic violence and sexual assault.
To find out more about their amazing work in our community, you can reach them through their website at http://www.havenlakesumter.org/ or visit them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Haven-of-Lake-and-Sumter-Counties-Inc-778942248940228/.