English
Spanish
Oleson’s and Lite 96.3FM team up to support domestic abuse survivors
Oleson’s Food Store in Petoskey and Lite 96.3FM are supporting the Safe Home during two benefit events. The Oleson’s ‘dollar drive’ inv...
Tag Archives: women’s resource center safe home
December donation drive at Buffalo Wild Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings in Petoskey will hold a nonperishable donation drive for the Safe Home during December. Those who bring a contributi...
The Giving Tree – McLean & Eakin Booksellers
The Giving Tree, an in-store donation program hosted by McLean and Eakin Booksellers on Lake Street, Petoskey, will take place December...
Harvest Food and Supply Drive benefits local abuse survivors
Safe Home staff members display some of the non-perishable items needed during the Harvest Food and Supply Drive. The donation drive he...
Girl power is alive and well in Northern Michigan
Petoskey Middle School friends who attended Meg Wilson’s birthday party brought donations for the Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan (WRCNM) Safe Home, instead of traditional birthday gifts and plan to continue their efforts to help women and girls. Pictured presenting the donation is (L to R) Brianna Kimbler, Kennedy Buck, Kendra Shaw, Jenny Tompkins, Meg Wilson, and Natalie Koeller with Chris Krajewski, WRCNM Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Program Director. Missing from photo are Jessica Edwards and Shannon Cartwright.
If you think teen girls only talk about clothes, shopping and boys; these local girls will change your mind. The close-knit friends who attend Petoskey Middle School discuss everything from books to the Holocaust to women's rights. Recently they gathered at the Safe Home operated by the Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan (WRCNM) to donate cash and personal care items for survivors of domestic abuse.
The donation is the result of a no-gift birthday party for one of the friends in the group, Meg Wilson. The girls had all decided it would be a great idea to forego traditional birthday gifts for something more meaningful. The idea got these energetic and articulate young women thinking about how they could make a further difference; one that might help women and girls dealing with gender inequality, sexism, and even domestic abuse, sexual assault and dating violence.
So what's a girl to do? They plan to move forward with an organization called, "The Women of the Future, Helping the Women of Today." One of their goals is to build awareness of the group
Troop Mackinaw event includes Women’s Center donation
The Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan (WRCNM) received a large donation of pajamas, mittens and hats to benefit the women and their children who seek safety from domestic abuse at the agency’s Safe Home. The donation was made by over 400 Girl Scouts, troop leaders and parents who participated in this year’s Troop Mackinaw event. During the weekend gathering, Girl Scouts explored and enjoyed the Mackinaw City area, attended the Lumberjack Festival and earned a community service patch for their donation to the WRCNM Safe Home. The event was organized by Heather Tamlyn and Kelly Simmons of HK Events in Mackinaw City. Pictured during the donation presentation are Troop Mackinaw attendees and three Lumberjack Festival representatives. Chris Krajewski, WRCNM Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Program Director was in attendance to address the Girl Scouts and accept the donation.
For information on WRCNM programs and services, call their administrative office at 231-347-0067 or visit the agency’s website at wrcnm.org.
Women’s Center Appreciates Volunteers
The Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan (WRCNM) has had the good fortune of working with many caring, talented and dedicated volunteers over the past 35 years. During National Volunteer Appreciation Week, April 15-21, we recognize the important role they play in helping fulfill the agency’s mission of supporting women and families in northern Michigan.
This past year alone, volunteers provided more than 6,000 hours of service to our organization and their time was invested in a number of ways. Volunteers at the Safe Home help children with craft projects while their mothers attend counseling and support groups; other volunteers help answer the 24-hour crisis line and meet the day-to-day needs of these families. Gold Mine Resale Shop volunteers assist shoppers, restock shelves and work the cash register. Our Community Violence Prevention Team is composed almost entirely of volunteers who act in an advisory capacity to assure widespread adoption of proven violence prevention programs and help promote prevention awareness in our community. Those who volunteer to serve on the agency’s board of directors help set policy and long-term goals to advance the agency’s mission. We also rely on RSVP volunteers to help us prepare bulk mailings.
Women’s Center FUNdraiser is March 15 at cava
If you want to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day a few days early, you are in luck! The Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan will host their annual FUNdraiser with a St. Paddy’s day theme on Thursday, March 15 at cava in Bay Harbor.
The event begins at 6 p.m. and will feature an array of creative hors d’oeuvres prepared by cava’s culinary team. Attendees may participate in the silent and live auctions bidding on items such as MSU football tickets; roundtrip tickets to Beaver Island; an authentic gourmet Italian dinner for six; an American Spoon Foods gift basket filled with their award-winning artisanal fruit preserves; 18 holes of golf for two including golf cart at Harbor Point Golf Club; two VIP guest passes aboard Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry; restaurant gift certificates to Whitecaps and Palette Bistro; an interior/exterior car detailing from Tri-Rivers Collision; and a sailing excursion for four aboard “Brilliant” an Ensign sailboat with WRC Executive Director Jan Mancinelli as your captain and WRC Finance Director Gail Kloss as your first mate. Many more items will be up for bid during this festive FUNdraiser.
“The event is fun and celebratory, however the dollars raised during this event are absolutely critical to the agency in helping us reach out to those in the community who are seeking and needing our services,” said Jan Mancinelli, WRC Executive Director. “We look forward to seeing many of our friends and supporters in the community at this annual benefit and hope to see some new faces, as well.”
Proceeds from the event will benefit WRC programs and services which help thousands of families every year. The WRC has been committed to caring for women, children and families in northern Michigan for 35 years
Cheboygan Kiwanis Donation Drive Successful
Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan (WRC) Counselor/Advocate Brenda Smielewski is pictured with a large donation generated from a month-long donation drive spearheaded by the Kiwanis Club of Cheboygan. Smielewski, who works at the non-profit agency’s Cheboygan office and Safe Home, was overwhelmed by the generosity of those who donated personal care items, household cleaning supplies, toys, non-perishable foods and other items using boxes Kiwanis Club members had placed at the Cheboygan Glen’s Market, K-mart and Citizen’s National Bank. Last year the Safe Home provided a total of 3,041 nights of safe shelter to 135 survivors of domestic abuse and their children and had food and supply costs exceeding $25,000. The WRC’s domestic abuse program also provides counseling, support groups, advocacy and a 24-hour crisis line for those in Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet and Otsego counties. Last year, the WRC’s domestic abuse program served 131 individuals and 38 victims of sexual assault from Cheboygan County. For more information about the WRC’s domestic abuse program and Safe Home, call (231) 347-1572 or toll free at (800) 275-1995.
Harvest Food and Supply Drive Underway to Benefit Safe Home
The Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan (WRC) is holding their annual Harvest Food and Supply Drive in an effort to collect needed items for survivors of domestic abuse and their children staying at the Safe Home.
The Safe Home provides a safe, supportive and caring residence for families in Northern Michigan who often arrive at the emergency shelter without personal belongings. And because the Safe Home is operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year, the need for food and supplies is constant. Over the past year, a total of 3,041 nights of safe shelter were provided to 135 women and their children with food and supply costs exceeding $25,000.
“The community has been very supportive in past years, and we depend on that support,” said Safe Home Coordinator, Jamie Winters. “Your gifts of non-perishable food, paper products, cleaning supplies and personal care items help survivors of domestic abuse and their children who are staying at the Safe Home feel welcome during a very challenging time in their lives.”
A sampling of just some of the items on the Safe Home Needs List includes non-perishable food items such as cereal, fruit juice, peanut butter and boxed meals. Household supplies include laundry detergent, toilet paper, dish soap and bath towels. The Safe Home shelters many children who require diapers, baby food, infant formula and spill-proof cups. Personal care items for both adults and children are also needed including lotion, toothpaste, body wash and hair brushes. Financial donations are also welcome—a $75 donation will feed and house a family of four at the Safe Home for a week.
The complete Safe Home Needs List is available on the agency’s website at wrcnm.org, or by calling the WRC. Donations can be brought to the WRC Administrative Office or either Gold Mine Resale Shop in Petoskey, Bondurant in Petoskey’s Gaslight District, or to our offices in Cheboygan, Gaylord or Mancelona. For more information, or to arrange for a pickup of items, please call 231-347-1572.