FSSWCI Sustainer Fund works toward abuse-free world

Incidents of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and substance abuse continue to plague our communities, Family Support Services of West Central Indiana reports.

Job losses, foreclosures, health issues and fear for the future put tremendous stress on families.

Unfortunately, those stresses are often taken out on members of family, significant others, and loved ones, and so far in 2021 the incidence of violence in the home and families needing support are on the rise.

What we know is:

-- One in three women and nearly one in five men experience intimate partner violence (IPV) sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner.

-- One in seven children have experienced child abuse and/or neglect in the past year.

-- Drug overdoses increased 20 percent, and alcohol sales have increased by more than 30 percent in the past year.

The team at Family Support Services of West Central Indiana believes that it is the responsibility of all of us to participate in eliminating intimate partner violence, child abuse and addiction in our communities. Every day a team of frontline, direct support staff and volunteers work with victims and families in Putnam, Owen, Clay, Parke, Montgomery and Boone counties, providing support, guidance and intervention.

Through its work:

-- The Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Victim Services Program in Putnam, Clay and Parke counties continue to experience an increase in crisis calls from victims of intimate partner violence with more violent and physical abuse being reported.

-- The Healthy Families Program in Putnam, Owen, Boone and Montgomery counties provided services to an average of more than 150 families per month, exceeding the goals set for the program.

-- The Putnam County Recovery Coalition continues to bring awareness and education about recovery opportunities in the community.

“Our staff continues to work extremely hard to meet the needs of the individuals and families we serve. The incidents and requests for service have increased dramatically, some weeks with over 20 crisis calls coming into our hotline,” Executive Director Scott Monnett said. “Even fighting the challenges the pandemic continues to impact our sector with, we have put more families into temporary shelter during the crisis, we have exceeded all client contact and case management goals, and have provided more direct financial support than ever before.”

To support its efforts, FSSWCI would like to encourage businesses and individuals to support the FSSWCI Sustainer Fund.

The Sustainer Fund is a pledge program that allows you to contribute a small amount each month to make a long-term investment in creating a world where no one is abused and all victims of violence have the support and resources they need, where all children are raised by nurturing, skilled parents, and individuals and families battling addiction have access to a supportive recovery network.

It’s a simple way for you to multiply and leverage the impact of your charitable giving and be part of a select group of our most loyal donors. With a simple monthly gift, or a one-time contribution, individuals and businesses can have a tremendous impact on those who need it most at the time they need it most.

Why is this program important? A reliable monthly gift to the Sustainer Fund will allow FSSWCI to respond to the urgent needs of our families and victims as they arise.

For more information, or to make your Sustainer Fund contribution over the phone, please contact Executive Director Scott Monnett at 653-4820, extension 101 or scott.monnett@pcfss.net. To donate, visit https://fsswci.net/donate.