November 2011
Dear Friends of Dove House,
All the recent news about child sexual abuse reminds us, as a community, how important it is to ensure that we are doing everything we can to assist children who are victims of sexual abuse, as well as their non-offending family members who also experience devastation, trauma, betrayal, etc. Dove House Children’s Advocacy Center is a fully accredited, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization providing a safe and child-friendly facility that is supporting the investigation, prosecution and therapy / follow-up of reported child sexual assault cases that occur in Iredell and Alexander Counties, North Carolina. Our mission is to combat child sexual abuse by reducing the trauma and advocating for and supporting child victims and their non-offending family members, and enhancing the legal process to achieve optimal prosecutions.
In April 2011, when I first learned of Dove House and met with former Executive Director, Brenda Deal and the Board of Directors, I was greatly impressed by the professional manner of the staff and the overall direction of the organization. Most significant was the loyal response of the local communities to join in the fight to rid our neighborhoods of those who would perpetrate this despicable act. Then, when I walked through the rooms of Dove House, I imagined the heart wrenching conversations that must take place between the devoted staff and the child victims. I was overwhelmed and excited at the prospects of joining this team and making a difference.
Unfortunately, the trauma continues daily. You cannot tune into local or national news reports without being inundated with the reality of this unimaginable crime. Our community is not exempt -- In 2011, Dove House will receive approximately 200 reports of child sexual abuse here in Iredell and Alexander counties and is projected to provide services to over 600 primary and secondary victims, a 10% increase over 2010.
Dove House depends on the goodness of kind, caring and charitable people such as you to meet our modest cost of operations. Mother Teresa once said, “The miracle is not that we do this work, but that we are happy to do it.” Our staff, Board members and multi-disciplinary team members, who care deeply for these children, must rely on the generosity of our community to continue to provide the resources and services that help heal the emotional scars left by sexual abuse, as well as seeking justice for those who have hurt them. Especially in these difficult economic times, we need your help and boldly yet humbly ask -- will you consider mailing a check today to help us meet our annual budget of $339,000? Or you can log onto our website at www.dovehouse.us and make an online donation. No donation is too small and there is strength in numbers! Your donation is tax-deductible and we will provide a receipt upon receiving your gracious gift.
If you haven’t toured our new facility, we would welcome the opportunity to show you our child-friendly home. Give me a call - I’d love to hear from you!
For the children,
Ken Wooten
Executive Director
P.S. A donation of $1,000 or more will be accompanied by a brick paver, engraved with your personal message and installed in the Dove House Meditation Garden. Please contact us for more detail.
