The Shelter for Abused Women & Children was honored by the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce with the Heart of the Community Award, Nov. 8, 2017, during a breakfast award ceremony at the Hilton Naples. The following are CEO Linda Oberhaus’ heart-felt words in acceptance of the award:
“It means so much for us at The Shelter to receive this recognition. The Heart of the Community is such a beautiful image.
This community has given so much to The Shelter and to the people we serve, and in turn, The Shelter has aimed to spread its message of peace and the importance of healthy relationships.
We say it often: we cannot have peace in our community until we first have peace in each of our homes. This is the mission that binds all of us together.
Sadly, this point was made 26 times over on Sunday in Sutherland Springs, Texas. That community is devastated. It’s heart was taken from it. We grieve with those families and we take seriously the lesson that they never meant to teach: that domestic violence is not a private issue, it’s not a family issue – it is a community issue.
We are extremely grateful to the Chamber for this honor, and we thank this community for the countless ways it supports The Shelter’s mission to make every home a peaceful home. Thank you!”
Also honored by the Chamber were Athrex, Business Expansion; SkyLink Data Center, Company to Watch; Barron Collier Companies, Pillar Award; Jennifer Trammel, Young Professional of the Year; and Sunshine Ace Hardware, Chairman’s Award. READ FULL NAPLES DAILY NEWS STORY
Our residents enjoyed a wonderful mother’s day dinner, May 10, and it went very well. Carol Beauregard and her team of volunteers transformed the community education room into a Butterfly Bistro. Thanks to Liz, all of the attendees looked beautiful in their pretty outfits from their trip to The Shelter Option Shoppe. Maria C. helped the new residents find an outfit here in the emergency shelter with the donations from various stores on Marco Island.
Our residents were very grateful to spend one hour for themselves. Some of them shed some tears of happiness, stating that it was the first time they were celebrated. Others said it was the first time they felt they mattered and they appreciated the great length that the volunteers went to organize this special meal for them.
While the dinner was going on, Ana and a team of volunteers were taking care of the small children in child care and Tamara and another team of volunteers played Bingo with the older ones in emergency shelter. These ladies worked very hard, as we have a lot of children right now. All of them had pizza and juice for dinner.
Our residents were all smiles when they came back to the emergency shelter, mentioning that the food was delicious, the room looked very pretty and they really enjoyed their dinner as well as the conversation, the laughter and the nice music. They also received some custom jewelry and flowers.
This is one event a year that our residents really love attending and I want to thank the volunteers and my whole team for doing a wonderful job making this night a memorable one for our residents.
Lise Descoteaux
Residential Manager
Response from Shelter participants!
“The room was so beautiful. I felt like I was in a real restaurant with the music and all. The ladies were so nice to us.”
“This was the first time that someone had done something this nice for me.”
“I felt like a Princess! I had my hair done. I had a new dress and went to a great dinner! The room was beautiful and the food was so delicious!”
“My children were enjoying themselves, playing bingo and playing in child care, I felt I could enjoy myself. I really loved it. Everything was magical!”
“I can’t believe that you guys would do something like this. This was so awesome! You are the best!”
“Now I know what it feels to be appreciated. I can feel the difference in my heart. This is a first for me.”
“I will never forget this place. You have made a difference in my life. I will bring everything I’ve learned while I was here. I have a long list. I loved the dinner!”
“You made me feel like I matter. This dinner was so good, the place so beautiful and I looked nice. I was only able to dream about this before.”
“Today was one of the best days in my life. I was able to enjoy myself, my kids were well taken care of and I was in peace. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”
Response from Shelter children!
“My mother looked soooo good. I really like it when my mother smiles a happy smile.”
“My mom was the most beautiful mother that night.”
“My mother was crying and she said they were happy tears this time. I believe it because she was smiling too.”
“I was very happy to give a gift to my mother. I know it came from you but you won’t tell her, right?”
“My mother really liked her new blouse. Thank you!”
“I like giving presents to my mother. She is so nice. I would like to buy her a house for all of us.”
“My mother was so happy. I have never seen her hair this way. It was different. I like that she had something fun to because I enjoyed playing bingo with my friends and eating pizza.”
“Thank you for making my mother feel good. I really liked it. I wish I can do this every day for her.”
“My mother is always tired but that night she was smiling and we got to stay up late. She really liked her new wallet.”
“I like seeing my mother smile and looking happy. Can we do another dinner soon?”
We would like to share the wonderful work our program team is accomplishing. We established a partnership with the Naples Therapeutic Riding Center and have incorporated equine therapy for participants in emergency shelter and transitional housing. Last week, the children and teens were asked to use the horses as a palette to express their emotions of when they first arrived in shelter and their current feelings. Below are pictures of their response:
The Rotary Club of Naples Bay has become a collaborative partner of The Shelter’s and has committed to providing gym shoes for adults and children residing in emergency shelter. On May 11, 2017, Wayne Dahlstrom, Rotary Club of Naples Bay, President and Rotary Club members presented Linda Oberhaus, The Shelter’s Executive Director, with brand new shoes for emergency shelter residents.
The Quarry Fashion Show raised over $17,000 for The Shelter held on March 20, 2017, at The Quarry Golf Lodge. From left, Mary Reilly, Shelter Volunteer and Resource Manager Naomi Goren, Sue Crooks and Pat Rudder. The Shelter is thankful for strong community partners like The Quarry, for their support of The Shelter’s mission.
The Suncoast Credit Union has been a wonderful partner to The Shelter, providing a variety of grants through its Suncoast Credit Union Foundation since 2008.
This year, The Shelter received a $5,000 grant to support the purchase of supplies and materials for our Onsite Child Care Program which serves families in our emergency shelter. Thank you!
The Windstar Club Charitable Foundation recently presented The Shelter with a $10,000 check to support at risk kids in the Bayshore area. From left, Kathleen Pinizzotto, Richard Dobson, David Slobodien, Shelter Executive Director Linda Oberhaus and Robert Eitel from the Windstar Club Charitable Foundation.
The Foundation was established by the club as part of its Windstar Gives Back initiative. Windstar Gives Back is not a single event but rather a four-day weekend of events including a fishing tournament, golf and tennis events and concluding with a dinner and awards ceremony.
Windstar members and friends have contributed just under $500,000 to directly benefit children in the Bayshore area neighborhood.
The following letter was received by Immokalee Outreach Office Manager Josie Means. Each year, the Lehigh Senior High School JROTC collects food and clothing to assist Shelter participants in Immokalee. The tradition has a humble and heartwarming history as presented below:
Dear Mrs. Means,
“It was a pleasure visiting with you and your team last Thursday. The Shelter visit is one of the most rewarding trips our cadets get the opportunity to participate in all year. I wasn’t a JROTC Instructor on the initial visit to the Shelter, so I asked my department head, LTC Timothy Walter, to provide the following information.
In late October 2014, a Lehigh JROTC student named Isabella Quiles-Rosa proposed a service learning project for our program. She wanted to do something to help others less fortunate than herself.
She reached out to The Shelter Outreach Office in Immokalee to see what we could do to help. Isabella choose this organization because she grew up in Immokalee and had family there. She had personal experience with people who had been helped by The Shelter. She took the lead and planned and coordinated the food and clothing drive that first year.
We, the JROTC instructors, were surprised with the way our students embraced this drive and we had to borrow a trailer to transport all the items we collected. The staff at The Shelter were amazing people, who educated our students as to the mission of The Shelter.
We have now conducted this annual drive for three years in the November/ December time frame. Our students look forward to this drive as a way to help others around the holidays. Each year, the Senior Staff Cadets plan, coordinate and execute this drive. Not only do they get to help, they learn from this project.
Please know the future of America is bright!”
LTC Timothy Walter
Gary W. Carter II, CW4, (USA Retired)
Army JROTC Instructors, Lightening Regiment
Lehigh Senior High School
On Dec. 15, the Marco Island Police Department presented the Shelter for Abused Women & Children with over $1,000 in gift cards.
“The Shelter is an integral part of our community and we consider them part of our family,” said Police Chief Al Schettino. “I’d like to thank everyone for generously donating during this holiday season to this worthy cause.”
The Shelter for Abused Women & Children provides assistance to victims of human trafficking and domestic violence throughout Collier County, including Marco Island. The Shelter assists more than 1,100 child victims and survivors of domestic violence annually through safety, intervention and direct support. More than 68,500 children, women and men (as well as their pets) have been assisted by The Shelter since 1989.
For more information on The Shelter for Abused Women & Children, please call 239-775-3862 or online naplesshelter.org.
The Shelter’s Immmokalee Outreach Office is thankful for two amazing volunteers, Elizabeth and Angelique, who coordinated some holiday cheer with donations for participants at the IOO.
“Their energy and initiative is so contagious,” said IOO Manager Josie Means. “They used their hands to make give it a more thanksgiving theme! We are so grateful for their time and kindness.”
