January—March 2015
Teen Dating Violence Awareness
Sexual Assault Awareness
Child Abuse Prevention
Mission:
To advocate for
non-violence through
intervention, education,
and prevention in order
to create a safe
environment for all
individuals, families
and communities.
Vision:
To achieve a violence
free community.
Events at the Center for Survivors
Summer Sizzle 2015
Please join us as we celebrate
our 25th
Anniversary!
Please join the Center for Survivors as we
celebrate our 25th Anniversary at our
Annual Summer Sizzle.
Friday, June 12th, 2015 at 6:00 p.m.
Ramada Inn, Columbus NE
www.centerforsurvivors.net
Find us on:
Crisis Counseling, Adult and Child Support Groups
Bilingual Advocacy
Adult, Adolescent and Child Advocacy
Shelter for Families and Individuals
24-Hour English/Spanish Crisis Line
Legal Assistance and Medical Referrals
Crisis Counseling for Adolescents/Children
Educational Presentations
Building Healthy Relationships Groups in 12 Schools
Revolution Peer-Education Group Presentations
Bullying and Safe-Touch Presentations
Batterer’s Intervention Program (English)
Turning Point Program for Women Who Use Violence
Call Today 402-564-2155
We Serve ALL People
Wearing #Orange4Love
Promoting Healthy
Relationships and
Raising Awareness
on Teen Dating
Violence.
(Above) Center Staff wearing “Orange4Love” to promote healthy relationships
and raise awareness for Teen
Dating Violence.
(R) Revolution members
(Below) Columbus High
School staff and students
Join the Jubilee
~S a v e t h e D a t e~
(402) 564-2155
1-800-658-4482
3103 13th St.,
Columbus, NE 68601
Available Services
Wish List :)
Supplies
 Baby Diapers
 Baby Wipes
 Toilet Paper
 Paper Towels
 Dish Soap
 Shampoo
 Conditioner
 Deodorant
 Tooth Paste
 Batteries, all sizes
 HE Laundry Detergent
 Bleach
 Hand Soap
 Trash Bags– all types
 Cleaners, all types
 Light Bulbs
 Gas cards
 Gift Cards
Teen Dating Violence Awareness
February was Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Our Revolution Student
Coordinator, Savannah Wolfe, applied for and received the Columbus Area Youth
Philanthropy Grant which provided $1,000 towards the purchase of orange t-shirts.
Another grant along with the generosity of SpecialTee Screen Printing allowed for
649 shirts to be given out to area students. February 10th was “Wear Orange for
Love” day in an effort to raise awareness on Teen Dating Violence and promote
Healthy Relationships. The campaign was hugely successful throughout our community. When asked about the project, Savannah said, “The coolest part for me is
that the awareness will never stop. The students will be able to wear the shirts for
a long time now, and that was the goal. I love seeing all the orange t-shirts everyday at school.” We are continuously proud of our Revolution group, our Student
Coordinator, and our Revolution Supervisor, Abbie Tessendorf. This group is
touching lives everyday through their advocacy and prevention efforts with area
teens.
Center Staff
Board of
Directors
President
Denise Kracl
Vice President
Cindy Janssen
Secretary
Alyssa Hogeland
Treasurer
Deb Wilke
Members at Large
Brad Wangler
Robert Hausmann
Welcome Our New Staff
Meet our new Executive Director, Tara Korthals:
I grew up south of Columbus and graduated from David City High
School. My family has lived and worked in the Columbus area for the
past 25 years, so it is nice to be back home. After graduating high
school, I went on to get my degree from the University of Nebraska
Lincoln in Criminal Justice and Psychology. After college, I moved to
San Antonio, TX, where I worked as an investigator for Child Protective Services. After moving back to Nebraska, I pursued a career in
law enforcement. I worked over six years and a half years for the
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy and worked part time as
an EMT for the ambulance service there. I am very excited to be
back in my home town and to be a part of this wonderful team at the
Center!
Elissa Olson
Endowment
Board
President
Jay Trofholz
Treasurer
Pat Sokol
Members at Large
John Codling
Linda Sahs
Ann Ernst
Terri Nore
Diann Schaecher
Meet our new Child Advocate, Sheri Gillotte:
My name is Sheri Gillotte. I live in Shelby with my husband, Mark,
and my two children, Preston, 15, and Hunter, 18. I also have twins,
Austin and Tyler, 22, who live in Columbus. I am a proud
grandmother of two, Helayna and Skyler.
I attended Southeast Community College focusing in Early Childhood
Development. My previous employment includes in-home daycare
provider, Director and Preschool Teacher in Columbus, and was
recently employed as a 911 Dispatcher and Jailer at the Polk
County Sheriffs Office. I missed working with children, and feel
blessed to be working as Child Advocate with the Center for
Survivors. I am looking forward to enhancing the services provided
through our Child Advocacy Program. I have enjoyed getting to know
the children served through the Center, as well as our Children’s
Group volunteers (including Paula Lloyd and Dave Petersen).
Meet our new Fiscal Manager, Janelle Perrings:
My name is Janelle Perrings, and I will be serving as Fiscal
Manager for the Center. This is a new position at the Center,
and will encompass much of the financial reporting responsibilities of the organization. Previously I was employed in the accounting department of Pillen Family Farms, and prior to that
was a CPA in public accounting as a tax manager for Kruse,
Schumacher, Smejkal & Brockhaus, PC in Columbus. While I
have worked with a wide client base, and many entity types, I
most enjoy non-profit and governmental accounting. I am very
excited to be a part of the Center for Survivors, and to work
directly as part of an organization that is performing such
important work, and making a direct, positive impact on the lives
of others in Columbus and the surrounding communities the
Center serves. Getting to know the staff and the board members
of the Center has been great. Each of them has a passion to
help others, work as a team, and further the Center’s purpose –
and I am proud to be a part of that.
Executive Director
Tara Korthals
Adolescent Services
Director/Bilingual
Adolescent Advocate
DeAnna Rodriguez
Office Manager
Linda Cattau
Fiscal Manager
Janelle Perrings
PT Office Manager
Madge Huggler
Outreach Advocate
Janet Schlueter
Volunteer/Communications
Coordinator
Megan Cimpl
Bilingual Advocate
Darlyn Ortez
Child Advocate
Sheri Gillotte
Meet our new Bilingual Advocate, Darlyn Ortez:
My name is Darlyn Ortez and I’m the new Binlingual Advocate. I
get to help adults that have experienced domestic violence or
sexual assault. I work mainly with Spanish speaking clients, but
I also help English speaking clients as well. I’m very passionate
about my job and very dedicated to helping others. I work with
an amazing team that welcomed me right away and if I don’t
know something, I’m not afraid to ask for help (which is often).
That is awesome!
I have a two year old son, named Guillermo. He is very chubby
which makes him even more adorable. He loves Lightning
McQueen and big trucks. I’m very artistic and love to garden.
Overall, I love my son, my family, and my boyfriend, whom I live
with. Thank you everyone for believing in me and trusting me in
everything I do.
Adolescent Advocate
Traci Pilar
Adolescent Advocate
Rachel Steffen
Revolution Coordinator
Abbie Tessendorf
Adolescent Advocate
Denise Tompkins
Adult Advocate
Katie French
Coordinated Response
Advocate
Angela Kalani
Student Coordinator
Savannah Wolfe
Annual Meeting Recap for 2014
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The truth is that many people still believe that the instances of sexual assault is rare.
The tragic reality is that one in six women and one in 33 men in the United States have experienced an attempted or completed
rape in their lifetime. Victims under the age of 12 account for 15% of all sexual assaults. In Nebraska alone, over 84,000 women
have been raped at least once during their lifetime. According to the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Crime Victimization
Survey (NCVS), 293,066 Americans are victims of Sexual Assault each year. That number equals to one rape every 107 seconds.
The majority of sexual assaults are committed by someone known by the victim, including a friend, acquaintance, intimate partner,
or relative, and usually occur within one mile of the victim’s home. With the fact that most sexual assaults are unreported (two out
of three assaults go unreported), most rapists never spend a day in jail or prison.
Victims of sexual assault are:
3 times more likely to suffer from depression.
6 times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
13 times more likely to abuse alcohol.
26 times more likely to abuse drugs.
4 times more likely to contemplate suicide.
According to the National Crime Victimization Survey, sexual assault has seem a drastic decline (almost 50%) since 1993. While
this seems like great change, there are still so many unheard, unspoken, and unreported victims that it is difficult to gauge the true
extent of the crime.
What can you do?
Parents are loved ones can address this issue by talking to your children/teenagers about personal boundaries and healthy sexual development. Remind your kids that nothing would ever make you stop loving them, and you promise to always listen if they or
their friends need help. Help them make a list of supportive adults they can talk to if they can’t tell you. Teach them how to be a
good friend. Let them know that if their friend reports an incident, they should believe. As a friend, don’t push a survivor of sexual
assault to share their story if they are not ready. These individuals are hurting and each person responds to trauma differently. If
someone discloses to you, listen to them and allow them to share the information that they are comfortable with sharing in their own
words and in their own time. In our society, it is often easy to blame the victim for being in the “wrong place” or hanging out with the
“wrong crowd.” Victims may get labeled as being promiscuous or even blamed for the assault all
together. Reassure them that you will be there for them and help them to get the services they need.
References: National Institute of Justice & Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences of Violence Against Women Survey. ;
World Health Organization. 2002.; National Sexual Violence Resource Center. http://www.nsvrc.org/ ;
*1,238 total clients served (unduplicated)
*425 adolescents served through our
Building Healthy Relationships class
*8,311 total face-to-face contacts for crisis
counseling, follow up advocacy, education,
training, and personal advocacy
*6,448 total volunteer hours provided
*1,831 calls to Center’s crisis line
*Revolution performed 19 peer presentations reaching over 1,600 youth and 640
adults
*34 adults & 54 children served through
2014 Annual Christmas program with 26
donors and organizations
*121 Community Education classes were
provided to 6,530 community members
National Conference on Bullying
In February, our Revolution theater group had the opportunity to present at the National
Conference on Bullying in Orlando, FL. The group received rave reviews from fellow
participants and speakers, including Barbara Coloroso. Barbara is a leading expert on bullying research and has been
featured on Dr. Phil and the Oprah Winfrey Show. This conference was an excellent opportunity for the Revolution members
to gain valuable knowledge and also to bond and have some fun. Members attending were Abbie Tessendorf, Megan Cimpl,
Oscar Rodriguez, Brielyn Borer, Brady Przymus, Jaimee Beauvais, Joe Sonderman, Savannah Wolfe, Taryn Pospisil, and
Joe Jahn. They also played a competitive game of mini-golf in which Abbie Tessendorf came out victorious, closely followed
by Brielyn Borer and Brady Przymus. The group also had the opportunity to attend Universal Studio’s Islands of Adventure
before they came back. The rainy weather did not stop them as they went on every ride, including the water rides in the rain.
It was a very successful trip, one filled with many great memories.
Consider Volunteering …
Volunteers Needed
Come to the Center to volunteer or call
402.564.2155
Volunteers provide:
 Women’s and Children’s support
groups
 Childcare
 Grocery shopping
 Donation organizing
 Shelter cleaning
 Facility handyman
 Administrative tasks
We Need Your Help...
As a non-profit we do not have the
funding available to pay for all the
needed services we perform for our
clients, such as transportation, so
volunteers are very much needed to
help out.
Last year over 6.448 hours of service
were provided by volunteers. You can
make the difference in others lives.
Events at the Center for Survivors
Back Row (l-r): Tara Korthals, Deanna Rodriguez, Sheri Gillotte, Megan Cimpl, Traci Pilar, Linda Cattau, Katie French, Denise
Tompkins, Janet Schlueter
Front Row (l-r): Savannah Wolfe, Abbie Tessendorf, Madge Huggler, Rachel Steffen, Darlyn Ortez, Angela Kalani, Janelle Perrings
Child Abuse Prevention Month
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. This is a time
for our community to recognize, as well as take a stand
against child abuse and to promote the well-being of
children and families. This April, we will again be
taking a part in the “Pinwheels for Prevention”
Movement by placing blue pinwheels in our business
area in an effort to recognize the importance of
children remaining a priority in our community. If you
would like to learn more about this movement or are
interested in designing your own pinwheels, you can
learn more by visiting
www.pinwheelsforprevention.org .
We have been busy at the Center with many events
in the last few months. January was Stalking
Awareness Month. We raised awareness via social
media and The Columbus Telegram by sharing
statistics and posters. On January 31st, we
attended the Kelsey Miller Benefit in an effort to
raise awareness for domestic violence and funds for
her children left behind. On February 27th, we
joined the End It Movement by placing Red X ‘s on
our hands to raise awareness for the 27 million
individuals still trapped in slavery/human trafficking.
We have quite a few thank you’s to give as usual.
Our community is extremely supportive, and we
are continually in awe of the generosity of so
many community members. First, we would like
to thank all of the donors involved in our Annual
Christmas Program. We would also like to thank
the Columbus Big Give for including us in their
upcoming event. Another thank you goes out to
Immanuel Lutheran Church. In February, they
hosted a Chili Feed with proceeds going to the
Center. Our final thank you goes to our State
and Local Law Enforcement. These individuals
put their lives on the line so that our communities
remain safe. We appreciate, admire, and
#WeSeeYou.
CENTER
FOR
SEXUAL ASSAULT &
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
SURVIVORS
3103 13th Street
P.O. Box 42
Columbus, NE 68602-0042
Phone: 402-564-2155
Fax: 402-563-1719
web site: www.centerforsurvivors.net
W E ’ RE O N T HE W EB !
WWW . CENTERFORSURVIVORS . NET
Find us on:
Center for Survivors
Community Page
Non-Profit Org
US Postage Pd.
Columbus NE
Permit No. 442
We thank all who contributed their time, talent, or donated items
or money. If anyone’s name has been omitted, please accept our
apologies and know that we are grateful for your contribution.
Geanne Grimes-Chlopek
Needlcraft Prayer Ministry
Luke Norris
Optimist Club of Columbus
American Legion Auxiliary
Travis Kula
Dave & Tracy Donoghue family
Shirley Hroza
St. Mary’s Quilters, Leigh
Earl Kallweit
Barb Mohr
Kellie Ceder
Delanie Hudnall
Skills USA
Camp Pawnee
Hy-Vee
Susan Hansen
Lori Huffman
Dollar General
Bonnie Novy
Katelyn Werts & Sheena & Brent
Kyla Becher
Paul Brown
Federated Church
CATO
Chloe Lippstreu
Jenna Cattau
Robyn Yosten
Teri Logan
Wal-Mart Supercenter
Marie Kapels
Rick & Judy Liebschwager
Janice Nichols
Divine Mercy Parish, Schuyler
Joy Circle-Trinity Lutheran
Shayla Long
Karen Swoboda
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Leigh
Tooley Drug & Home Care
Sue Henggler
Nadine Kinnison
Crystal Klug
Mary Swierczek
Betty Elsasser
Jean Anderson
Julie Kunes
Joan Price
Nora Tonnies
Dan & Krystal Nehls
David Pride
Diane Schmidt
Jody Zybach
Rosemary Bills
Karla Henggeler
Kerri Langemeier
Break the Board
Behlen’s Mfg Company
Ron’s Furniture & More
Bonnie Weyer
Lois Blotzer
Heidi Vargas
Doug & Joan Pauley
Elizabeth Boettcher
Pat
Timothy, Tracy Matas & Madeline
Theresa Schmidt
3rd & 4th Grade PRE Class, St.
Edward Catholic School
Shawndesta Nichols
Pam Aerni
Jeff & Jane Schneider
Jean Strong
Dayana Medina-Mar
Jane Douglas
West Park School
Lacey Marburger
Mindy Shelton
Julie Maaske
Lori Murray
Nicole Aguallo
Marilyn Zehring
Federated Church Women’s
Fellowship
Randall & Annette Riley
The Fabulous Red Hat Friends
Magdaline Svec
Kay Steiner
Jean Oeltjen
Erin Nahorny
Brenda Siffring
Irene & Katrina Johnston
StaffCo
Soroptimist Club
Verizon Wireless
Gustavo
Janet Rains
Columbus Berean Church
Sylvia Valdivia
Lakeview Student Council
Columbus Children’s Healthcare
Walgreens Drug Store
Bette & Eugene Dohmen
Lueva Hellbusch
Robert & Judith Trautwein
Teammates
Jeanie Henk
Debra Limbach
Kristy Lantis
Dave & Janelle Groteluschen
Greg
Sara DeWine
Connie Stachura
Sarah Tonjes
Angelica Willer
Olivia Brittenham
Kara Dinslage family
Tom & Lois Bertsch
Carol & James Bennett
Columbus Christian School
Jolene Hake
Menards
Cargill Meat Solutions
Humphrey FFA
Nebraska Public Power District
Schweser’s Stores Inc.
Nicole McPhillips
Nick Behle
Micaela Campuzano
Family Consumer Science Class
Lakeview High School
Associated Staffing
Phyllis Elliott
Ron & Charlotte Lambert-Lost
Creek Meadows
Liz Czuba
Stephanie Barry
Meridan Gardens
Lori Van Cleave
Rosaura Vargas
Lois Euteneuer
Vishay
Hunter, Marissa, Eli Colegrove
Rama Badje
Carol Keyes
Ron & Sue Rinne
Gary Schafer
Rev. Ellie Thober
Dean Cerny
Anna Belle Steele
Carol Preister
Stacy Steffen
James & Sandy Schaben
Jill Domina
Jessy Hill
Laci Brabec
Little Messengers, Inc.
Dr. Ronald & Suzanne Klutman
Shelley Stempek
Lamberto Campuzano
ADM Corn Processors
4th & 5th Grade Student Council
at Lost Creek
McMillan Construction
Guadalupe Vazquez Rodriguez
of Aracely’s Decorations
Hope Freshour
Columbus Bank & Trust