Locals Explore Need for Speedway Area Domestic Violence Shelter

(posted may 24)

It is difficult to imagine a home life so abusive that a mother and her children would need to flee. Or is it? Statistics show that one in four families are experiencing some type of domestic violence.

Domestic violence is not an easy subject to discuss or to begin to understand all of the dynamics that lead to the root causes. However, several women gathered around the table May 18th to brainstorm about starting a domestic violence shelter in Speedway.

Terry Moore, a Westside resident, invited Director of Pastoral Care Larry Bellville of Sheltering Wings in Danville to explain the shelter's history during a fundraising event.

Moore said the fundraising event did not settle God's nudge within her to investigate the need about starting a domestic violence shelter in Speedway. She explained that she felt compelled to contact the Speedway Navigator to join the group. She said she had never seen the paper until she found it on her porch last month.

Cornerstone Christian Church started Sheltering Wings in 1998, based on the food pantry director's growing awareness that many of these food recipients were battered women.

The concern caused her to contact the Maria Larrison of the Victim Assistance Program at the Hendricks County Prosecutor's office. Bellville noted that Maria had been praying for a church to rise to occasion to start a shelter.

"What touched me the most was law enforcement's frustration. They had women willing to leave, but they had no place to go," he said.

He believes that Sheltering Wings is God driven and it was "God who marshaled the people and resources together" for Cornerstone to organize a board of directors and a non-profit entity.

What really shocked the congregation was the ability to raise $50,000 within a few weeks. It was not until 2002 that Sheltering Wings actually had a facility to house women and their children.

The shelter's budget continues to grow. The 2007 budget is $1.2 million and includes money and donated gifts. The non-profit receives its funding sources from grants, foundations, churches, corporate donors, and individuals.

Surprisingly very little of the budget goes for food. Bellville explained they rarely have to worry about food. Most of the food is given through donations. The freezer is filled with meat each year due to the generosity of a few people purchasing 4-H steers and hogs.

Charlene Burkett wanted to know the details of the operation.

There is only one requirement that is needed to reside at the shelter. "The woman has to be actively fleeing from an abuser," he said.

Bellville explained that most of the women and children arrive at the shelter through police transport. It is not the shelter's policy to pick up the victims. Bellville made it clear that it is the woman's decision to leave. "The shelter can recommend leaving, but the ultimate decision must come from her," he said. Hendricks County is no different than anyplace else when it comes to domestic violence. Over 1,000 women have resided at the shelter since 2002.

The crisis hotline has answered over 4,500 calls since 2002. He noted the free services are available 24 hours, seven days a week. The women are welcomed to stay as long as they need. "One woman has resided at the shelter for two years," he said.

The first 45 days are classified as emergency stay. "Many women come with nothing but just the clothes on their back. They have no job skills," he said. On day 46, they enter the transition phase. This phase teaches the women life skills and job skills, so they can learn to live independently and support their children. The children are enrolled in school.

"The biggest area of need is child care," he said.

Some of the women have children who are pre school-age. They need child-care so they can go to work or pursue educational classes.

Belleview also discussed the psychological side of abuse with Moore and Ann Engelhardt.

"Domestic violence is a belief system, not anger management issue. It is about control. The abuser likes to exert control over the victim," he said. The domestic violence issue is growing partly because TV is devoting more time to the issue. People are more aware of it and the signs. Bellville also believes the problem continues to grow as the family continues to disintegrate due to divorce. He said about 80 percent of boys will grow up to become abusers if they were exposed to an abusive environment.

Bellville explained Sheltering Wings is planning to expand its facility because they are running at capacity most of the time. The shelter can house 44 women and their children.

As an example of how widespread domestic violence is, this Navigator reporter and her photographer were driving north on 465 on May 22 and passed a vehicle where the male driver was hitting his female passenger with so much intensity that his truck was weaving off the road. We called 911 and followed the truck to a gravel lot west of Speedway where officers from Clermont and IMPD arrested the male.