SWEETWATER COUNTY — With the help of Dominion Energy and 307 Auto, the YWCA Sweetwater County Center for Families and Children has acquired a safe and reliable vehicle for transporting and moving clients. Dominion Energy approved a grant in the amount of $12,000, and 307 Auto donated $3,000 as well as making sure the vehicle had new tires and is mechanically sound.
“When a client moves out to establish their own home it requires starting over, and we try and make sure families have what they need to be successful,” said Kayla Mannikko, YWCA Development Director. “This includes furniture and other household belongings that don’t fit into the regular passenger vehicles we have, which meant more trips or borrowing vehicles each time we moved a client.”.
With the support of two local companies, YWCA clients can now have a safer option to move items out of a violent household.
“Acquiring this vehicle has made it easier to help move and transport clients and their families,” said Chelsea Cortez, Shelter Manager. “Setting up a new household and starting over can be a difficult process, especially for our clients. One of our goals is to help these families become established and succeed in their new place. It was becoming more and more difficult to find ways to efficiently move household items and bigger furniture. This vehicle has helped alleviate the need to try to borrow a larger vehicle and has made the process of moving much easier.”
The YWCA Sweetwater County Center for Families and Children (YWCA CFC) provides advocacy, support and resources to victims of all forms of family violence including, but not limited to: domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse, child abuse, stalking, dating violence and human trafficking. A 24-hour emergency shelter is available for victims and their families in addition to a 24-hour crisis line. Advocates assist victims in applying for protection orders, accompanying them to court and medical appointments, providing resources and obtaining government assistance, and becoming a confidant in a time of uncertainty. The YWCA CFC partners with multiple agencies throughout Sweetwater County to best serve victims and meet community needs that advance the work beyond what YWCA can do alone.
The YWCA CFC provides the support for victims as they work to regain control of their lives free from violence and in building a secure future. In 2019, YWCA CFC provided 13,572 services to 357 individuals, provided shelter to 74 adults and 50 children, and answered 1,299 crisis line calls. In 2019, the YWCA CFC participated in 15 Child Advocacy Team forensic interviews. The goal of an additional vehicle, able to transport large items, is to help individuals and families obtain safe housing and be able to furnish that housing with donations generously given by our community.
