DOLPHINS TO STOP DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INC

We are proactive against domestic violence in that we work to empower and equip residents and leadership to create and live out new ways to live hope and play in nonviolence and safety. This is accomplished through pastoral counseling, minimal case management, classes to improve and strengthen families, classes for how residents can support their neighbors who struggle with addiction and their families as they learn to live with healthier lifestyles. When people struggle to afford health care, food for the table, a roof over their heads, this stress can lead to addictions and violence. Therefore we have set a very generous sliding scale for our services and we have hired a grant writer to write grants to help cover the fees our clients can't afford. So while we assist our clients in developing and living out healthier lifestyles and offering this assistance in a way they can afford, our clients come through empowered because not only have they created better ways of living but they have the satisfaction of contributing financially as best they can and being affirmed for that.

We've been able to hire a grant writer in addition to our ongoing grant projects which is providing the funding necessary for the empowering programming we offer. Additionally, we have an ordained clergy person who has completed training and certification as a Certified Pastoral Counselor and endorsed by the Global United Methodist Endorsing Agency and Bishop. Our finances are overseen by a team of CPA's the President of the Accounting agency is the President of our board. We have a vision where we will increase our staffing as needed and our presence and educational influence among the young adults in our community who are surrounded by violence and addiction.

We regularly engage our clients with evaluative exercises. In counseling, our clients establish their goal in the beginning, then after a while they do a personal progress evaluation where we celebrate successes and evaluate future paths. In classes we have a variety of evaluation exercises according to the topic and needs. We always have graduation ceremonies from our workshops and programs. With our prescription project, we follow up with each client a month or two after assistance and complete any case management needed.

We are in the process of accomplishing: group support counseling, classes and educational artistic components into the counseling process. We look forward to serving the community teenagers and families in creative programs. We anticipate the day we can pay our ED for her services. <br/><br/><br/>We have successfully covered all overhead for this year ( except salary and office was covered in kind) through client fees, fundraisers, donations and grant. We have provided 42 free pastoral counseling sessions for people making less than $20,000 from January through June. Twenty-seven clients have received prescription assistance to the amount of $1,900 during that same period. We have counseled 28 clients this year.