Still Waters Ministries Inc
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
According to the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, over 100,000 crimes of domestic violence occur throughout the state each year with emergency shelter provided to over 16,000 women and their children. One in three women experience physical violence at the hands of a spouse/partner throughout Florida; there are 42 emergency shelters but only four transitional housing programs. In Northwest Florida, there are no long-term therapeutic transitional housing options. Shelter House, which serves women throughout Okaloosa and Walton counties, only provides short-term, emergency housing, and women in their programs must find safe housing after they leave this facility. The closest transitional housing option is FavorHouse in Pensacola, which serves men and women in Escambia and Santa Rosa. Clearly there is a great need for safe, secure, therapeutic housing for Northwest Florida's women and children in crisis.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Therapeutic Transitional Housing Center for Women & Children in Crisis in North Florida
Still Waters will be a refuge for hurting women—a comfortable, safe, supportive community of transitional homes with bright, spacious bedrooms, soft, inviting community living spaces, healthy family-style meals, safe, nurturing childcare, highly skilled survivor-centered trauma, grief, and substance abuse counseling, and trained educators and work readiness instructors ready to support clients’ efforts toward emotional healing and financial stability. The organization’s goal is to intervene during a time of great crisis and then give survivors of domestic abuse key tools that promote self-sufficiency and enable them to move on in their lives. Still Waters currently owns 40 acres of beautiful, rolling land in Crestview, FL. Part of this land has been cleared to enable construction. Still Waters has secured $380,000 in founder funding, $300,000 in pledges to begin infrastructure and construction, and an in-kind commitment for a splash pad and playground equipment from Splash Pads USA. A complete site plan has been developed and construction is set to begin in the Spring of 2021. Current goals include raising the $4.5 million necessary to install infrastructure such as plumbing, sewer, and electrical, complete construction on ten homes, hire and train staff, and develop legal, marketing, and other program plans over the next 12-24 months.
Where we work
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Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Still Waters’ overarching goal is to serve North Florida’s domestic abuse survivors and their children through providing stable transitional homes, high quality childcare, further education if needed, work readiness training, trauma-informed counseling, short and long-term goal setting and planning assistance, and advocacy. The need for transitional housing throughout this state is extreme when factoring in the large number of cases versus the lack of support services and housing.
In the wake of COVID-19 which has caused more people to be out of work and spend more time at home, abuse inside the household is becoming more prevalent, and North Florida has been especially impacted. Recent statistics reveal a 30% increase in domestic violence calls in Okaloosa County since the onset of COVID-19, and the Bay County’s Sheriff’s Office recently shared that currently over 1/3 of all weekend crimes involve domestic disturbance or violence—all credited to the isolation and financial strain associated with the pandemic.
In order to achieve these goals, Still Waters plans to:
• Raise needed capital for construction/building development/program development/staff recruitment and hiring.
• Increase Advocacy: Continue to advocate for stronger, more effective legislation affecting victims of domestic violence in Florida and throughout the US. Most Floridians do not realize how critical of an issue domestic violence is in the state. Still Waters is hosting educational events throughout Northwest Florida over the next year to connect volunteers, donors, community supporters, and survivors. Still Waters invites the community to join this mission to share the hope that comes from helping women break out of cycles of abuse and move toward wholeness and healing for themselves and their children.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Still Waters acknowledges that only through long-term strategic planning, clear organizational structure, comprehensive, multi-faceted fundraising plans, focused program development, and well-designed evaluation plans will any new nonprofit achieve true sustainability. To this end, the organization has a working Strategic Plan in place with an accompanying Fundraising Plan that includes strategies surrounding Major Gifts cultivation, Special Events, Foundation Grant plans, and Corporate Sponsorship plans. In order to streamline online donations, financial reporting, donor cultivation, and grant management, the organization has implemented a full-service donor platform, Kindful. Still Waters’ marketing and social media plans are also in process with all social media platforms created and content being shared weekly.
Still Waters has garnered support of former Florida State Representative Mel Ponder, who represents this area, and so many community supporters have come forward to help Still Waters—from contractors eager to discount their fees, to suppliers willing to donate products to a rapidly expanding donor and volunteer base. Additional strategies include continuing to build collaborations with other organizations, churches, and nonprofits in North Florida as well.
Timeline:
January 2021: Infrastructure development begins. Construction plans approved.
February-April 2021: Construction begins.
May-June 2021: Staff hiring/curriculum development begins.
July-August 2021: Still Waters begins serving women and children in at least the initial five houses. At least one house will be designated for emergency care situations as this is a great need in this area as well.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Strong Leadership: Still Waters’ Founder and Executive Director, Cindra Reyba, has tremendous passion, knowledge, and personal experience as a domestic violence survivor. She is a powerful advocate and speaks throughout the community about the lack of domestic abuse survivor support throughout Florida. The organization’s Program Director, Jenna Hickman, has multi-faceted capabilities related to strategic, financial, and fundraising planning as well as clearly understanding and articulating the nonprofit’s vision and mission. The organization’s board is active, engaged, and growing.
Financial Support/Fundraising Planning: Still Waters was founded with $380,000 in founder funding and the nonprofit’s board and advisors have strong philanthropic connections through which donations are being cultivated. To date, the organization has $300,000 in pledges toward construction. Splash Pads USA has made an in-kind commitment of a splash pad and playground equipment. A golf tournament is planned for April of 2021 with a goal of raising $50,000.
Programmatic Plans: Still Waters will utilize comprehensive programs designed to support the personal, educational, work/career, and therapeutic development of the women and children in the organization’s care. The nonprofit plans to use and/or develop the following programs which support the healing time and personal development proven key to providing post-domestic violence survivors with hope and financial stability:
DivorceCare: Still Waters will implement the DivorceCare Curriculum (https://www.divorcecare.org/), with the assistance of the curriculum’s founder, Linda Jacobs, a well-known speaker and child care expert, who works with single parents, children, and teenagers. This curriculum deals with issues surrounding single parenting, grief, and supportive care for children.
Trauma-Informed Counseling/Mental Health Support Groups: Still Waters will hire and collaborate with licensed therapists and counselors specializing in trauma-informed care. Tim Burnham, Pastor of First Baptist of Defuniak and a strategic partner, has a Ph.D. in Counseling and may be involved in counseling women in the organization’s care as well.
Financial Literacy Training: All women in Still Waters’ programs will participate in comprehensive financial literacy training; the exact curriculum has not been chosen to date.
Continuing Education/Career Development/Work Readiness: While a specific curriculum has not been chosen, Still Waters is meeting with Northwest Florida State University to discuss online classes for women/certificate programs, etc.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Still Waters officially closed on the 40 acres of land in Crestview, FL where the organization plans to begin building a community of ten transitional homes to support women and children who have experienced domestic violence. This beautiful plot of land is filled with hundreds of live oak trees, rolling hills, a variety of wildlife, and even three freshwater springs. In addition to the ten initial homes planned, this development includes a playground, covered sports area, splash pad, and is circled by a generous walking trail to promote fitness and community. The land on which Still Waters will be constructed was paid for by founder funding in the amount of $132,000. The site plan has been completed, land has been partically cleared and construction is planned for Spring of 2021. Pledges in the amount of $300,000 have been secured which will fund the development of the first three transitional homes. Still Waters has $248,000 in founder funding with which to hire/train staff, purchase curriculum, execute marketing and fundraising plans, and develop many other objectives. The organization has hired a Director who, under the direction of the Founder and Executive Director, is managing the daily nonprofit operations, fund raising strategy, special events, strategic planning, financials, and other aspects of the organization.
Still Waters is beginning to establish tremendous partnerships with passionate stakeholders, committed public figures, and influential organizations/churches that are heavily invested in our cause.
Committed collaborators and financial partners include:
• Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence
• Mortgage Professionals Providing Hope
• Former Florida State Representative Mel Ponder
• Linda Jacobs, DivorceCare Curriculum
• Defuniak Baptist Church
• Life Changers Church International in Defuniak, FL; Ben Barton, Pastor.
Still Waters is currently working on the creation of an Advisory Board comprised of experts in the domestic abuse field as well as actual survivors. This board will help guide the organization’s priorities and work.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Still Waters Ministries Inc
Board of directorsas of 11/17/2020
Cindra Reyba
Nikki Lindberg
Jeannie Cagle
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