Beaman Shelter Directors Look Forward to New Home
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jordan Fouts-
The women and children who stay at the shelter for domestic violence victims will have more room to live and learn at its new location on North Parker Street, directors said during an open house Tuesday. And centralizing the shelter’s staff and functions will remove a lot of the obstacles to serving those women.
Tracie Hodson, executive director of the shelter, and Sue Creighton, co-chair of the fundraising campaign, led tours and discussed plans for the new location as they pointed out where the indoor space will be enlarged for things like meeting rooms and training areas. They also announced that fundraising stands at $1,213,339, more than two-thirds of the way toward the $1.8 million goal.
The money will enable the shelter to renovate the former law office as well as install a two-story addition with 10 bedrooms, which Creighton said will allow the families now cramped into three bedrooms to spread out. A play area for children will also give some breathing room and give older children space away from younger kids.
“Right now the kids are all on top of each other’s heads,” Creighton remarked. She said they’ll be looking at options for the play room next week.
A computer lab will also give older children something to do, as well as a chance for women to do things like create resumes. She said they also hope to offer more in-house training opportunities, instead of having to drive the women around town.
They will also be able to expand the life-skills classes in their outreach center, such as parenting or how to shop for groceries. The addition of a teaching kitchen will help with cooking skills lessons, Creighton noted.
She added that the outreach center is open to many more women than the ones who call the shelter home for six weeks at a time. Hotel-style cards or badges will restrict the bedroom addition to residents only.
Other safety features will include a front-entrance vestibule with bulletproof glass, Creighton said, and a 24-hour check-in area that will serve as the security hub for the home.
“Visitors will go to the check-in before anybody else knows they’re here,” she said.
There will also be security cameras outside, a fenced-in courtyard and play area in back, and there may be a dedicated parking space for police, with the Warsaw Police Department just a few blocks away. The Beaman Home sits on their patrol route, Creighton said.
Meeting rooms will allow Hodson to conference with her staff, something Creighton said she can’t do now. Hodson noted that of the home’s 20 staff members, 12 will work at the shelter. She also hopes to expand their use of volunteers.
“We’re hoping to look at a lot of volunteers,” Hodson said. “This will allow us to use our volunteers more efficiently because of the extra space.”[[In-content Ad]]
The women and children who stay at the shelter for domestic violence victims will have more room to live and learn at its new location on North Parker Street, directors said during an open house Tuesday. And centralizing the shelter’s staff and functions will remove a lot of the obstacles to serving those women.
Tracie Hodson, executive director of the shelter, and Sue Creighton, co-chair of the fundraising campaign, led tours and discussed plans for the new location as they pointed out where the indoor space will be enlarged for things like meeting rooms and training areas. They also announced that fundraising stands at $1,213,339, more than two-thirds of the way toward the $1.8 million goal.
The money will enable the shelter to renovate the former law office as well as install a two-story addition with 10 bedrooms, which Creighton said will allow the families now cramped into three bedrooms to spread out. A play area for children will also give some breathing room and give older children space away from younger kids.
“Right now the kids are all on top of each other’s heads,” Creighton remarked. She said they’ll be looking at options for the play room next week.
A computer lab will also give older children something to do, as well as a chance for women to do things like create resumes. She said they also hope to offer more in-house training opportunities, instead of having to drive the women around town.
They will also be able to expand the life-skills classes in their outreach center, such as parenting or how to shop for groceries. The addition of a teaching kitchen will help with cooking skills lessons, Creighton noted.
She added that the outreach center is open to many more women than the ones who call the shelter home for six weeks at a time. Hotel-style cards or badges will restrict the bedroom addition to residents only.
Other safety features will include a front-entrance vestibule with bulletproof glass, Creighton said, and a 24-hour check-in area that will serve as the security hub for the home.
“Visitors will go to the check-in before anybody else knows they’re here,” she said.
There will also be security cameras outside, a fenced-in courtyard and play area in back, and there may be a dedicated parking space for police, with the Warsaw Police Department just a few blocks away. The Beaman Home sits on their patrol route, Creighton said.
Meeting rooms will allow Hodson to conference with her staff, something Creighton said she can’t do now. Hodson noted that of the home’s 20 staff members, 12 will work at the shelter. She also hopes to expand their use of volunteers.
“We’re hoping to look at a lot of volunteers,” Hodson said. “This will allow us to use our volunteers more efficiently because of the extra space.”[[In-content Ad]]
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