In response to the citizens of Warsaw suggesting a drop-off box bin for donations to the Beaman Home, thank you for your concern and suggestion. The Beaman Home is a non-profit agency providing a domestic violence shelter, as well as other services, for victims of domestic violence. We are considering your suggestion, in fact our board of directors is investigating the matter, but there are several factors we have to consider before we would be able to implement donation drop-boxes.
Unlike other agencies who utilize donation drop-boxes we deal with victims of crime and more specifically violent crime. We must protect both our clients and staff against abusers and stalkers. We are concerned that a donation drop-box could put our staff at risk when they would have the task of emptying the donation drop-boxes. We are also concerned that our staff could be followed by an abuser or stalker from the donation drop-box to the shelter. Our shelter offers safety and security to the victims of domestic violence and for that reason we must protect the location of the shelter. Additionally, most of our federal and state grants require verification of the donor in able to get an in-kind match for the donation. We would not be able to ensure we would get the name of the donor through the use of a donation drop-box. An additional concern is local law enforcement officers we have spoken to indicate that they have been called to several donation drop-boxes that have been broken into and the contents stolen.
We appreciate the concern voiced in The Paper and Times-Union. I hope this response will help the community better understand our situation at the shelter. We are always in need of donations and request that if you have a donation to call us at 574-267-7701 and we will schedule a time for us to pick up the donation. A list of some things that can always be used at the shelter are: shampoo, soap, clothing, canned goods that have not expired, toys, towels and paper products such as paper towels and toilet paper. We appreciate the support of the community, as these donations are instrumental in our mission of assisting victims of domestic violence. As our staff is limited and they spend most of their time working with the victims of domestic violence and their children, we are looking into getting more volunteers to assist with picking up donations. We appreciate all the local assistance and support from the community. Please note that October is Domestic Violence month; if you are a victim of domestic violence or know a victim of domestic violence please feel free to contact the Beaman Home for more information of the assistance we can provide.
