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By Diane Nelson

Much of the work extended to Steps to Hope clients relies on partnerships we have with neighboring Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault agencies in other counties. We also rely on word of mouth and visibility in the community and being able to speak directly to people who need our help. To that end, we have begun an awareness campaign through social media with the hopes that our messaging will resonate with the folks who follow us, celebrate the incredible blessings we are humbled to receive (and pass along), give hope of a “different life” to those who are in difficult relationships, and provide encouragement to make that “life-changing” phone call for help.  

If you are a Facebook follower, you can see how many amazing blessings come to Steps to Hope through our neighboring churches, community members, organizations, friends, families, businesses, friends of friends, and everything in between. We receive incredible donations of holiday meals, groceries, paper goods, pillows, special holiday treats for our clients year-round, quilts, diapers and baby items for our expectant moms in the community, toothbrushes, hygiene items, NEW clothing, gift cards, toys for kids at Christmas. We also receive cars, boats, furniture, household goods, rugs, books, artwork, jewelry, collectibles, and electronics. When clients move on, we help furnish their “new” home.   

And this does not include the amazing volunteers…whether they serve on the Board, as consultants, in the admin office, or in the Thrift Store or Thrift Barn. It’s hard to capture everything because the list is extensive. The contributions are humbling, and everything benefits the people we serve.

If you are an Instagram follower, you receive our words of support, inspiration, information, and calls to action. The messages are chosen to inspire hope, instill knowledge (even when it’s hard to look at), and give the courage to act. Coming in April (Sexual Assault Awareness Month), you will start seeing messaging in our stores. We hope to shed light on the work we do, inspire people to call us for help, and give courage to “see something / say something.”  It’s another way to get the word out that we are here.  

If you’ve seen our new website, it is much more robust. There are articles for different audiences on a variety of subjects. So, if you are a parent with a teen who is dating, there are articles you should read. If you are a person in the community who suspects an unhealthy relationship, there are some suggestions for starting a conversation with your friend. If you are a healthcare professional, there are some items correlating domestic violence and other health conditions.  If you are in an unhealthy relationship, well, there’s a lot of information you can read in privacy.

In this digital age, so much is done through our phones, our computers and even our watches.  But at the end of the day, it’s about HUMAN INTERACTION and CONNECTION. I’ve yet to see a computer help me through a situation that seems impossible, provide a meal when I’ve had surgery, or comfort me when I feel hopeless. Nope. Those are jobs for a human being…Someone who understands where you’ve been, who is not SHOCKED at your story, does not judge your choices. Someone who values your life experience, sees warning signs when you don’t, helps you find solutions, applauds when you succeed, helps you with rent or utilities or a car repair, encourages you to the next step, takes your hand and walks with you; brings groceries for a homemade meal (or makes one and brings it readymade!), pours a cup of tea and sits down for an unhurried conversation.   

And that’s why we’re here. For more information on Steps to Hope, call (828) 894-2340 or visit www.stepstohope.org