November 22 update:

When I started volunteering at the shelter in 2004, I very quickly became awed and amazed by Anthia, our Children's Advocate. Every day, she showed the kids in the shelter so much love and caring. They absolutely adored her and she adored them, and it was a joy to watch. Anthia helped the moms in the shelter rebuild their relationships with their kids. She did her job with so much respect for everyone in each family, and so much belief in their potential for a safe, happy life. It was a sad day in 2006 when because of budget cuts, we had to cut this critical position.

Luckily for us, Anthia stayed on as Director of Programs. She makes me laugh every day and I continue to be impressed with her skill, humor, and cut-through-the-bullshit style.

Since 2006 I have written grant applications to every possible funder I can find, asking them to help us reinstate the position. Most said no. The ones who said "yes" were only able to award enough to fund an internship or the purchase of supplies for the program (like our super duper awesome backyard play structure). It's been really discouraging. Reinstating this position has been my #1 goal for almost my entire career at SP. And it's all because I got to see Anthia in action. I know what kind of incredible value this position brings to our organization, and more importantly to the dozens of kids who stay in our shelter every year.

This year, we are hoping to raise enough through the HCR to reinstate this position for the first time in 9 years. This is so personal for me. I've volunteered with kids in the shelter. I've held them in my lap while their moms were in counseling meetings. I've played with them, I've watched "Shrek 2" about a billion times, I've talked with them and I've seen them grow up. The research shows that kids who've lived through trauma, like domestic violence, have much better chances of healing from the abuse when they have access to loving, caring adults. This is essential.