We finish up 2023 with grateful hearts and hope for another year full of providing the best possible services at Serenity Inc. 2023 was an eventful year for everyone involved with Serenity as we were so very blessed by our community, we had the opportunity to grow our staff, and services were in constant demand.
Serenity Inc. was fortunate to be able to hold our biggest annual fundraiser, The Taste of the Twin Lakes in September. Our community rallied for us. Several local restaurants showed up and showed off, businesses donated amazing auction items,The Nick Reed Band provided entertainment, and the attendance was great. This event was extremely successful and over $30,000 was raised for Serenity. Serenity was also gifted a kayak from OMTC in Cotter and able to auction it in another very successful fundraising event. Our local Arby’s spent an entire day making our cause theirs all the way down to sporting domestic violence awareness t-shirts. They raised funds and much needed awareness for our cause.So many others have been generous with not only monetary donations, but things like food, hygiene supplies, clothes, and so much more that is necessary for Serenity to function.
Aside from community support, Serenity Inc. gained grant funding to add a couple of new staff members and finance special projects. With VOCA funding Serenity Inc .was able to add a youth advocate. This advocate has been a tremendous support to children who are going through so much at such delicate times in their lives. Funding from The Arkansas Coalition Against Domestic Violence provided Serenity with an outreach case manager. This case manager provides services to no less than 30 households per month who have either exited the shelter or never came to our emergency shelter. Serenity was also awarded a one-time grant through emergency ARPA funds that allowed us to provide services we haven’t been able to in the past. These included vehicle repairs, assistance with gasoline, assistance with attorney fees, assistance with daycare fees, and so much more. These services were consistently needed and made staff see the great need. The Twin Lakes Community Foundation provided a grant that funded raised bed gardens which provided those we serve with fresh fruits and vegetables along with funds to purchase a new computer so that those in shelter have the best possible access to applying for employment, applying for benefits,applying for housing, and other resources they need.
As for providing services, Serenity Inc. had a very busy 2023. Emergency shelter was provided to 106 individuals fleeing domestic violence with a total of 4,129 bed nights provided. In addition to shelter services Serenity’s staff provided outreach services to a minimum of 30 households per month. Our staff provided148 hours of crisis case management and 1,378 hours of non-crisis case management. There was a total of 106 groups provided to help those we serve transform from victim to survivor through goal setting and education on the dynamics of domestic violence. Outside of the groups provided by staff there were groups held by members of the community to help with skills necessary to living independent abuse free lives. These included “Cooking Matters” classes led by The Twin Lakes Literacy Council and group counseling sessions led by a student.
Serenity heads into 2024 with high hopes of continuing to provide the best possible services to those fleeing domestic violence. For that to become a reality the continued support of our community is more necessary than ever. Our greatest source of funding is a federal grant which has dramatically decreased consistently since it’ s high in 2018. Governor Sanders allocated an emergency $17million to make up for another potential 60%-70% funding decrease in these funds. If that were not the case Serenity and many like us would be cutting services down to the absolute minimum if we were able to survive. Currently it is unknown what funding will be available for the continuation of this grant inOctober 2024. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Serenity Circle by being a monthly donor to ensure Serenity can be available to victims of domestic violence, please visit Serenityinc.org, click on “donate now”, and check the box for monthly donation. For other ways to become a monthly donor call Nicole at 870-424-7576 ex.5.