By Sharon Bayus | President & CEO
Hi Friends!
This has been an exciting year for Innovative Alternatives, Inc.'s Victim Assistance Program, because we have expanded our funding from $240,000 to $620,000! This expansion is allowing us to establish between 7 and 10 new offsite locations by co-locating our services in other nonprofits who serve populations of clients, such as foster children, who are victims in need of our Victim Assistance Program, free counseling services! It is also a little intimidating, however, to know that our required match for this prrgram has also increased from $60,000 to $155,000, which is where you can help! Never think that the little you have to give will not make a difference. It certainly will and I want to show you how.
I want to tell you about just one of our cases so you can see the difference that your support can really make in one or many lives, depending upon your ability to assist in our cause to relieve the suffering of child victims of violent crime. The courage of these kids is quite inspiring!
Her Song Tells a New Story!
Sasha is a spirited 8 year old girl who has lived with her mother for her entire life. Sasha has known her father as a supportive, caring man though she calls mom’s house “home.” In the summer of 2014, Mom married a new man and Sasha’s life changed forever. Trauma and abuse became part of the new ‘normal’ for Sasha and her mom at the hands of this man; and the two of them felt powerless to escape. In the fall of 2015, Sasha told her grandmother what was going on and thankfully, the family came to her rescue. Sasha now lives with her father and the two of them are trying to make life better.
Sasha’s father didn’t quite know where to turn until the school counselor recommended Innovative Alternatives. He was concerned about affording counseling services due to his financial struggles, but knew he had to do whatever he could to help his daughter. Sasha and her dad came to IA’s Victim Assistance Program in December of 2015 for their first appointment and he was surprised and relieved to find that there are services especially for children like Sasha and that these services are free of charge due to a grant for Victims of Crimes, from the Governor’s Office, State of Texas Criminal Justice Department. He felt a new comfort to find that this agency had 26 years of experience in working with abused kids and adults!
Sasha has connected with her therapist and starts every session with a big hug. Sasha sings songs while in play therapy about how her life is happier now and how she feels safe and cared for because of her father and her special new friends at Innovative Alternatives. One day, she sang very, very loud, and when she went out to the waiting room, she asked her Dad, “Could you hear me singing my happy song today, Daddy?” With tears in his eyes, he looked around the waiting room at many pleasant smiles and said, “Yes Baby, we could ALL hear you singing so beautifully! I am so glad you are so happy, sweetheart!”
Sasha’s father is receiving the guidance every parent needs to understand the behaviors that children display while working through trauma. He is gaining support for himself at IA as well in order to support his child through a stressful and arduous journey through the criminal justice system as it tries to prosecute her abuser. Sasha’s Dad stated to her counselor, “I don’t know what I would have done without Innovative Alternatives.” He expresses his gratitude at every session and is hopeful that his little girl will grow up with less fear and the ability to love and be loved in healthy ways because of the help she’s found here. He is especially glad that his little girl has found out from her caring and respectful male counselor, that not all men are ‘bad guys’ but there are many ‘good guys’ in the world as well.
You can become one of the 'Good Guys' on IA's team and in Sasha's life and that of many hundreds of childen, by helping IA to meet the match required by the Governors Office in order to keep these services flowing to hurting children in need. IA is also planning to begin to offer services in electronic formats to parents of abused kids who are also eligible for our services. Thank you for anything you can do to help!
Warmest Regards,
Sharon
Sharon Bayus, MA, LPC-S, TMCA Distinguished MediatorPresident & CEOInnovative Alternatives, Inc.1335 Regents Park Dr., STE 240Houston, TX 77058P713-222-2525 C713-553-3671F281-480-4815 Esbayus@innovativealternatives.org W www.innovativealternatives.orgWe find solutions to life’s most difficult people problems through mediation, counseling and training-since 1989! A United Way Agency
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By Sharon Bayus, MA, LPC-S | President, CEO & Founder of IA
By Debbie Corn | Assistant Project Leader
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