Dove, Inc.

In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson declared a War on Poverty in his State of the Union address. Fifty years later, how have American families advanced? We are not too much altered 50 years later in 2014. When you visit your local stores I’m sure you have noticed everything is rising except our pay. Most of us have had to learn to get by on less, and tight budgets are a necessity to make ends meet. Well, what happens to the families that are already  getting by on less? These days, families have to persevere. Not to build moral character but in order to survive. Research shows that, on average, families need an income of about twice the federal poverty level to meet their most basic needs  I n some households they are not meeting those basic needs. Christmas especially is a time when my heart goes out to those families, and the homeless. It’s a hard lesson to learn to count the blessings you have, and not dwell on the blessings you don’t. Many families are discouraged whe...

Christmas has always been my favorite time of year. I’m actually pretty sure it’s in my genetic makeup to love the season. My grandma has always decorated her house and yard from high to low, bright lights and plastic Santa’s and multiple Christmas trees shine from Thanksgiving night til New Year’s in her neighborhood. Some of my earliest memories involve listening to my mom’s Elvis Presley Christmas decorations as I sat amidst our own house’s decorations in progress. Ten years ago it took on a very different meaning for me. I started working at Dove in August of 2004, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that in addition to all of its other programs, Dove, along with Northeast Community Fund, did an annual Christmas basket drive for those who need it. I still remember showing up in the basement of First United Methodist Church, where the baskets are organized and put together, that first year. Some tables were piled high with hats, gloves and scarves. Others were piled with ...

Hello, My name is Cynthia Farrington and I have been employed at Dove since 2005, in which I was hired on 2nd shift as Shelter Specialist, in this position it has lots on duties to the shelter itself. One that I like was being advocate to single women and women with children who came into shelter.  I really enjoy working with the clients because it challenged me to empower them to take their life back, and to learn more about the cycle of abuse. It also helps me to encourage clients to face their fears with staff's help  and to set goals that they thought was lost. It also challenged me in where I couldn't be judgmental to the abuser but to be more empowering to the victims of Domestic Violence. So with this said I do miss 2nd shirt and all the challenges it brings, however, I am no longer on this shift.   I work the Overnight shift which is 12:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. Monday-Friday.  It is a quieter shift and less active with client interactions at times and I ...

This past week and this upcoming weekend, we have been hosting extra events as our local part of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.  We have called our local campaign #END, looking to END hunger and Homelessness in our neighborhoods and cities.  The Macon County Continuum of Care, Advisory Committee spearheaded the planning of this year's events. November 14 was Box City on the Campus of Millikin University.  Millkin Students and members of area congregation's youth groups joined together to learn and in a small way, experience a night of homelessness. November 19, individuals were taken on a different type of trolley tour of the city, heading past many of the agencies which work with hunger and homelessness issues on a daily basis.  Members of our community who had been homeless and now are successfully on the other side shared their stories. This weekend, a young man as put together a food drive on the west side of town to serve as his Eagle Sco...

Coats for Kids is collecting coats, gently used and new,  to get into the hands of families in need – warm winter coats for their children.   This is the 23rd  annual drive, cosponsored by Dove, Inc., and WAND-TV.  We want to make it as easy as possible for people to make a donation of a coat.   Coats of all sizes may be dropped off at the following locations, through November 30: Changing Images Salon and Spa and D&D Custom Woodworking, 1960 S. Taylorville Road, Decatur Classic Cleaners,  2474 N. Main, Decatur Corner Cleaning Connection,  1154 E. Prairie Ave., Decatur CVS,  Monroe & Pershing, Eldorado and Fairview, 16th & Cantrell in Decatur Decatur Earthmover Credit Union  2600 Dividend Dr., 4855 Aldi Dr., 260 W. Marion Ave in Forsyth Decatur Public Library, 130 N. Franklin Street, Decatur Decatur Township, 1620 Taylorville Road, Decatur GT Church, 500 S. 27th Street, Decatur Jane’s Cleaners, 664 W. Eldorado, ...

Hi, my name is Patty Plato and my position at Dove, Inc. is the Domestic Violence Shelter Coordinator. I have been an employee since October 1985. I started out as a Vista volunteer and got a permanent position after nine months into my five year assignment.  Working at Dove has opened my mind and heart. I went from being the Resource Specialist who coordinated volunteers and staff for shelter coverage and on-call, to the Shelter Coordinator in 1987 when the domestic violence program moved from a four unit apartment house to the ten bedrooms at the old St. James convent where I became in charge of non-direct services and oversaw the daily running of the building, as well as filling in where needed to assist co-workers. In 1985 rarely would we get a call from a male victim admitting to being abused.  Nowadays it is part of the norm.  The female victims long ago came to Dove with abuse being their primary issue. Housing and financial assistance was available.  ...

In September I attended my second Regional Neighborhood Network Conference. For those who are unfamiliar with it, the RNNC is a three day conference where community organizers, neighborhood group members, and many others attend workshops together and exchange ideas to bring back to our respective cities, neighborhoods, and communities. This year, many individuals from Decatur attended the event, including myself and the director of Dove’s Community Services program, Francie Johnson. Seventeen neighborhood volunteers from seven local neighborhood groups joined us on our voyage to Richmond, Indiana. For those who’ve never been there, Richmond, Indiana, is a city of about 38,000 people. There are many successful individually owned businesses and individuals that rolled out the metaphorical red carpet for the 300 some attendees, offering discounted meals and welcoming us with signs and friendly smiles. This year’s conference offered a wide variety of workshops for people to attend -...