Dove, Inc.

April is now here and everyone is beginning to think spring! Spring is a time of rebirth, with tulips beginning to peek their way up through the cool ground. Birds begin to chirp and are busily building their nests for their new generation that are on the way. It is also time for the rebirth of our souls. Easter is April 20 th and it is then that we celebrate His resurrection and the birth of eternal life. I feel every one of us here at Dove is called here for a special purpose and reason. Let us all at Dove during this month of rebirth break the cycle of violence and help bring forth the birth of survivors. As the grass changes from that dried out brown, to a beautiful green, let us help victims burn off the dead weeds of the past and bloom where they are planted.   For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. -Song of Solomon 2:11-12 M...

Earth Day was founded by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in and was first held on April 22, 1970, according to Wikipedia. Locally the recycling center hosted by Dove has been celebrating Earth Day since at least 2001. It’s a day to bring in your aluminum beverage cans to recycle and get a little bonus for the cans. In turn, you are supporting the many programs of Dove and helping the environment. This year, you can join us in celebrating Earth Day by bringing your cans to the Community Recycling Center, 130 W. Cerro Gordo, in downtown Decatur. Friday, April 25 th hours are 8:00 a.m. to noon and on Saturday the 26 th , it will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Thanks to all the volunteers who make these special days happen! You can get 50cents per pound for your cans on those two special days. The regular hours are Thursdays afternoons from noon to 5:00 p.m and Friday and Saturday mornings from 8:00 a.m. to noon. Make it a habit ...

Each April, many different social service agencies come together to spread awareness about child abuse in our communities.   Talking about child abuse and the prevention of abuse and neglect isn’t easy and thus far, the focus has been on putting a number out to let everyone know how many children have suffered in our community.   Although these numbers are climbing locally every year, funding for programs to help these children keeps decreasing.   In this tough economic climate as we see the breakdown of families and individuals, we have to start spreading the word about how dangerous it is if we do not invest in the safety and well being of our children...   If we want our community, our country, and our world to be better places in which to live we have to find ways to engage the decision makers and give them the numbers in dollar amounts.   The breakdown of the family, the intentional harming of children, results in unhealthy adults, unhealthy communit...

1)  Get registered for the Domestic Violence Education and Volunteer Training.  Registration begins on April 7 and the training will be held the end of May and first of June.  2)  Get trained for the BABES, Beginning Awareness Basic Education Studies presentations for K-3rd graders.  You can help finish this school year and be ready for Fall 2014! 3)  We are celebrating Earth Day at the Recycling Center on April 25 and 26, 8:00 a.m. to noon.  You can cash in your aluminum cans and help out Dove!  4)  Get a small group together and help us with some yard work / landscaping.  We have beautiful garden areas that will need some attention soon! 5)  Donate any children clothing that your family no longer needs to the Dove's Children's Clothing Room.  6)  This weekend you can dine at Bob Evan's Restaurant and a portion of the ticket will be donated to the MAX, Macon County Assistance eXchange program. 7)  Like us on F...

Today's Affordable Housing Breakfast was hosted by Good Samaritan Inn, a 365 days a year soup-kitchen serving lunch to about 350+ individuals each day.  Those gathered for this event were asked to take part at breakfast, much in the same way clients would in a few short hours for lunch.  We gathered in a large circle, linking arms for the blessing.  We also got in line with our numbered ticket and received a wonderful breakfast prepared by the cooking crew at GSI and served with the help of a few Homeward Bound staff members.  Great, hot food, served in a respectful way.  Director Stacey Brohard spoke about the mission of GSI and a new training initiative in cooperation with Richland Community College.  The program is called Mercy Kitchen where trainees learn from the culinary arts instructors at RCC.  The first group of about 15 will begin in May. Darsonya Switzer, Homeward Bound Program Director shared with participants ways to be ...

Have you noticed all of the domestic violence arrests lately in the newspaper? Do you see that many of them have a long record of multiple domestic violence arrests? Now is the perfect time to learn more about domestic violence isses, what causes it and how to help eliminate it in our community. If you were to be called to be a juror and the case was a domestic violence case, do you understand all the dynamics involved in these cases? Get involved!! Mark your calendars for our next training. We have a great need for volunteers in our program!! Some of the areas you could be of assistance after completing the required training are answering the hotline, covering the shelter, co-facilitating a support group, filing, assisting with orders of protection, assisting with groups, and more. Please make every effort in helping us recruit participants for this training. Think about all the groups of people you personally are associated with at work, school, your...

Silvia Comfort shares this information from the TRIAD National Office.  Contact Silvia for information about the DeWitt County TRIAD group, 217.935.2241 .     Top 10 Scams Targeting Seniors Financial scams targeting seniors have become so prevalent that they’re now considered “the crime of the 21st century.” Why? Because seniors are thought to have a significant amount of money sitting in their accounts. Financial scams also often go unreported or can be difficult to prosecute, so they’re considered a “low-risk” crime. However, they're devastating to many older adults and can leave them in a very vulnerable position with little time to recoup their losses. It’s not just wealthy seniors who are targeted. Low-income older adults are also at risk of financial abuse. And it's not always strangers who perpetrate these crimes. Over 90% of all reported elder abuse is committed by an older pers...