Dove, Inc.

Did you know that May is Older Americans Month? Each May, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) leads our nation’s celebration of Older Americans Month (OAM). Their theme this year is “Age Out Loud”. What it means to age has changed, and celebrating Older Americans Month is a great time to look and see what our retired and senior volunteers are accomplishing as they age out loud. Every day our RSVP volunteers “Age Out Loud” and respond to the needs of our communities. Many of our volunteers serve in places that ensure “Healthy Futures” for so many people in our communities. This includes giving to those aging in place by helping with transportation, meal delivery, companionship, coaching exercise programs, and distributing information, or staffing hotlines, food pantries, and soup kitchens. Within the last fiscal year, our volunteers served over 27,000 hours in this category alone. According to the Independent Sector, a volunteer’s time in Illinois is worth $25.34 ...

From the January 1987 DoveTales newsletter - below is a copy of  the Domestic Violence Program "wish-list"   Child's record player Wooden building block Large wooden dollhouse Child Guidance toys table and chairs Hand Puppets Felt, assorted colors Stuffed animals Scrap lace, ribbon and ruffles Tape Recorder Puzzles Popcorn popper   Sound fun doesn't it?    The current list going in the May 2017 newsletter is below.  Little more practical.  So if you can help us out with a few plungers or dishwasher pods or even a tablet, maybe thrown in a hand puppet or two!  It will all be greatly appreciated.   Domestic Violence Shelter Needs   BOX FANS TOILET PLUNGERS NIGHTLIGHTS RADIO/ALARM CLOCKS, ELECTRIC WHITE NOISE MACHINES (2-3 for 2 nd /3 rd shift working clients trying to sleep, as well as large families, to mask noise) TABLET (for Group use) 9V BATTERIES GAS GIFT CARDS NEW STROLLERS WALMART ...

During the dark, cold days of January----possibly inspired by the “clean slate” of a brand new year-----I undertook a major clean-up of my office.   Evidently, when I started this job many years ago, I thought every piece of paper I received was sacred.   I was rapidly running out of storage space, so I began the process of cleaning, sorting, shredding and tossing.   As the job progressed, a few things became apparent.   First, I was probably about one ream of paper away from a visit from the nice folks at the Hoarders TV show.   I had a lot of moments asking………Why did I save that?.....How long has that law been obsolete?……Whatever were you thinking when you saved that???   As I sorted, cleaned, tossed and carted off to the dumpster, I had an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and a new sense of organization.   Coming to the office, opening a desk drawer or file drawer became a much more pleasant experience. As I reflected on how cathartic thi...

When people become involved in their communities they take ownership of the problems facing all residents.   Community engagement is about people working and learning together, gaining strength from each other and sharing visions and actions that lead to a common goal.   Volunteering is a great way to begin your community journey, but did you know there are already many dedicated volunteers serving in our community? There are opportunities for volunteers of all ages to get involved and make great things happen. We have national, state, and community-based organizations that help mobilize all of those cherished volunteers, but did you know the need for volunteers never decreases? There is always an opportunity to get involved with something you care deeply about. Do you want to help build homes, help keep our environment clean, teach someone to read, delivery a nutritious meal to a shut in, rock and read to babies, or respond when disaster strikes? All of these volunteer op...

The Dove Children’s Clothing Room is a place where families may select free, good quality clothing for infants and children. The Clothing Room is located at Prairie Avenue Christian Church, 2201 E. Prairie Avenue in Decatur. It is open Monday through Thursday 1:00 to 3:30 p.m.. Families can "shop" for their children once every 30 days and are allowed 3 outfits per child, as well as 2 new pairs of new underwear and socks if available. The Clothing Room serves children and young adults from infants to age 18. We do not require referrals, but we do ask for each child’s age and gender for our records. We count on the help from the community and always welcome donations of gently used items, including clothes for infants, school aged children, and teenagers, and baby items. We are always in need of new socks and underwear and will gladly accept monetary donations to purchase these items. There is a locked, blue drop box in the church parking lot where donations can...

After spending several months on the back half of 2016 talking about abusive behaviors, we decided to take a different spin going into 2017.   You see we spent a long time slowly working through and examining different forms and subtypes of abuse including the many forms of emotional abuse.   This gave a very realistic look at some of the more “incognito” forms of violence that abusers get away with such as blaming, confusing behavior, corruption, destructive criticism, intimidation, isolation, manipulation, and even obsessive behavior.   What we realized in closing out the year was that we had developed a very strong sense of what kind of traits and behaviors that we don’t want in our lives.   On the flip side, we hadn’t really answered the question of what we do want in our lives. It was a striking realization that while some victims of abuse started with a very pleasant life full of positive relationships, others have not been so fortunate.   For those...

Dove’s Domestic Violence Program provides teen dating and domestic violence education to help teens understand healthy relationship characteristics and boundaries, recognize abusive behaviors and patterns, and know where and how to reach out for help for themselves or a friend. The Youth and Family Services Coordinator provides teen dating violence education to teens in high schools, middle schools, colleges, and youth organizations throughout DeWitt, Macon, Moultrie, Piatt, and Shelby counties. Teen dating violence is often the first manifestation of domestic violence – many adults report that their first experience with domestic violence occurred in a teen relationship. The highest rates of domestic violence occur between the ages of 15-25. 1 in 3 teen girls report physical and/or sexual abuse by a dating partner and 7 out of 10 teens (both male and female) report verbal/emotional abuse, threats, and/or stalking by a dating partner. Teen dating violence can be...