January 2023 Newsletter

Jan 26, 2023

Letter from the Executive Director

Turning Pointe is the second largest domestic violence shelter in the state of Washington. Because of our size and location, we often get calls and referrals from people all over. Right before the holidays, we brought in two families, one with four children and one with five. Both families happened to be from Pierce County, the next county over. At the same time, we were assisting a woman with two young children driving from Florida to escape her abuser. Despite the distance (over 3,000 miles) and driving through snowy weather in some states, she was determined to reach Turning Pointe. With some extra funding, we were able to help her with hotel stays along the way.

People turn to Turning Pointe for help because we have a reputation of being there, being helpful, and going the extra mile. Our size also gives us the capacity to have more frequent openings.

We’re so grateful that people feel safe calling and seeking help from us, no matter what county or state they’re in. If you know of anyone who needs help, have them call our crisis line at 360.432.1212!

– Gina Finley, Executive Director, Turning Pointe

Upcoming Events

Valentine’s Day Healthy Families Event

Prevention Corner

Excerpt from “Animal Abuse – A Serious Red Flag for Domestic Violence” by Stephanie Thurrot:

Because survivors are emotionally attached to their pets, it can be more challenging to leave a relationship when animal abuse is involved if they aren’t certain they will be able to take their pet with them. While on average, it can take a survivor up to eight tries to leave, Arkow said that when animal abuse is involved, it can take as many as 50 incidents before a survivor even calls the police.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline and the Urban Resource Institute surveyed almost 2,500 people and found that:

97% said keeping their pets with them was an important factor in seeking shelter
50% wouldn’t leave if they couldn’t take their pets
48% were worried their abuser would harm or kill the pets
30% said their children were aware of the animal abuse
76% noticed a change in their pet’s behavior because of the abuse

Turning Pointe is a pet-friendly shelter, and in 2022 we safely sheltered 23 dogs, 10 cats, 6 reptiles, 2 rats, a bunny, and even a duck. It may seem like a small thing, but for many of our clients, it makes a world of difference to be able to have a safe place for themselves as well as for their pets

Client Stories

Last week I was helping a mother with two small children who needed a ride to pick up her vehicle from the mechanic. As we were leaving, a donor came up to the door to drop off some hygiene products and had an extra Christmas gift (a little stuffed whale) that she thought a child at our shelter may like. The little girl’s eyes lit up as soon as she saw it. I wanted to give it to her, but I wanted to find something for her brother as well.

While we were waiting at the mechanic, the little boy was talking about how much he enjoyed Minecraft, and when we got back, I asked our staff if there was anything we could find for him. As chance would have it, our Shelter Admin remembered that there was a Minecraft sword left over from the Christmas gifts. It was just too perfect. She went back to get the whale and the sword, and I went to give the children the toys. As the mom opened the door, I could see the children behind her and as soon as they saw the gifts, they were jumping up and down with joy. It made me so emotional to see.

Thank you to our donors for making these two children VERY happy. We so appreciate how you think of our clients during the holidays and the generosity we receive year-round.

– Susan, Program Director, Turning Pointe

Every year for the holidays, Turning Pointe accepts donations for children and adults and then sets up a “store” where all the shelter residents are able to come and do their holiday shopping. Pictured above is what our “store” for moms to shop for gifts for their children looked like.

It was so heartwarming this year to see all the donations from the community – thank you for your generosity this holiday season!

– Verenise, Prevention Education Specialist, Turning Pointe

Special Thanks

A big thanks to the Kitsap Foundation, who gave us a $5,000 grant to help us do outreach to survivors in North Mason and Kitsap. A reminder that our hours in Belfair are from 8:30am to 3:00pm Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. We have a Spanish-speaking legal advocate and support groups available.

Thank you to Stevens Racing, a family-owned business in the community, who came and provided an opportunity for families in the shelter to come and get pictures with Santa, plus a present! Santa even brought gifts and blankets for the moms, and the shelter clients and children had a great time. The family has an instant photo printer, so clients could get their pictures with Santa immediately for free. This was such a tremendous help for our shelter residents. It is not safe for some of our clients to be in public to get pictures with Santa, and others may not have transportation or funds to pay for the picture. Stevens Racing broke those barriers and made the opportunity accessible and safe for our clients. Thank you!

Staff Spotlight: Chelsey

What is your role at Turning Pointe?
I am a Program Coordinator!

What is your favorite part of working at Turning Pointe?
It is a blessing and a privilege to be able to help those in need in the best way possible and see their beautiful smiles, especially all the little ones!

How do you like to spend your time outside of work?
I live for family days, which is typically a full-day event. I have four amazing children and we have them take turns each weekend to choose an activity, movie, and dinner. Just these past couple of months, we’ve gone to Point Defiance, Woodland Park Zoo, sites around Seattle, hiked Mt. Rainier and a few other trails, took a road trip to Oregon to visit The Grotto/Rose Garden/Seaside Beach, and so much more! Oceans 5 located in Gig Harbor has also been a huge hit on those rainy days!

What is your 2023 goal?
One of the many goals in my book is to be able to partner with not just our community, but organizations worldwide as well. That way, we’ll have the full services and resources for all those in need, so no one ever feels like their needs or concerns were not heard or met

What is something we don’t know about you?
My family and I hiked the Taal Volcano, an active volcano, in the Philippines back in 2017!