Episcopal Community Foundation Grants Generous Funding for the Gateway Domestic Violence Center
In 2021, the Episcopal Community Foundation for Middle and North Georgia granted a 2020 $25,000 request from the Gateway Center Against Domestic Violence to assist them in their continued mission to prevent domestic violence and to provide immediate safe and secured housing for victims of violent domestic abuse.
The Compassion/Outreach Committee at Grace Episcopal Church was instrumental in advocating the candidacy of Gateway to receive this funding. The generous grant from the Episcopal Community Foundation for Middle and North Georgia enabled Gateway to continue with major renovations to their secured residential facilities, including substantial upgrades to their commercial kitchen, a necessity in the light of the number of residents who reside within its safe confines until safer permanent housing solutions can be reached. Those renovations are now complete and relocating to these improved facilities is planned for early fall 2022.
Domestic violence is a problem that exists, sadly, in affluent as well as indigent socio-economic households. Violent abusers may suffer chronic unemployment or be among the professions such as medicine, law, or commerce. Violent abusers may suffer mental illness, substance abuse, or be acting out of their own history of violence learned as children. Stereotyping violent abusers is not helpful to successful programs to intervene in these dangerous situations. Learning to know the common signs of violent abuse, however, is possible.
Because of this, it is important that churches, such as Grace Episcopal, learn to recognize the signs of abuse, and that key church staff members be prepared to offer counseling, invite law enforcement into the situation, and assist in contacting close friends or family who can provide a compassionate presence as the situation is assessed and the appropriate next steps are planned.
Knowing that isolation from friends and family can be two of the conditions that give the abuser a sense of power over his family, Grace has a large corps of trained lay chaplains who are part of the Community of Hope, International. These lay chaplains stand ready at any time to step in and assist with counseling, guidance, and referrals.
In addition to this lay chaplains’ corps, the clergy do not shy away from truth telling in sermons and in classes about what now appears to be a culture that fosters what is termed “toxic masculinity” through violent video games, movies, and music that pervades our culture. We recognize that the men, and sometimes women, in our faith community are not immune from this poison. Preaching and teaching about the character of any person who considers themselves to be disciples of Jesus Christ is woven throughout our Christian Formation program throughout the year.
Grace members also serve on the governing board of the Gateway Center and continue to raise awareness of this critical issue in our common life. In 2021 and again in 2022, the Compassion/Outreach Committee at Grace has earmarked $5000 to go to the general fund of the Gateway Center. Grace Episcopal Church is very pleased to be able to support this organization and grateful indeed for the generosity of the Episcopal Community Foundation in granting them this funding to assist in their efforts to provide safe shelter for victims of domestic abuse along with education and skills that will prevent its continuation.