Barbara Langdon, Director, Eastside Domestic Violence Program
(425) 562-8840, ext. 228, barbaral@edvp.org
Physical abuse is most prevalent, as well as emotional and financial abuse, and there is considerable abuse in the Latina community by threats of deportation. Abused women become isolated (from family in particular) and come to believe they have no choices and are responsible for the abuse. Langdon emphasized that power and control by abusers is a learned behavior and can be unlearned. Abused women will often stay with abusers because of lack of financial resources and need to care for children (the abuser may often threaten to assume custody). The congregation may be the first place a woman feels safe to talk about the abuse. Since a woman is more likely to be killed after she leaves her abuser, safety planning for a woman and her children is emphasized.

Services: EDVP's options and opportunities show respect for a woman's decision, Of three domestic violence agencies on the Eastside, EDVP primarily serves northeast King County Langdon noted that there are more animal shelters than domestic violence shelters in the United States. Services of EDVP include community advocacy, support groups for women out of a relationship or lacking the choice of leaving, and a 24-hour crisis line providing life support for many women. Since domestic violence can be generational -- boys learn to hit and girls to be submissive -- children's groups emphasize work on roles and feelings. There are also teen support groups. Housing is another emphasis, since domestic violence is the leading cause of homelessness for women. About one-fourth of women can expect to be in a domestic violence situation during their life. There is a hotel/motel program and emergency shelter for up to 90 days in 10 apartment units. Langdon noted that 15 women are turned away for every one who is taken into a shelter. Transitional housing includes five bedrooms in each of 12 houses, and permanent housing includes 10 units, in which a single woman can stay for up to five years, at a cost of $175.00 per month. Help is provided for obtaining jobs and permanent housing.

Arthur Sullivan, Program Manager, A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH)
(425) 861-3677 or asullivan@bellevuewa.gov

The Eastside Homeless Advisory Council (EHAC) began four years ago, after a county-wide look at homelessness two or three years earlier. East King County has a one-night count of more than 150 homeless persons. Based on study of reasons for becoming homeless, needs are: prevention (of excessive medical bills and job loss), and supportive housing, including shelters. A county-wide survey showed more single adults, for whom there are currently 30 shelter spaces and six to 10 permanent spaces, with a need for 800 more, including interim housing. There are 120 apartments for families, with 900 more needed in the next seven to eight years. There are 30 domestic violence units, with a need for 75 more. Youth/young adults currently have 21 units, through Friends of Youth, with a need for 100 units.

EHAC meets monthly, serving as a voice to develop county-wide programs, engaging communities in a search for solutions.

There are currently 400 boys and 150 girls in King County are waiting for mentors. Big Brothers & Big Sisters is looking to connect with congregations who can help provide these kids with mentors. This is not only a great opportunity to touch the life of a young person, but also an opportunity that will profoundly touch you as well. Volunteers are asked to work with a child twice a month for six months or one year. For more information please contact Sam Flyn, Regional Recruitment Supervisor at (206) 407-4304

Elizabeth Maupin, Outreach Minister (425) 392-6447. An ESL class will be offered at Community Church of Issaquah, 205 Mountain Park Boulevard SW, from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, from July 14 through August 28. Child care is available for young children.

Hopelink, the largest social services agency serving East and North King County, is collecting school supplies to distribute to low-income schoolchildren, as part of its annual Kids Need School Supplies drive. from July 14 to August 18. From July 14 to August 18, Hopelink will be collecting monetary donations as well as backpacks, dictionaries, calculators, notebooks, binder paper in college- and wide-ruled sizes, rulers, pencil boxes or pouches, pens, pencils, markers, binders and tab dividers for three-ring binders, among other supplies, for local low-income kids. The school supplies will be distributed in late August through Hopelink’s six food bank locations (Shoreline, Northshore, Kirkland, Bellevue, Redmond and Sno-Valley). For more information, contact Teresa Andrade at (425) 485-6521 or teresawa@hope-link.org, or visit www.hope-link.org.

We want to remind EISCC members that we welcome referrals from your clients. We provide free legal advice to low income residents of east King County in family law, general law, and immigration law clinics. We also provide legal assistance to domestic violence survivors who live anywhere in King County. Please ask your clients to call (425) 747-7274 for appointments.

In addition to our volunteer attorneys, we rely on intake volunteers to help run the legal clinics, help clients with the paperwork, and assist the attorneys. EISCC member congregations are urged to help recruit intake volunteers for our legal clinics. The clinics vary in the days and times they meet; some meet weekly, twice a month, or once a month. Some meet in the afternoon and some meet in the evening. The need for intake volunteers is urgent. We cannot fill all of our appointments unless we have adequate intake volunteer coverage.

Please call Charlotte Cline (Administrative Assistant) or Jennie Bigley (Program Director) at (425) 747-7274 to inquire about volunteer opportunities. We can provide staff training, flyers, brochures, applications, and other information.

The Emergency Feeding Program is gearing up for its biggest yearly food drive. To be held Saturday, September 27, 2008 and supported by the mayors and city councils of 24 King County cities, Mayors’ Day calls attention to those in our community whose nutritional needs are not being met. The Emergency Feeding Program of Seattle & King County, the program that has coordinated this yearly effort since 1992, is seeking volunteer teams to staff to their neighborhood store with volunteers who hand out flyers at the door asking that certain nutritional foods be donated. Shoppers then purchase these items, depositing them in barrels on their way out of the store. EFP will provide the flyers, barrel delivery, and pickup. You provide the hearts and hands that will ensure success. On past Mayors’ Days, EFP has been able to recruit volunteer teams to staff as many as 80 different local markets. With so many more families in our community struggling this year, the goal is to staff at least 100 markets—a goal that cannot be reached without your help. For more information on how your congregation can be part of this vital effort, please call the Emergency Feeding Program at (206) 329-0300 or visit them on the web at www.emergencyfeeding.org.