Safe Shelter topic at Kiwanis meeting

Jan Barnes introduced Mary Thysell, sexual assault services coordinator from Safe Shelter, to speak to Kiwanis members.

She told of the variety of things they work with. They help with protection orders, they accompany people to court, have safe homes and a broad scope of services.

Privacy and confidentiality are necessary for people to trust them.

In 2011, there were 150 domestic violence cases they worked with, 13 sexual assaults and nine secondary assaults. In 2005, Safe Shelter received funding for preventative services instead of for helping after the fact.

Thysell said she is now working on primary preventive work. Anti-bullying started with grade school children and shows them how to deal with it and how to be respectful of behaviors. Then they moved on to middle school. They spoke with 20 students at the teen center. Thysell also works with sex offenders.

Sandy Franke led the meeting with 19 members attending and Key Club members Kayla Weng and Maggie Erickson. Don and Sharon Caine led the group singing. Janna Bergstedt collected “Happy Dollars” for the Salvation Army.

Bergstedt will introduce the program at the Nov. 19 noon luncheon meeting at the Lantern Room.

Tags: life, clubs