 Our
special guest speaker was here to tell us about the Crisis Line,
but also was able to pick up our contribution to this worthy
cause. Since this is the weekend of the local Radiothon for Child
Abuse that is in its eleventh year in our area, it is particularly
appropriate that we deal with these issues at this time.
Mike Boen gave a special report on the Radiothon (December 1st
and 2nd) which owes much of its success to the outstanding work of
Midwest Captions and Ann and Bob Sherman. This is the fourth year
you are able to go
online at brainerd.com, click on the headphones, and
preview the over 400 items worth about $50,000 which are the
Auction part of the event.
One of the exciting new ideas this year is the matching
donation promised by Thrivent Financial Services for Lutherans
which is currently pledging a two for one match up to $10,000.
Speaking of money, the effort has gone from raising $12,000 in
1994 to $90,000 in 2004 with a total of well over $500,000 in the
Brainerd area.
 Tracy
Thoke Thompson, the executive director, has been with the Crisis
Line for only a short time but she brings an impressive background
and an enthusiasm into her job. She is pictured with the chairman
of our Sponsorship Committee, Jackie McCall. Crisis Line serves 6
counties and is online 24 hours a day.
Their major duties are divided into listening and referral.
Their volunteers work 10 hour shifts a week and are trained to
handle phone calls including a detailed manual that helps with
responses and lists all agencies available for help.
Two new partnerships have provided them with a new mobile
crisis team and the ability to provide emergency protective child
care upon request through the Bridges of Hope. Tracy is focused on
helping needy people and is especially tuned in to problems of
women and minorities in poverty situations. The Crisis Line can
use our support since it has fielded 1,631 calls so far this year.
We would like to thank our Sertoma members who have been
involved in this worthy cause including Mary Marana, Andrea and
Dan Holmes, Carole Paulson, and Brian Kirkpatrick. |
