Welcome, everybody, to Midday Magazine for this Tuesday, July 23rd, 2024.
Have your host, James J. Mailoff here, and we're welcoming into the studio right now.
Our great friend, Amy Shide, administrative development volunteer coordinator with our
Wisconsin Rapids Family Center.
Amy, thanks for being here.
Thanks for having me, James.
Always appreciate the time, and as I like to mention, proudly, but also for journalistic
purposes.
I am a board member on the Family Center, and I am a little bit, well, I'm pretty biased
on this topic.
In part because it is a very black and white topic to me.
You are on the right side of history or not when it comes to this.
And I bring this up in part, Amy, because we're going to talk about touch-a-truck and some
of the great ways that you can help out the Family Center or take part in this great event
coming up.
But over the last month or so, we've gotten some news about some federal funding being
cut, and I wanted to start off right there if you don't mind.
Absolutely, James.
Unfortunately, that is exactly right.
We are staring down the barrel of a significant cut to the victims of crime act funding,
VOCA funding that is one of the largest sources of funding for domestic violence, shelters,
and our state.
This is a, and when we're talking cuts, I want, if you don't mind, I want to get a little
detailed on this because I want this to hit home to people, and I want them to understand
the dollar amounts, how much this is being taken out.
We're talking about a 70% cut, Amy.
Absolutely.
Correct.
70% is significant.
It will make a difference of in excess, even if we are to obtain the maximum capped
amount this year of $280 plus $1,000 for our shelter alone, James.
So across the state, we're going to see significant impact from these cuts.
And it comes to those, when it comes to what the family center does, hopefully there's
people out there that may not know because they have not had to experience it and everything,
but it is important that you understand and know so much what the family center does.
So you understand why every single penny counts and why this 70% this huge cut, gigantic
cut, could not come at a worse time in our society.
And I think it's important to note, Amy, how this affects people, even if they have never
had been an experienced domestic violence or anything or know of anybody that has.
This affects you too.
I think that there is a pervasive belief within our community and within the state, perhaps,
that this is not a problem that occurs here.
And just by the numbers, some numbers I'd like to highlight last year, Wisconsin Rapids
Family Center provided 4,904 nights of shelter.
They provided over 3,900 services within our community and extended community alone.
Over 390 people received services and shelter was provided to 44 adults and 35 children.
So significant cuts such as $280,000 in the budget for Wisconsin Rapids Family Center,
it has been a significant challenge to determine how to best continue to provide the myriad
of services that we will continue to provide here at our local shelter and figure out how
to do that with significantly less money is going to be a significant challenge.
Yeah.
We'll be getting to ways that our community can support the Family Center in a moment.
I'd like to touch on how this affects those that think that it doesn't affect them.
And in part, I will go to where a lot of people do when it comes to this any topic, really,
and money.
And, well, how does this affect you money-wise?
Well, it affects your taxes.
It affects our economy.
It is one more thing that affects those things and slows that process down.
By adding to the family center, by helping the family center, you are impacting your
economy, you are impacting your taxes.
So if I can't reach you on a human level, maybe I can reach you on your wallet and how
important it is to be adding to these things and helping the family center in the cause
that they are in and how we're just trying to make our community better.
Like, if you think, if you scrape all of this aside, just look at it at its core, that's
the essence of the family center, is a safer community and safer families.
And that's something that I don't know how you can't get behind.
I would agree with you.
There have been many studies done as far as the economic implication of abuse and how
it affects our economy, how it trickles down to our children, into our schools, et cetera.
And for those that think that Wisconsin is not affected by domestic violence, I would
point out that in the last domestic violence homicide report, we were the fourth highest
state in the nation for domestic violence deaths.
That was a 20% increase over just the prior year.
We lost 96 people due to domestic violence in Wisconsin in this last report.
And indicators show that we are going to see another increase in this next report that
will be really shortly.
We'll be reporting on that during domestic violence month as well.
And I wish that the numbers were improving, but I don't believe that they are.
So to me, it's a bit of a perfect storm in the sense that domestic violence homicides
are increasing.
Access to shelter is increasing.
The number of services provided are increasing.
And decreasing our federal funding by 70%.
That is a problem.
It's also noteworthy that this is an election year and encourage you.
Like I always do to look into the people that you are going to be voting for, look into
not only who is in their pockets, but where are their interests and where do they stand
on this important issue.
Because I personally, just may talk for me here, I have no problem voting on this issue
alone, let alone other issues.
This is where we stand on this.
This is where we have to stand on this.
It's 2024.
This has been an issue in our society for way too long.
And it's a self-inflicted wound.
This is something we can do something about.
And I'm not just talking about domestic violence, I'm talking about this funding.
This is something that we can do something about.
You vote the right people in the office, you get the right people in there that are going
to back what your community backs, what your community is looking for.
And Amy, you know this better than I do, this community supports the family center.
This community believes in what the family center is doing.
I'm kind of late to this and coming into the family center as a board member in some
of these things.
But this is a topic that has been important in my family from day one.
And I've researched and learned about through my mother my whole life.
Coming into things, I still don't know half of what you guys do.
And that's why it's so important to fund the work that you guys are doing.
It's not only are you doing some of the hardest work in this community and hardest work
in this country, but you are also knowledgeable and smart on these things.
And we have the right people in these positions.
We need to keep them in these positions.
We need to keep the good people and we need to keep the funding up.
Now there's only so much we can do in the moment right now when it comes to this.
But we do have opportunities for you to help out the family center.
We'll get to those in a moment.
But Amy, is there any other data you wanted to share with this Volca cuts, anything else
that we wanted to make sure we cover on this subject?
I would just say James that you're exactly right and that there is not a service provided
by the family center that should go away.
There is our emergency shelter, a 24 hour phone line that provides support in a myriad
of ways.
There's you can walk in and be helped by a trained advocate.
There's emotional support, education, non-domestic abuse and sexual assault, information, referral,
ongoing support groups, a visitation and exchange center.
Cuts of this magnitude will result in an inevitable reduction in vital programs affecting victims
and their family in Southwood County.
I can assure you that the shelter will not go away and that 24 hour access to assistance
for victims of domestic violence or sexual assault will always be there in your community.
But in order for that to be the case, we need to address these cuts in our mid-year appeal
which we have done.
You'll see a Facebook post today that addresses our mid-year appeal and discusses the Volca
cuts.
Trisha Fancher, our executive director, was recently on Channel 9 discussing those cuts.
We want people to know that services are not going to be reduced, but we do need them
to understand that we've got some thumbs in the dam right now, James.
And we do need assistance from our local, small businesses, large businesses, individual community
members in the form of financial support, support of our fundraising events and volunteerism.
Yeah.
And again, we'll get to more on that before we wrap up today.
But I will mention this and I talk about this with a lot of our nonprofits in particular
the Family Center.
When you are donating to the Family Center, whether it is your time or your dollar, that is
an investment.
It's not just a donation.
I know that's the word we give it and everything, but I give it a different word.
That's an investment.
That's not only an investment in the things that Amy and I have touched on as far as taxes,
your economy, some of that.
But we're also talking about kids.
And there is no greater investment you can make in life than children and helping children.
And well, there is always, again, you know this better than I do, there is a lot of adults
that will have backlash to this or that or, well, you did this or you did that or whatever.
Nobody can say anything as far as these kids go.
These kids didn't ask for any of this.
These kids didn't.
Yes, secondary trauma is real.
Absolutely it is.
And here is a way for you to impact that.
Here is a way for you to assist that, to invest in that with the Family Center.
It's a direct connection.
This is A to B here.
You are making an impact on the future when you are helping the Family Center.
It's one of the greatest investments you can make in life.
Let alone in our community here that does desperately need your funding and your help.
I had an opportunity earlier this year to take my daughter down to the Capitol and meet
with legislators and legislators in regard to the different individuals that work at the
Family Center and the services they provide, our child and family advocate, our sexual
assault education individual who goes into the schools, our visitation coordinators,
all of the amazing people that work there and provide services and how do you look at
a cut of this magnitude and decide which of those vital services we need to reduce
hours or how is that need going to be met moving forward and I can tell you that there's
not a one.
So we have to bridge that gap in another way.
We're speaking with Amy Shide, Administrative Development Volunteer Coordinator with our
Wisconsin Rapids Family Center boy, that is a great title but a long one, it's a tongue
twister sometimes for me, Amy, that is a...
I will mention that to Trisha and tell her I need an acronym.
Please do, shut up to herd the staff over there.
We were talking a little bit in kind of a pre-game about men in the kitchen, I got to
add the privilege of getting to MC that event some years back and I think maybe the possibly
the last one we had of those and I had been in the Family Center event in a while but one
of the things that happened when I didn't expect is I get in my head and I get really
focused on the job and I walk in and the first person I see is our current mayor at the
time and then I see another local mayor and I see Sheriff Becker down there and I see
at the time a Rapids Police Chief, see Andy Francis when he was with the rafters there,
see the River King's down there and I teared up a little bit inside because I'm telling
not outside but you get that.
Oh yes I do.
But because it meant so much to see so many community members supporting this cause, supporting
the Family Center, the Family Center for decades has supported our community.
We always love opportunities for us to have your back and the way the Family Center has
always had our communities and that's part of the greatness of these events coming up.
And we have the fourth annual touch of truck right around the corner coming up July 27th
over the Grand Rapids Lions Club, got some great vehicles down there Amy, you've had a
great week leading up to this, it sounds like.
Yes, absolutely.
I have the privilege of coordinating all of the different aspects of this event this
weekend and that that wind on your back, that hand of cooperation and support from the
community has just been evident through coordinating with the different vehicles that are going
to be here.
We have our local military being represented.
James gets to look out the window in his office and see those cool military trucks.
They're going to be there, different police departments, fire, lifelink, God willing,
they won't have an emergency and can come down and let the kids and adults as well see
the lifelink helicopter.
And then the support of the businesses that bring their and individuals, her bring their
vehicles down, they'll be a Model T there, they'll be a brand new Tesla, some ATVs, some
moving truck from one of our local realtors and big trucks from some of our major sponsors.
So I've had the opportunity to coordinate with them with rapid sheet metal, sparehawk trucking
and whole chunk, casino who are our major sponsors for this event, but also with those that
are supporting the food and game area, Ryan's hard at work through great expectations,
making some delicious food this week for this weekend.
Thanks to Pepsi, Delta Dental, Renaissance, Flying Dollar, Cranberry, members advantage
and Greenway RV for all these great kids game prizes and delicious food that they are
sponsoring.
So I get to feel that support throughout this weekend, I'm so grateful.
Especially with again, the vocal cuts and everything a week like this, it's got to
mean even more than I can put in the words I can imagine.
We do want to shout out all of those businesses.
As I always like to say, encourage you to buy the support, those that support us, support
our causes, support our community, put back into our community, greatly appreciate all
of them.
And you notice a lot of familiar names in that list, a lot of familiar sponsors in that continue
to support these great businesses, these great organizations that support our great causes
in our community.
There is, oh, sorry, Amy, did Jeff?
I was just going to mention that, in addition to those that I mentioned, there's dozens
of raffle baskets that are going to be there, so be sure to come down, take a peek, take
a lap around the table and see all of those individuals who donated to us as well.
There's going to be tractor rides, riding a water, and light buckets, kid games, raffle,
family friendly, vending.
There is literally something for everybody down there, and these vehicles, whether it
is the garbage truck, the buses, that Model T you mentioned, the Army vehicles, the tow
trucks, the ambulances, all of these things, not only are they going to have, the kids
going to have fun, but it's going to bring out the kid and you adults as well, especially
if you haven't gotten to see one of these vehicles before.
I would agree.
We see so many smiles on those tractor rides.
I personally, James Knowles, would not be caught dead going up in the water and light truck.
I respectfully stay on the ground and get pelted with acorns from the children up there,
but boy, that's a hit as well, and just learning a little bit, one of our local automotive repair
businesses are retired now, but brings the Model T and the Tesla, and the kids learn
about the engines and just so much neat stuff.
To me, I always like silver or added bonuses to things.
I'm always a big fan of that, and we've touched on how important this event is and all the
different impacts it can make in our community on this important cause, but there is these
added bonuses there, and you mentioned one of them, Amy, about the spark it could create
in a kid, and maybe the kid gets around the armored vehicle and decides to want to get
involved in our military or serve or something, or learn more about armored vehicles and making
them.
Who knows?
With the ambulance down there, they will end up wanting to be an EMT, or something like
that, or at the very least, maybe learn a little bit more about what it is to be an ambulance
driver or be a doctor or any of these things and have a little more empathy for this stuff,
too.
Absolutely.
And that empathy part is incredibly important when we're talking about this subject as well,
because kids just aren't just born with these things.
They learn these things from us.
They see us.
Their brains are sponges, and they're seeing how you're paying attention to this
topic.
They're seeing how you're approaching this topic, and that is how we raise generation
after generation to not solve things this way or not do things like this, but to learn
the right way to treat each other, the way to love and respect each other as a community.
I think that's a very good point, James, and an opportunity for the adults in our community
to touch upon this topic and explain if nothing else, why they might be attending this
event and supporting this event this weekend, completely volunteer run.
So that's an opportunity, as well, to point that out to the young people that you might
be accompanying to this event, that each and every person, each and every vehicle that
is there is supported by a volunteer.
The event itself is completely run by volunteers, and I'm grateful every day to have the opportunity
to work with those that volunteer at our organization.
One of the things that we are going to see moving forward with the Volca cuts in tandem
with that is that Volca is requiring a higher percentage match of volunteerism in the
area of direct service.
So we need volunteers that will come and have a fun afternoon at an event like this, but
we also need volunteers that are willing to answer the crisis line, perhaps transport one
of our clients to an appointment.
So if that's something that you feel in your heart, please give me a call.
It's one of the ways that you can impact your community, impact the family center.
We understand that not everybody has dollars and cents, and as much as we do need that,
there are other ways to impact this cause and be a part of this and be on the right side
of history quite bluntly.
If people are interested in volunteering, just send them to the website, give them your
number, Amy.
Both would be appropriate.
Every Wednesday we post on our Facebook page what we need as far as immediate needs in
our pantry and orange shelter.
So that would be an opportunity.
Volunteer opportunities are posted on the Facebook page and on the website and other events
as well.
James, we in response to these cuts have added some additional, some additional opportunities
to support through fundraisers.
James mentioned men in the kitchen.
There is a room or there, so stay tuned.
And also in the interim, we are having our first annual golf outing.
So you talk about the things that are important in the state of Wisconsin.
We finally got some good weather, James.
We are going to be golf in next month.
So get a team together.
Yes.
The family center's drive against violence.
Golf outing is coming up Monday, August 19th.
They're going to have a great time with this one at Bullseye Golf Club.
Shout out to them.
They always are great at hosting these things and appreciate their support.
Get a team together.
We've got room for you.
We're getting quite a few good teams here.
We need more though.
We want more.
And it's an opportunity for you to golf.
Like I don't need to say much more to the community.
They love golf.
Here's a great chance not only to get out there, get on the links, but also support one
of the greatest things you can support in our Wisconsin Rapids Family Center.
And again, the fourth annual touch of truck event coming up this Saturday Grand Rapids
Lions Club.
Gonna have a lot of great vehicles down there, a lot of good food, a lot of good times for
a great cause with some great people.
And as I always like to mention before we wrap up, Amy, that the family center has your
back.
Keep in mind that their crisis line is available 24-7 715-421-1511.
To keep that in mind, everybody.
And again, the website familyctr.org, familyctr.org.
Amy, thank you so much for the time.
I appreciate you.
Thank you, James.
We appreciate you as well on your service to our board.
We'll have more Midday Magazine coming up for you right here at 97-5 FM 13-20 AM WFHR.
We are locally grown radio.
