COURTNEY WHITE
Southwest Arkansas Crisis & Resource Center
Executive Director
DE QUEEN – The Southwest Arkansas
Crisis & Resource Center is a 501(c)(3)
nonprofit organization serving victims of domestic
violence, sexual assault, child abuse,
stalking, elder abuse, and human trafficking.
These victims include primary victims
which are the direct targets of the abuse, as
well as secondary victims who may witness
or feel the effects of the abuse as a child of
the victim, parent of the victim, or another
loved one that greatly cares for the victim.
The types of abuse encompass many
facets. Domestic violence, also called family
violence, intimate partner violence, relationship
violence or inter-personal violence, is a
pattern of intentionally violent or controlling
behavior used by a person against a family
member or current or former intimate
partner to gain and maintain power and
control over that person, during and/or
after the relationship. An intimate partner
may include people who are married, dating,
joined in a domestic partnership or people
who have previously been in a relationship
or share a child together. Sexual assault is
any type of sexual contact or behavior that
occurs without the explicit consent of the
recipient. Falling under the definition of
sexual assault are sexual activities as forced
sexual intercourse, forcible sodomy, child
molestation, incest, fondling, and attempted
rape. Child abuse includes any recent act
or failure to act on the part of a parent or
caretaker which results in death, serious
physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse
or exploitation of a child or an act or failure
to act which presents an imminent risk of
serious harm to a child. Stalking is a course
of conduct directed at a specific person
that would cause a reasonable person to
feel fear. Elder abuse is a term referring to
any knowing, intentional, or negligent act
by a caregiver or any
other person that causes
harm or a serious risk of
harm to a vulnerable adult.
Human trafficking is the
recruitment, transportation,
transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons by improper
means (such as force, abduction, fraud, or coercion) for
an improper purpose including sexual exploitation. All of
these crimes have one thing in common – they hold victims
captive in a web of terror and perpetual fear. Numerous
obstacles stand in the victim’s way to reaching out for help
or prevents them from ever speaking out about their plight.
SWACRC understands the dynamics behind these crimes
and the barriers impeding victims from receiving the assistance
they deserve.
SWACRC is run by a volunteer board of directors, two staff
members, and a team of volunteers that work 24 hours a day,
7 days a week providing services to victims and speaking
out for those without a voice. Services provided to victims
include a 24 hour crisis hotline, crisis intervention services,
emergency shelter, transportation to services needed due
to victimization, emergency food and clothing, emergency
financial assistance, criminal justice and legal advocacy,
medical advocacy, bilingual services, individual and group
support, counseling, and a number of additional services.
SWACRC advocates work with each victim individually to
understand their unique situation and to build safety plans
and action plans based on each individual’s particular needs.
These services may be delivered by SWACRC’s dedicated
advocates, but they can only exist with the communities’
support. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, SWACRC needs contributions
from the local communities to ensure services are
available. SWACRC is not just a safe haven for victims to turn
to for safety. SWACRC helps victims rebuild their lives by
providing them with necessary items and resources such as
resume building and job interview skills; connecting victims
with childcare; providing groceries; obtaining needed items
to build and maintain a home for them and their children; assisting
with rent and utilities; budgeting monthly income and
expenses; meal planning and budgeting grocery expenses;
school supplies for victim’s children; transportation and
assistance with transportation to needed services such as
police stations, court proceedings, hospitals, and child advocacy
centers; and breaking down other barriers that stand
in the way to safety and healing. SWACRC believes that to
truly help a victim we must assist them in each way possible
until they are able to stand on their own. This is why most
victims stay or go back to violent relationships – they feel
they are unable to make it on their own and the unknown
often looks bleaker than the dangerous relationship they
are currently living in.
In addition, SWACRC believes that to truly make a difference
in this world we must get to the heart of what causes
these conditions to exist in the first place. Therefore,
SWACRC provides programs in the school systems and
around the communities to parents, businesses, and many
other groups and organizations. These programs provide
education on topics such as conflict resolution skills, communication
skills, healthy and unhealthy relationships,
respect, how to help our loved ones, media literacy, and
many other topics which are contributing factors to the victimization
and perpetration of these violent crimes. SWACRC
wants to prevent the violence before it ever occurs.
This Christmas, SWACRC is asking you to help support
these extremely important and much needed services in
this community. You can make a difference by contributing
household items, hygiene products, toys (all ages), clothing
(all sizes), furniture, and any other item you would
need to maintain your home or provide for you and your
family. We also have a great need of a young mother whom
is an exceptionally hardworking individual desperately in
need of a small used car to get herself back and forth from
work and to her child’s babysitter. It does not need to be
extravagant, just a small car that runs and is safe to drive.
Additionally, as always, SWACRC is in need of prayers and
monetary donations. Cash contributions are what enable
SWACRC to pay for utilities, groceries, personal care items,
medications, school supplies, and other items and services
needed to obtain safety and achieve healing for the victims
and their children. Prayers are what help keep our advocates
and the victims going. SWACRC cannot do it without your
support. Our wish this Christmas is for the community to
join in our fight to serve victims and to help save the lives of
our loved ones, friends, and neighbors that desperately need
our help. SWACRC greatly appreciates any and all gifts, no
matter how big or how small or how often. A big Thank You
to each person that has helped support SWACRC throughout
the previous years and Merry Christmas to everyone and
a Happy New Year.
