Author: eritchie

(Green Bay, Wis.) – The Sexual Assault Center of Family Services is experiencing a shortage of volunteer advocates in Brown County. Volunteer advocates help maintain the center’s 24-hour hotline, which provides support for survivors of sexual assault, abuse or harassment and their loved ones.

At least 10 additional volunteers are needed to help on nights and weekends to ensure that no call goes unanswered. Last year, staff and volunteers of the Sexual Assault Center answered 1,690 hotline calls and provided support and resources to 1,189 individuals in Brown, Door, Oconto and Marinette Counties. Of the survivors served, 42% were under the age of 18.

“Volunteer advocates are a critical part of our program,” says Sexual Assault Center Supervisor Samantha Jurczykowski. “They ensure that victims of sexual assault receive the support they need.”

Volunteer advocates answer hotline calls and may also accompany victims to the hospital for a Sexual Assault Nurse Exam (SANE) and to the police department, if a victim chooses to report the assault. No experience is necessary but volunteers must be over the age of 18. Anyone interested in volunteering should call (920) 436-8899 or apply online using the form below or at https://www.familyservicesnew.org/get-involved. After applying, volunteers must complete the required training, which can be done at their own pace.

The Sexual Assault Center of Family Services is one of 45 nonprofits selected to take part in Give BIG Green Bay this year. Those who are not able to volunteer but would still like to support the Sexual Assault Center with a donation are encouraged to visit www.givebiggreenbay.org and give to the Sexual Assault Center – and other local nonprofits – during the event, Feb. 23-24, noon to noon.

(Green Bay, Wis) – Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon recently came out on top of his celebrity fantasy football league. He donated all $35,000 of his winnings to charity, including $10,000 to Willow Tree Cornerstone Child Advocacy Center in Green Bay.

Willow Tree is an innovative, nonprofit program of Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin. Its mission is to Protect, Heal and Care for children who experience abuse, neglect or other maltreatment. The center primarily serves children living in Brown County, but also sees children from surrounding areas and even some as far away as Milwaukee and Upper Michigan.

“I was so fortunate to grow up in such a loving home with my mom and younger sister,” said Dillon. “The two of them mean everything to me and it breaks my heart to know that there are young children out there that aren’t able to experience the same love and care my sister and I received.”

Dillon says he wants to make sure that children who are abused know that there are people who care about them.

“It is a tough topic to discuss, but there are kids that are victims to abuse out there in our community and I wanted to help spread awareness and let them know that they are loved and that there are places to go for them to get help, which is why I chose Willow Tree,” said Dillon.

At Willow Tree, children are able to access a child forensic interview and medical evaluation, as well as supportive advocacy services and counseling to help them heal and begin to move forward.

“It is heartwarming to know that we have support from individuals in our community like AJ, who can bring awareness to the difficult topic of child abuse,” said Kristie Sickel, Willow Tree Program Manager. “His donation shows these children that they are not alone, that they are believed, and they can leave feeling like a champion.”

In addition to Willow Tree, Dillon also donated $25,000 to the Cancer Team at Bellin Health. The donation to Bellin has a personal connection for Dillon, whose soon-to-be mother-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer during the off-season. She did some of her treatments at Bellin.

Dillon’s road to fantasy-football victory started over the summer. Sleeper, a fantasy sports app, challenged him to enter the Sleeper Bowl after Dillon tweeted his interest in joining a fantasy football league. Despite it being his first foray into the fantasy leagues, Dillon walked away the winner.

The NFL prohibits players who engage in fantasy football from accepting prizes over $250. According to Sleeper, it was Dillon’s idea to donate all of his winnings to two of his favorite causes.

For more information about Dillon’s Fantasy Draft victory and his donations, be sure to check out the following stories:

• NBC26 – Packers running back AJ Dillon donates $35,000 in fantasy football winnings to local nonprofits
• Essentially Sports – “I Definitely Wanted To Do Something Local”: Packers RB AJ Dillon Donates $35,000 Fantasy Winnings To Non-Profits in Green Bay
• Fansided – Packers RB donates big fantasy football winnings to local charities

(Green Bay, Wis) – Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin is excited to announce that it is among the 45 nonprofits selected to participate in this year’s Give BIG Green Bay, Feb. 23-24, 2022!

Family Services will be raising funds for its Sexual Assault Center. The program provides free and confidential services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for survivors of sexual assault and abuse in Brown, Door, Oconto and Marinette Counties.

“Family Services Sexual Assault Center is thrilled to be selected for Give BIG Green Bay,” said Lois Mischler, President & CEO of Family Services.

“Being available to support victims of sexual assault from their initial contact and at each step of their healing journey – being at their side and in their corner – is central to our mission. The support that will come from Give BIG will help make this possible throughout the year.”

This will be the fifth year that Give BIG Green Bay has been held. It is hosted by the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation in partnership with Green Bay Packers Give Back. This year, Green Bay Packers Give Back is providing $250,000 in matching gift funds.

Last year, 4,854 donors raised more than $2.085 million to support 45 nonprofits serving Brown County. A combined total of more than $5.5 million has been raised through Give BIG Green Bay in its first four years. This will be the third year that Family Services has been selected to participate.

Give BIG Green Bay starts at noon on Feb. 23 and ends at noon on Feb. 24. You can check out all of the participating nonprofits at www.givebiggreenbay.com. Donations must be made online during the 24-hours that the event takes place in order to be counted.

To stay up-to-date on all the ways you can help support the Sexual Assault Center during Give BIG Green Bay, join our email list at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/u8Iq.

View the newsletter at https://conta.cc/3eMRelX.

If you’d like to receive the newsletter by email, click here to be added to the email list.

By Shelby Mitchell
Human Trafficking Advocate
Sexual Assault Center of Family Services

(Green Bay, Wis) – As we begin a new year, it is a perfect time to reflect on the past year and on the things that are going well. Family Services continues to provide the programs and services that our communities need while knowing how important it is that we be able to adapt our services as these needs change. The issue of human trafficking, for example, is driving the Sexual Assault Center of Family Services to find new ways to care for local survivors of sex trafficking and/or sexual exploitation.

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and so it is a great time for us to talk about this vast topic and the trends that we are seeing nationally as well as in Northeast Wisconsin.

Technological Advances

We wouldn’t be able to address this topic without touching on a few other forms of violence that help to fuel it. One of the biggest issues is the ever-increasing advance of technology. From our phones to laptops and the apps we use, technology is growing at a faster rate than parents (or the law-making process) can keep up with. These lightning-speed advances give an upper hand to those who lean on technology to recruit and exploit others for their own financial gain.

Games that tend to attract children and teens are offering more ways to connect and engage will fellow gamers than ever before. These features, while great for connecting with friends, also open the door to predators giving them opportunity to form relationships with potential victims. These relationships, which often seem harmless as first, can set the stage  for future exploitation or abuse. Viral challenges and the ease of posting threats on social media sites like TikTok are another cause for concern.

For more information on these specific technology trends and more, please check out this article from Protect Young Eyes and follow them for up-to-date issues related to online technology and tips on how to protect yourself and your loved ones from the dangers of online exploitation.

Pornography & Violence

While online recruitment on social media and apps have been gradually increasing over the last number of years, another issue has been around for many, many decades…pornography. Locally, the advocates at the Sexual Assault Center have been seeing a direct link to the viewing consumption of pornography and the link to sexual violence cases. Speaking very generally, the viewing of pornography can lead to an addiction. The more images and videos that someone watches, the more they become desensitized to it. This then leads to viewing pornography that is usually much more violent. After a while, that will no long satisfy the person viewing the pornography and we then see those people becoming “hands-on” offenders who felt the need to act out some of the scenes that they viewed in order to gain arousal.

In an article that was released by Fight the New Drug, they sight the findings of a study stating that “[Porn] consumption was indeed associated with sexual aggression in the United States and internationally, among males and females, and in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Associations were stronger for verbal than physical sexual aggression, although both were significant. The general pattern of results suggested that violent content may be an exacerbating factor.” The full article can be found at: https://fightthenewdrug.org/new-study-shows-that-watching-porn-is-linked-to-real-life-sexual-aggression/

At the Sexual Assault Center, we are working to educate the community and schools about sexual violence in all forms. We developed presentations on sexual abuse in youth/adults, internet safety, social media safety and most recently one on sexting (sending nude or partially nude photos via text) for students and parents. With these presentations being requested in schools across Brown, Door, Oconto and Marinette counties, we are also seeing the need for age appropriate education on the use of pornography as well.

How You Can Help

You can help prevent human trafficking by sharing factual information about sexual violence and information on where survivors can seek help. Donate to the Sexual Assault Center of Family Services to help us continue this critical education for parents, students and community members. Volunteer your time and talents. Follow @sacfsnew on Facebook and Instagram to stay up-to-date on the trends we are seeing, events you can attend and posts you can share to help amplify our message.

For more information, to donate or to complete a volunteer application, please visit https://www.familyservicesnew.org/get-involved#donate.  Donations can be directed to the Sexual Assault Center or the area of greatest need.

With your help, we can continue to Protect, Heal and Care for the communities we serve!

(Green Bay, Wis) – Motorcyclists are invited to join the 12th annual “Suicide Prevention Ride” on Sunday, August 29, 2021.

The cost to register for the ride is $20 per bike or $25 with two riders. Registration will begin at 10:30 a.m. at Shoots Bar, located at 3375 Side Street in Suamico. Registrants will enjoy live entertainment by Taste of the Wolf  ahead of the ride, which starts at noon.  Stops will include the Windmill in Oconto Falls and Little Creek Lodge in Little Suamico. The final stop on the ride will be Chambers Hill in Green Bay.

Community members are invited to join the festivities from 3-7 p.m. at Chambers Hill. The evening will feature 50/50 raffles and bucket raffles, as well as live music by 44 Audible after riders return around 5 p.m.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Crisis Center of Family Services so that people in crisis can continue to access the help they need when they need it. Last year, the center answered more than 21,000 crisis calls and provided more than 4,100 face-to-face crisis counseling sessions for individuals in Brown County.  Event organizers hope the ride will raise awareness of the services available to those who are struggling and reduce the stigma of talking about mental health and suicide.

“Help is just a phone call away.” says event organizer Jeanne Parrett.

Family Services encourages community members who are interested in attending the event to practice social distancing and other best practices to ensure everyone’s safety. Those who wish to support the Crisis Center, but do not feel they can participate this year, can still provide supp­­­ort by donating directly to Family Services and indicating the Crisis Center with their donation.

The Crisis Center provides services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to people living in Brown County. Services are available by phone, in-person, virtually, or via mobile response anywhere in Brown County. Those in need of help now can call (920) 436-8888 or walk into the center at 3150 Gershwin Drive, Green Bay.

“It takes a village to provide the support necessary for our community member’s wellness,” says Tana Koss, Vice President with Family Services. “Asking the people you love if they are suicidal and connecting them to help is an important step. The professional Crisis Counselors on our team are available to provide support 24/7.”

For more information about the event, please call (920) 883-9196. For more information about the Crisis Center, call 920-436-4360 ext. 1252.

(Green Bay, Wis.) – Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin, Inc., has announced Lois Mischler as its new President & CEO, succeeding Jeff Vande Leest who is retiring after 25 years with the agency. Mischler’s hiring comes after a nationwide search and an extensive interview process that included applicants from around the country. She is set to officially take over the position on July 1.

Mischler has been with Family Services for 35 years, most recently serving as Vice President. She has a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

“Lois’s long-standing commitment to the mission of Family Services has been evident throughout her tenure,” says Board Chair, Kristy Maney. “Her skills, experience, passion and thorough knowledge of the needs of our community made her our strongest candidate.”

“I am honored to be selected to lead this amazing organization,” Mischler says. “My career has been dedicated to building healthy, strong families and supporting our communities in creative and impactful ways. What I am most excited about is the incredible, talented team we have here at Family Services who live out our mission every day. Leading and working alongside them is a privilege and I am eager to support them and our communities into the future.”

Family Services is a non-profit, human service agency headquartered in downtown Green Bay. Since 1899, the agency has supported the development of strong individuals and families through more than 30 programs providing prevention, intervention and treatment/counseling services.

(Green Bay, Wis) – As of June 1, 2021 all Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin locations have reopened to the public.

Although Covid-19 continues to be a concern in our communities, great things are happening to allow this transition. The vaccine is widely available and anyone who wishes to get vaccinated can. The readiness and capacity of our region’s hospitals is also in a very good spot. The risk is not over, but it has been reduced to a reasonable enough place for us to move forward.

Per CDC guidelines, Family Services staff and clients who have provided proof of vaccination may choose to be unmasked. We do ask that anyone else who is visiting or receiving care at our facilities continue to wear a mask while indoors. Our buildings will also continue to maintain systems that allow for social distancing, such as stickers on the floor and chairs 6 feet apart in waiting rooms.

Now that Family Services has reopened, we anticipate that most people will wish to receive services through in-person visits in our buildings and in the community. However, virtual care will remain an option for those who need it or want it and in situations where a client or staff member is symptomatic.

For more information about our current guidelines or with questions, please call (920) 436-6800.

By Bee Vue Yang
Southeast Asian Coordinator
Sexual Assault Center of Family Services

I’m a first-generation Hmong American. It still sounds a little awkward when I identify as just “Hmong” to Hmong elders because sometimes I struggle with the Hmong language. The Hmong language is not my native language. I was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin, the largest city on Wisconsin’s western boarder along the Mississippi River (51,000+ people). My parents and older brother immigrated to the United States and they settled there in 1987. You are probably wondering why La Crosse, Wisconsin? Well, our sponsors, Grandma and Grandpa Bailey lived there.

I was born in 1988, a year after my family settled in La Crosse. There are faint memories of playing with other Hmong children in the basement of a church as all our parents attended church and then English class afterwards. We must have been attending that church for a while because I’ve seen old photos of me when I was baptized as a baby and then when I was around 4 years old eating animal crackers, sitting around a room set up like a daycare. I am the second oldest of 7 children and I’m the oldest daughter. I have 5 brothers and 1 sister. Growing up, I was taught at an early age to cook, clean, do most of the household chores and help my mom tend to the younger ones. At the same time, I was also expected to go to school, do well in school and be the best in my class. I lived two different lives. I spoke only Hmong to my parents and English to my siblings and at school.

School was very hard. Both my parents and my older brother didn’t speak English. My brother was 6 when they came to La Crosse and so we were all learning English. My dad needed to learn English so he could find work and support the family. I remember struggling most of Kindergarten through 4^th grade. I remember sitting and staring at worksheets when I was in about 1^st grade and not understanding what it said. I didn’t even know if the sheet was upside down because it just all looked like foreign symbols. I was enrolled in an ESL program (English as a Second Language) now called ELL (English Language Learner) that required me to be pulled out of general mainstream classes for specialized and intensive English learning lessons. Then, all of a sudden I was told I didn’t need to go to those classes anymore and didn’t get an explanation. What happened was that I had tested out of the program in 4^th grade. My dad bought me a dictionary after that and told me that even though I had tested out, I still needed to do better. He encouraged me and said “the white people said this book will help; just do it on your own, you’ll get there”. I no longer had my ESL teacher but a red and yellow thick paperback edition of the Merriam-Webster dictionary.

Looking back, during that time of my life it was the start of me trying to disassociate from my culture. I disowned myself and disowned my Hmong identity. I didn’t want anything to do with being Hmong. I hated going to the annual Hmong Cultural festivals and wearing those bright traditional Hmong clothing. I thought it was ugly and that it made me look stupid. My mom would dress me, make me keep it on, but as soon as we got to the place, I would take it all off. Some years, I would make it to the gate of the event just to take some pictures and then walk back to take it off in our van.

It wasn’t until I had my first child that I realized how important it was for my own children to know and understand their cultural roots. I also wanted them to know the Hmong language. I became so obsessed with conforming and assimilating into the American culture that I lost the sense of myself. I became desperate. I didn’t use the Hmong language on a daily basis and so I grasped at anything that could and would help me connect back to my culture. I went as far as enrolling myself into a Hmong language course at my college, reading Hmong words on karaoke videos on YouTube and reading Hmong children’s books to try and retain it. It was so hard and I didn’t understand it. I felt like how I felt in elementary school, except now in reverse; those Hmong words were foreign to me.

Remembering my dad’s encouraging words, how could I quit now? I needed to do it on my own. The past 12 years, I’ve taken my own initiative to re-learn about the Hmong history, my people, the culture, traditions and practices and continue to practice reading, writing and speaking Hmong. I’ve been re-owning my Hmong American identity. I am proud of who I am. I am proud of the Hmong language. I have so much love for my parents on sacrificing everything for a chance of freedom for me. I have an immense appreciation for anything that resembles being Hmong. I’m drawn towards the unique designs and intricate hand-made jewelries and cross-stitched needlework that reflects my beautiful people who live in the mountains.

(Green Bay, WI) – Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin is proud to announce, in partnership with Brown County Human Services, the relocation of the Crisis Center program from its longtime location in downtown Green Bay to the Community Treatment Center campus at 3150 Gershwin Drive, Green Bay, WI 54311. This newly constructed, state-of-the-art facility was designed with the people of Brown County in mind and offers an abundance of natural light – a feature the Crisis Center team believes will promote peace and healing for the people they serve from the moment they arrive.

The physical move is anticipated to occur on Tuesday, May 25, 2021.

The Crisis Center phone number will remain the same at 920-436-8888. Program leadership is making every effort to remain fully operational during the transition. Community members who are in need of support during the week of the move are encouraged to call and a Crisis Counselor can mobile out to their location. If a person in crisis encounters any difficulty in making connection via phone they are encouraged to try again after a few moments or contact their local law enforcement department for assistance in making a connection with the Crisis Center team.

In 2020, throughout the pandemic, Crisis Center counselors assisted more than 21,000 callers and helped nearly 4,200 people in person. Of those served, 93% reported a resolution to their crisis during follow-up contact and 97% shared that staff treated their family or significant other with dignity and respect. One client reported, “All of the people that worked with me made me feel very safe and important.”

A crisis situation can occur at any time in any person’s life regardless of age, race, or economic status. Those wishing to talk about their own concerns are encouraged to pick up the phone and dial 920-436-8888.  Crisis Counselors can provide support over the phone or in person at the Crisis Center. They can also come to you anywhere in Brown County. All services are free and confidential.

To learn more about the Crisis Center and its services, please click here to visit the Crisis Center webpage.