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Kristen was living a life she had only dreamed about. She was happily married to a man she loved very much. They lived in their dream house with two adorable children.
After thirteen years of marriage, her life swiftly turned a dark corner. Kristen’s husband made a decision to try a vicious drug that grabbed a hold of him and never let go. Kristen only could watch helplessly as her husband descended into a world of drugs, lies and violence.
The low point in her marriage came the following Christmas. Kristen had set aside some money to buy presents for their children. Her husband disappeared for three days using the money to buy drugs. He returned on Christmas Day without presents for their children. As Kristen tells this story, she struggles to describe the sadness and disappointment she experienced that year which she says was the “worst Christmas of her life.”
Kristen loved her husband very much but he refused the help offered by his family. Desperate to protect her children, Kristen decided to leave her husband - hoping this drastic measure would shock him into recovery.
Kristen’s plan backfired. Once her husband realized that she had left, the threats started. Her husband told her if she did not return home, he would kill her.
Fearing for their safety, Kristen decided against staying with family or friends. She arrived at The Julian Center Shelter with her two children ages 10 and 17. Her oldest son was a junior in high school. She worried about the embarrassment her living arrangements could bring to her children. She hoped and prayed her decisions would provide a bright future for her family.
Kristen’s husband continued to make threats until she obtained a protective order barring her husband from all contact with her. During their divorce hearing, Kristen represented herself.
Kristen was accepted into The Julian Center’s New Life Transitional Housing Program where she lived for two years. During their stay, her oldest son graduated from high school and enrolled in college. Kristen and her children participated in individual and group therapy. Their time in therapy helped her family deal with the pain and confusion of their husband/father’s actions.
Kristen remained employed throughout her stay in transitional housing and saved for a down payment on a home. She completed credit counseling and money management classes. After two years in transitional housing, Kristen was accepted into an informal housing program through a local church. She lived in a home owned by the church for another year while she continued to save money and participate in Julian Center services.
Three years after Kristen arrived at The Julian Center, her dream of home ownership was realized.
For Kristen, The Julian Center was a place of comfort where she felt safe and supported. Her family especially enjoyed the children’s programming. Her children always had plenty of activities to participate in and flourished from the attention provided by The Julian Center Staff.
Kristen hopes by telling her story that people will understand that domestic violence can happen in any family and unfortunately it often does touch someone we know. Kristen’s family had a happy and prosperous life before circumstances beyond her control changed the structure and direction of their lives.
When asked about her first Christmas in her new home, she smiles widely and says it was wonderful. Now, Kristen’s home is a gathering place for family during the holidays.
Donations from individuals like you, combined with the hard work of our clients and the services of The Julian Center, have made a lasting impact on the lives of others. This holiday season, our shelter is overflowing with families just like Kristen’s who are dreaming of their chance to start over. Together, we can help them flourish in all of their endeavors. Thank you for supporting The Julian Center.
The Julian
Center Receives Special Recognition
Indianapolis Monthly Magazine highlights The Julian Center
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In the October issue of Indianapolis Monthly Magazine, The Julian Center received special recognition as one of ten worthwhile nonprofits in Indy.
In the magazine’s special section entitled “How to Give Away One Million Dollars (and 7 things to know before you donate a dime),” The Julian Center is noted in “Charting the Charities.” Indianapolis Monthly states, “We crunched the numbers and asked around to find the groups that are as effective as they are generous.”
This article ranks The Julian Center with outstanding organizations such as the Christel House International, Simon Youth Foundation, The Indianapolis Foundation, and Gleaner’s Food Bank of Indiana. The Julian Center is truly honored and esteemed to be listed among a prestigious group of Indianapolis nonprofits.
Visit the following link to view the article online - http://www.indianapolismonthly.com/article.aspx?id=9652
Online Shopping Benefits The
Julian Center
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GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall which features hundreds of great stores including Best Buy, Macy’s, Apple, Target, and Orbitz. It’s easy! Just go to GoodShop.com, select The Julian Center as your cause, click on a store’s logo and then shop as you normally would! You get the same prices, but a percentage comes back to The Julian Center!
And, while you’re searching the web, don’t forget to use GoodShop.com which makes a donation for each search.
The Julian Center is proud to present: The Starlight Ball
An Evening to benefit The Julian Center's Crisis Programs
On Saturday, March 15, 2008, The Julian Center will host The Starlight Ball. This event will help raise much needed funds for The Julian Center’s Crisis Programs such as emergency transportation, legal services, 24 hour crisis call line and crisis call desk, food, respite childcare, and other essential services.
The Starlight Ball will be held at the Hyatt Regency Indianapolis with a cocktail reception, dinner, dancing and fun! Music will be provided by the band ETC.
Individual tickets are $90 per person. Corporate sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more event information or to order your Starlight Ball tickets, contact Sandy Noe at (317) 941-2205 or by email at snoe@juliancenter.org.
Watch your newsletter for more information or visit The Julian Center’s event website at www.juliancenter.org/Events/starlightball.html.
Tax Free IRA (Individual Retirement Account) Rollover
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The Pension Protection Act of 2006 offers a unique opportunity which allows donors to transfer tax-free funds from their Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) directly to a charitable organization. ‘Under the current provision (set to expire at the end of this year), a donor who has reached the age of 70 1/2 would be allowed to exclude from his or her income any IRA funds up to $100,000 that are withdrawn and transferred to a charity when filing a tax return for the year of the transfer.” (www.afpnet.org)
Benefits of the IRA Rollover (provided by www.case.org):
* Qualified
charitable distributions are excluded from the donor’s adjusted gross
income.
* Qualified
charitable distributions from IRA accounts count toward the owner’s required
minimum distributions.
* Qualified
charitable donations are not included as part of the donor’s maximum
allowable charitable tax deductions.
* By
choosing to make a charitable distribution with all or part of their
required IRA distribution, donors may reduce income and reduce the
percentage of social security subject to taxation.
(NOTE: It is important to consult with your financial advisor or attorney for complete details.)
