ProjectHOPESAFE - WellSpring Center For Hope

Project H.O.P.E.

Project H.O.P.E., (Healthy Options Promote Empowerment) and Project S.A.F.E., (Strengthening At-Risk Families through Education). We are advocates of self-empowerment through the promotion of education, resources, and positive support. The first, Project H.O.P.E. has a holistic approach in that it takes in consideration several factors, such as the environment, education, resources and self-sufficiency. It does not necessarily promote one are over another, but takes each, in consideration regarding primarily the individual needs of the client. Project H.O.P.E. is to encourage clients by making available many of the same opportunities they have been denied through abuse. Women in domestic violence situations are typically denied the privilege of any security via education, careers, or outside relationships with family and/or friends.

WellSpring has been fortunate to develop this program and has received support from Southern Illinois University (Edwardsville, IL.) and Western Illinois University (Macomb , IL ) as an educational resource, which has been able to offer assistance and support to clients who desire to make a new start. There are 4 components involved in this program.

Education
Environment
Entrepreneurship
Empowerment

This program was created for non-traditional students and their children in an effort to encourage a new start in a safe environment. WellSpring is strategic in leading clients through the entire process, which includes everything from the admissions application, testing, childcare, and housing arrangements. This process alone has helped to empower clients, while offering a new environment, establishing a basic level of independence and self-sufficiency. WellSpring’s staff intentionally functions as a support base during and long after this process. Women in domestic violence situations are typically denied the privilege of any security via education, careers, or outside relationships with family and/or friends.

WellSpring Center for Hope strives to release clients mentally from the guilt of domestic violence. Through practical resources, we encourage them to take control and responsibility for their own destiny by breaking the cycle of violence. Admission to Western Illinois University and Southern Illinois University has offered the aforementioned clients the opportunity for continuing their education in a new and safe environment. One of our clients, who is a twenty-six year old mother of two, has become so excited about being accepted that she declared to staff, "If someone had told me I would ever be going back to school, I would never have believed it". Now one of her goals has been realized.

Project S.A.F.E.

The next program that WellSpring offers clients is Project S.A.F.E. (Strengthening At-Risk Families (through) Education). WellSpring is excited about this relatively new venture. This program has a two-fold purpose. It offers potential students educational advancement opportunities and provides a new, safe environment for domestic violence survivors and their children. Most often WellSpring services families through the mother, or from the adult to the child, but Project. S.A.F.E. opens a door for service to the family, through the child or from the child to the adult by empowering children with information, resources, and support.

Project S.A.F.E. was developed in an effort to address the needs of children who have been victims of domestic violence and child abuse or those who are at-risk. WellSpring has entered into a collaborative agreement with 3 local elementary schools, and 1 high school to provide prevention and early intervention services. This project’s focus is violence prevention, while making available resources, skills, and opportunities for young people to acquire, establish and increase knowledge that will give hope for securing successful futures. Project S.A.F.E. is available to any student in the targeted schools. School staff identifies and refers individuals or classrooms that would most likely benefit from workshops conducted by WellSpring staff. Information and counseling sessions are conducted both on an individual and/or group basis.

Project H.O.P.E. and Project S.A.F.E. are already proving to be viable programs and WellSpring is excited about what is to come as we continue to use them as empowerment tools.