Open Arms has been serving Findlay and Hancock County since 1981. In their twenty-six years of continuing service, Open Arms has, like its namesake, grown to embrace some of our community's more serious needs. Open Arms is a full service Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Center. Providing such harrowing services anytime of the year deserves mention, but is most notable in October-Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Domestic Violence is defined as "…the mistreatment of one family member by another." "The abuse can be physical, sexual, verbal, emotional, and psychological." (www.openarmsfindlay.org) Open Arms provides a safe haven for those being threatened. They provide a 30 day emergency shelter program that keeps victims out of harm's way. The location of the stay is kept confidential for the victim's safety.

But it's not just about the victims. Open Arms is about embracing the whole cycle of violence. Through the "Violence Recovery Program" Open Arms seeks out the abusers and helps "…individuals desiring to create a safe and healthy family…through understanding, taking responsibility for, and changing abusive behavior." (www.openarmsfindlay.org)  The program is open to men and women and is designed to foster an empathy and understanding on both sides of the violence.

Unfortunately domestic violence does not only affect adults. Sadly and too often children are caught in the crossfire. Open Arms caters to the younger victims as well. Their "Harmony House" provides for supervised visits and exchanges of children. The concept is to provide secure exchange of the children without each of the parents having to encounter one another.
Open Arms accomplishes this by providing two separate entrances at their center that are secured by double set of doors, multiple locks, and an intercom. Open Arms has already assisted 2,500 children in 2007.

And the year is not over. Open Arms continues to reach out to new victims. Their contact information is handed out by the police officers. Information is available at hospitals. Open Arms will also send advocates to emergency rooms for consultation with victims of abuse. Also, in October, Open Arms will initiate a billboard campaign geared at encouraging people-victims and those that know victims-to speak up and against domestic violence. And to begin their out reach program, Open Arms lined up a special guest for their annual board meeting to be held at the Findlay Country Club October 8, 2007 at 7pm. Denise Brown, sister of Nichole Brown Simpson, will be this year's featured speaker. She will provide a unique insight to the relationship between her sister and O.J. Simpson and further underscore the importance of educating people and help them recognize domestic violence. Tickets for this event can be purchase through Open Arms website www.openarmsfindlay.org or by calling 419-420-9261.

Recognizing the violence is only part of the solution. Open Arms multi-faceted approach brings about understanding of the victims emotions and hurts; empathy and understanding for the offender; and ease of transition for children that might be involved. It is a full-cycled tactic may one day end the perpetual violence, but more importantly take the fist clenched in rage and turn it open to loving embrace that could keep families together.

Open Arms can be reached at:
www.openarmsfindlay.org
419-420-9261
24 hour crisis line: 419-422-4766