October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the Cora Lamping Center of Benton Harbor will be hosting a fundraiser luncheon on October 19th, 2022, at The Blackbird Waterhouse in Coloma. This fundraiser will be the first in-person event for CLC since the pandemic, and they are ever so grateful to the restaurant for opening their doors for this significant occasion.
“Funds raised provide services to our children,” says Chief Strategy Officer for the CLC, Robin McGinnis. “They are as much a victim of abuse as those abused, and carry a lot of trauma with them. At any given time, we have twelve children in our twenty-three bed facility– that’s too many.”
CLC is a division of The Avenue Family Network, Inc., a nonprofit organization that works to empower, advocate, and support families. They depend on grant funding and donors to keep the Safe Shelter running smoothly and offer survivors services such as counseling, legal advocacy and safety.
The October 19th luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m and will feature local Michigan author and NY Times Bestseller, Angeline Boulley. Her novel, ‘Firekeeper’s Daughter’, was released earlier this year, and has made a gigantic impact on the world already. Attendees will be able to participate in a Q & A with the author.
“Indigenous women and girls experience abuse, violence, and domestic mistreatment at astronomical rates,” says Angeline. “In telling a coming-of-age story set in my Native community, I needed to include these truths about the violence our young women witness and experience. Yet, I also wanted to include the ways in which women in the community look out for one another, as well as the resources available to Indigenous girls, women, and two-spirit community members.”
A member of ‘Friends of Cora Lamping Center’, a group formed to raise funds for the CLC, read ‘Firekeeper’s Daughter’ and wanted to highlight the messages in the novel, as the group works toward creating more awareness for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Angeline Boulley speaks frequently at high schools, tribal colleges, and universities — offering information, resources, and support for those experiencing violence; particularly teen dating violence.
The Blackbird Waterhouse is located at 4896 Paw Paw Lake Road, and their event space is inviting and warm. Seating capacity for the luncheon is only sixty people, so register for the event quickly! The $75 ticket includes a copy of ‘Firekeeper’s Daughter’, and a delicious lunch by The Blackbird Waterhouse. “We are so excited for this event, and have many more in mind for this season,” says Robin McGinnis.
To purchase tickets or to make a donation, please visit theavenue.ngo.
By Jocelyne Tuszynski, MOTM Contributor
