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Nonprofit Hope Alliance Offers Support for Survivors of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

The Chronicle - 1/30/2021

Jan. 29—What was long known as the Human Response Network has undergone extensive changes in the last year, including the adoption of a new name — Hope Alliance — and a move to a new location, 815 West Main St. in downtown Centralia.

The name change was part of a major rebranding effort for the nonprofit that the board of directors already had in mind when Kris Camenzind started her tenure as director in May 2018. That rebranding also included a lot of internal work, including rearrangement of staff, more-careful vetting of clients and extensive training.

"When I started, the staff was well-intentioned but very undertrained," said Camenzind. "Now, we're pretty airtight and have high expectations of the staff."

Hope Alliance, a nonprofit that works with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault to advocate for their needs, was located at a county-owned building on Northwest Chehalis Avenue until the county decided to sell the building, said Camenzind, and Hope Alliance moved to the Main Street location in late August 2020.

Hope Alliance hasn't been able to accept walk-ins since COVID-19 shutdowns and restrictions began mid-March, but advocates have been able to offer virtual support and arrange safe ways to meet clients.

"We have become a little more creative," Camenzind said.

Donations Sought for Friends of Hope Alliance Garage Sale

Friends of Hope Alliance is currently accepting donations for a garage sale Feb. 12-14 to raise funds for the nonprofit organization.

The organization is primarily funded by state contracts with strict guidelines for usage, according to director Kris Camenzind, and funds raised separately from those contracts can be used to help pay for things not specifically laid out in the contracts, such as buying gas gift cards or paying to replace a gift card for someone who has to drive a long distance to flee an abusive situation.

"We're very creative with our restrictive funding," said Camenzind. "We try to find other resources and use unrestricted funding as a last resort."

Like many nonprofits, Hope Alliance hasn't been able to put on any of its regular fundraisers due to COVID-19 and has seen a decrease in donations since the start of the pandemic.

Friends of Hope Alliance is accepting donations of furniture, clothes and other household items at Dirty Thumb Nursery (1580 State Route 6, Chehalis) through Feb. 6. The garage sale itself will run 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 12 and 13, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Feb. 14.

Hope Alliance currently offers several virtual support groups, including two that began this month: Post Domestic Violence Peer Support Group and Trauma and Resiliency Group. Call 360-748-6601 for details about joining either group.

The nonprofit's service numbers for 2020 are down from the previous year, with 440 domestic violence victims and 91 sexual assault victims served, "but still pretty high, all things considered," Camenzind said.

One area of service that Hope Alliance is working to expand is preventative action, such as providing training to different organizations so that community members can recognize people in need of help.

"Lewis County has the highest per capita of child sexual assaults in the state, and I think we as community members can do more to embrace and support the vulnerable," Camenzind said. "We as a community could do a lot more to provide wraparound service by connecting with them early and taking preventative measures."

Hope Alliance has recently reached out to Lewis County school districts with the offer to provide virtual training to staff for Relationship Wellness Month in February. Those interested in setting up a virtual training for their own organization should email Camenzind at kristinec@hopealliance.org.

For more information on Hope Alliance, and for updates on what virtual services are available, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/hopealliancelc, or their website at https://hopealliancelc.org/. Their crisis line — 360-748-6601 — is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Donations Sought for Friends of Hope Alliance Garage Sale

Friends of Hope Alliance is currently accepting donations for a garage sale Feb. 12-14 to raise funds for the nonprofit organization.

The organization is primarily funded by state contracts with strict guidelines for usage, according to director Kris Camenzind, and funds raised separately from those contracts can be used to help pay for things not specifically laid out in the contracts, such as buying gas gift cards or paying to replace a gift card for someone who has to drive a long distance to flee an abusive situation.

"We're very creative with our restrictive funding," said Camenzind. "We try to find other resources and use unrestricted funding as a last resort."

Like many nonprofits, Hope Alliance hasn't been able to put on any of its regular fundraisers due to COVID-19 and has seen a decrease in donations since the start of the pandemic.

Friends of Hope Alliance is accepting donations of furniture, clothes and other household items at Dirty Thumb Nursery (1580 State Route 6, Chehalis) through Feb. 6. The garage sale itself will run 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 12 and 13, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Feb. 14.

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