Breaking Chains: 12th Annual Jail & Bail fundraiser raises over 15k for domestic violence support

Apr. 12—Hope's Wings had its 12th Jail and Bail fundraiser on Friday, cuffing public officials, friends, and neighbors to collect donations for their release.

According to Executive Director Jennifer Lainhart, the Jail and Bail Fundraiser has brought the nonprofit organization an average of $30,000 per year, giving the nonprofit "essential" funding to continue providing emergency shelter to women and children impacted by domestic violence and offering wraparound services to those women, children, and men in need.

According to Lainhart, fundraising has been instrumental in helping the organization grow.

She noted that years ago, the organization was only able to "band-aid" the problems that arose from domestic violence. Now, she reported that they offer a comprehensive spectrum of services that follow families beyond their initial stay with Hope's Wings, leading to lower rates of spouses returning to domestic violence situations.

Last year, she said the fundraiser was "essential" in fixing approximately $25,000 in plumbing damage that would have prevented the shelter from admitting new residents.

This year's pot of funds will go to the nonprofit's rainy day fund, handling expenses that grants don't cover, such as utilities and procuring documents for domestic abuse survivors.

"Think about it, 85% of domestic violence victims return to their abusers because they don't know how to financially sustain themselves," explained Lainhart, who added that a lack of self-esteem and job skills can make an obstacle, such as getting a job and identification, more difficult.

She continued, "[Survivors] don't feel like they've got the skills; they haven't had the experience to do so. So when you come to the shelter and your end goal is to have an apartment of your own, not having your identification, your birth certificate, clothing, food... that type of thing can inhibit your ability to get apartments. You also have to have all of those things to apply for any kind of assistance that they are going to need while they're sitting in shelters, such as food benefits...If I did not have those things. I would face some barriers."

Jail and bail funds also assist in housing male domestic abuse survivors, who Lainhart says are put up in hotels.

These are among the many reasons that Richmond City Commissioner Jim Newby cited Hope's Wings as his "favorite" organization to support.

"Domestic violence is a problem, and what [Lainhart] has done over the years has given the women and the children a place to go because a lot of times there is no place to go. and there are voices that are not typically heard or believed," he said. "And she's just proven over the years, from the statistics that she gives, it's growing...the help and aid that they've been given just makes me want to give that gift of time and effort that much more."

Newby was joined by fellow Commissioner Tammy Cole, who joined the commission last January.

Cole recalled how "moving" it was to hear women who have been through the program tell their stories when she attended an event hosted by Hope's Wings.

"It takes all of us to make the village work," Cole commented. "So I really appreciate Hope's Wings and the support they provide for our community."

Another elected official who came to show his support was Magistrate Billy Ray Hughes, who commented that one of Madison County's "best-kept secrets" is the number of volunteers and giving people who support folks in need.

"We've got a lot of needs in Madison County," the magistrate said. "Domestic violence, there's a lot of hungry people here, there's homeless people here, they're some just barely making ends meet. So there's a lot of needs, but we have got a giving community...And I just want to do my little piece."

One of those working to meet the needs mentioned by the magistrate is Madison Home Executive Director Jamie Jordan, who spent some time in the figurative slammer to raise money and show his appreciation for the ongoing partnership forged between the two nonprofits.

For example, Jordan shared that Lainhart will share grant opportunities with Madison Home while Madison Home will send people to Hope's Wings to assist with lawn care and other small chores.

He noted that there are people who come to Madison Home to seek shelter from domestic violence situations, and he feels that they can call Lainhart and her staff to help because they have more expertise and resources to assist in those types of situations.

He also asserts that the ability to partner with and pass cases to organizations that can better serve certain people is part of what makes Madison Home a community-oriented organization.

"We need each other," he said. "We have sent people both directions where we can better serve the folks that we're trying to help."

Hope's Wings reported over $15,000 raised at 3:30 p.m. on Friday; however, Lainhart noted that not all the pledges has been turned in and tallied at that time.

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