R.I.S.E. Advocacy Fund

R.I.S.E. Advocacy, Inc. (formerly Women’s Aid Service) is a local group which provides emergency shelter and crisis intervention services for domestic violence victims in the area. Women’s Aid Service was created in the ‘70s, in response to domestic violence, and has since grown to serve all local victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. WAS currently offers several basic services such as transitional housing, legal advocacy, counseling and support groups, child care, food, and medical attention. The Fund was established in 2001 to give the program what Director John Haycook referred to as “a nest egg” to allow them to offer further services in the future. “This Fund is set up to help us bridge the gap between the cost of the services we currently offer and the cost of the services we should and would like to offer victims in our area,” Haycook said.

R.I.S.E. also hopes to see the Fund used to educate the public about domestic violence and sexual assault. Although Haycook said most of these crimes still go unreported, R.I.S.E. has been working hard with Listening Ear, Central Michigan University’s Sexual Aggression Peer Advocates, and Native Shelter recently to increase awareness and to empower all victims in mid-Michigan.