Grace Coleman, Director of Crisis Center North, shares her unique background growing up in a small Irish-American village and her transition to combating domestic violence. The center serves over 2,500 clients annually, providing critical services including emergency shelter and long-term counseling. Grace highlights their unique housing program for victims and their pets, and their innovative use of new technologies. She highlights the importance of financial abuse awareness and offers financial literacy workshops and a micro-loan program. Grace discusses the center's funding and the need for creative fundraising events to support continuing programs. as well as state, federal and foundation efforts. She introduces and shares the success of the PAWS for Empowerment program, which started as a single shelter dog named Penny and expanded to include more animal advocates to support victims, making the courtroom process more compassionate and humane for the survivors.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS:

1. Grace introduces her current role with Crisis Center North in Pittsburgh.
2. She shares her origins from a small Irish-American village in Pennsylvania.
3. Grace recounts her transition from teaching to working at Crisis Center North, where she has been for 26 years.
4. She recounts the importance of her father's very diverse veterinary career and the lack of social work services in her childhood community, leaving her father to often provide critical crisis managment to the community.
5. Grace provides and overview and Crisis Center North's history, starting with its founding mother and her husband Paul, who provided pro-bono services to domestic violence victims.
6. She highlights the services provided by Crisis Center North, including hot line and text line services crucial for providing immediate support for victims.
7. Grace addresses the prevalence of financial abuse in domestic violence cases and the challenges victims faces when needing legal support.
8. Grace introduces the PAWS for Empowerment program, which started as a single shelter dog named Penny and has expanded to included various animal interventions.
9. She highlights the PAW's program's success and role in making the courtroom process more compassionate and humane.
10. She shares details of the center's fundraising efforts to ensure the center's sustainability and ability to provide comprehensive services.
11. Grace reflects on the personal fulfillment she finds in her work and the importance of integrating her passions into her career.

LINKS:

Crisis Center North Web Site

PAWS for Empowerment Program

www.financialabusehelp.net