Our Community Initiatives advocates play a crucial role in assisting the underserved children and adults in their Western North Carolina communities by making the necessary connections to fulfill the needs they see firsthand in their clients’ lives.

Jordyn Dezago, Associate Child and Family Coordinator of Helpmate, frequently works with WNC Bridge Foundation to help children, and their parent(s) or caregivers begin a new life free of violence. Jordyn has been working in various roles of violence prevention, education, and child & youth development for the last 10 years.

Jordyn’s message to all WNC Bridge Foundation donors, “Your donations – big and small – are having large and lasting impacts on our WNC families. Whether it’s keeping a family’s lights on for another month or helping child & youth-serving agencies like us provide a safe space for parents to bond with their children, your support is making a real and lasting impact on the children in our community.”

Helpmate is the largest domestic violence service provider in Western North Carolina. Last year they served 3,568 survivors including 1,298 children. Staff responded to 3,012 crisis calls on the 24-hour emergency crisis line, and Helpmate assisted survivors in creating 15,438 individualized safety plans.

Jordyn’s message: “Many of the children and families that we work with have been impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) like family violence, community violence, or abuse. And of course, we can’t overlook the layers of community and individual trauma wreaked by Hurricane Helene. Research has found that one of the best ways for children to heal and build resilience after experiencing a big traumatic event is through meaningful relationships with a nurturing parent or caregiver. Community Case Managers at Helpmate work with parent-survivors to help them meet their basic needs, so that rather than having to stress about where their next month’s rent will come from, they can focus on bonding with, and being present for, their children. At Helpmate, we rely on WNC Bridge Foundation’s Community Initiative Grants to help meet needs that often seem impossible to meet any other way. We have been able to use these grants to help get specialized medical equipment for children who had to flee an abusive home, to help pay car repairs for parents who rely on their vehicles to work and bring their kids to school, and to help pay utility bills for families who would otherwise have their lights or water shut off. Many of the protective parents we serve are single parents working full-time jobs to support their families, and on top of everything else, they may have abuse-related obligations like appearing in court, or having Child Protective Services involved due to violence or abuse inflicted by a former partner or spouse. When parents are stressed and spread too thin, their children have nowhere to turn to meet their own needs for growth and healing. That’s why it has been such a blessing to have WNC Bridge Foundation as a community partner, to help families meet their basic needs, so they can focus on healing and rebuilding together. One of my biggest sources of joy is seeing the shock and relief on a parent’s face when they find out that WNC Bridge Foundation is making the impossible possible for their family!”