Hope and Healing Survivor Resource Center is the Battered Women’s Shelter (BWS) and Rape Crisis Center (RCC) of Summit and Medina Counties. Hope and Healing is the umbrella that the two non-profits are under.
How and when did the non-profit get started?
The RCC started as a grassroots volunteer effort in 1974, and BWS started as a non-profit in 1977. Over the years, RCC gained it’s non-profit status, and by 2005 we had grown enough to put both agencies together and serve domestic violence and sexual violence survivors in both Summit and Media counties.
Learn more about the history of Hope and Healing Survivor Resource Center on their website.
What are the mission and vision of the non-profit?
The Battered Women’s Shelter is here to lead the community in the prevention of domestic abuse by providing emergency shelter, advocacy and education throughout Summit and Medina counties, all in an effort to break the cycle of abuse and help promote peace in every family.
The Rape Crisis Center of Medina and Summit counties is committed to ending sexual violence through education and awareness, and to empower, support and advocate for all those affected by this crime.
healing. hope. empowerment.
What is your focus in now? Who do you help and why?
We are united in supporting both non-profits, growing in comprehensive and exceptional services for all members of our community who have been victimized by these crimes.
Our campus locations in both Summit and Medina Counties are a safe landing zone for thousands of our friends, neighbors and family members who wish to start their personal steps towards hope and healing.
We provide emergency shelter, hospital advocacy, court advocacy, free therapy and support groups, housing assistance, youth advocacy, and more as of 2020.
Where is the non-profit headed? What do you hope to accomplish in the future?
Right now, our agency is focusing on garnering new partnerships with other social services in Northeast Ohio to create a sustainable continuum of care for survivors or Sexual Violence and Intimate Partner Violence. We are not only renovating our Medina shelter, but are also adding a kennel to our Summit location (because we recognized a need for pets to come with their owners as that is a barrier for people wanting to seek help) and a clinic to provide in-house medical care.
We hope to continue to provide all of our services to survivors for free, bridge gaps in healing, and build relationships even stronger in both Summit and Medina counties.
How can people get involved? (Volunteer, donate, support, etc.)
Visit our Internships & Volunteer Opportunities and Support Hope & Healing pages on our website. These are the easiest ways to start a volunteer application or give a financial donation.
We love having consistent individual volunteers in shelter or working on the Rape Crisis hotline, as well as having one-day group volunteer events that finish big projects. Volunteers and interns can do a variety of things in every location we have, giving them an equitable and fulfilling experience while they’re here. We are so thankful for any volunteer that comes our way! Right now we are looking for craft donations like canvasses, paint, jewelry bead kits, notebooks/journals, and more art supplies.
Is there anything else you would like to include?
We appreciate everything that comes our way. We are dedicated to ending sexual violence and domestic violence through prevention education and cultural humility. Please let us know if you would like a presentation, talk, or panel at your student organization meeting, church group, class room, business meeting, and more about consent, active bystander intervention, rape culture, signs of abusive relationships, healthy relationships and boundaries, self care, and more. We are happy to go anywhere in Summit and Medina counties that want the education!
Follow Hope and Healing Survivor Resource Center on social media
- Twitter: @rccmsc and @SummitMedinaBWS
- Instagram: @rccmsc and @scmcbws
- Facebook: RCC of Medina and Summit Counties and Battered Women’s Shelter of Summit and Medina Counties
- Website: https://hopeandhealingresources.org/
Special thanks to Megan Delong, Hope and Healing Volunteer and Outreach Advocate, for sending these answers and providing photos. If you’d like a non-profit you’re involved with to be featured on the Everyday Akron blog, please reach out.
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