Newton Community and Healthcare Foundation: What's New

Newton Ccommunity and Healthcare Foundation

Heart-to-Heart

Heart-to-Heart...the name is warm and inviting, but the situations handled there are anything but comforting. Heart-to-Heart is Harvey County's new Child Advocacy Center, which is receiving assistance from Newton Community & Healthcare Foundation.

"We have been working with Loren Friesen, NCHF's executive director, and he's been fantastic," said Detective T. Walton, chairman of the board. "We knew we would be receiving around $10,000 in contributions and donations to get started, in addition to a $3,500 grant from Southwestern Bell," Walton said. "We needed a foundation with nonprofit status that could provide tax relief for our contributors.

Loren set up a designated fund for us for tax-deductible contributions.

All donations go through the foundation and they keep a running total for us. They‚ve done a very nice job," he added.

"The purpose of Heart-to-Heart," said Walton "is to provide a child-friendly location and environment for abused children. It's a more inviting atmosphere than the police station setting.

"The child advocacy center is set up to facilitate interviews. When a child has been in an abusive situation, several people become involved. The child ends up repeating his or her story several times, to several different people.

"At the center, we videotape the interview and only one person conducts the interview. Even if several sessions are necessary, it is always the same person who interacts with the child. This helps reduce the anxiety in an already stress-filled situation for the child," he added.

The center is an unincorporated collaborative effort between several charitable and governmental organizations: Harvey County Sheriff's Department, Newton Police Department, Harvey County Social and Rehabilitation Services, Harvey County Attorney's Office, Newton Medical Center, Prairie View, Inc., and the sexual assault team from St. Joseph's in Wichita.

Although Heart-To-Heart started in early 2000, supporters only recently have raised enough money to fund a permanent location.

The new center, on the second floor of Newton City Hall, celebrated its official opening August 19 with an open house.

If you're interested in contributing to Heart-to-Heart, contact Loren Friesen.