
Please see the list below for a few upcoming events; for a complete list click here. Interested in getting involved and doing a project or putting up prevention posters at your business, church, school, library, or organization? Please call us at 608-356-9123 or email us here.
Month-Long Activities:
- Be sure to tune into 99.7 in the Baraboo area, 106.1 in the Adams area, and 92.1 in the Mauston area for Sexual Assault Awareness Month radio PSAs.
- Check your local newspaper for Hope House's SAAM letters to the editor.
- Look for Hope House's SAAM displays throughout the month of April in the West Square Building in Baraboo, the Adams County Community Center, and the courthouses in Portage, Montello, and Mauston. A SAAM display will also be at Divine Savior Hospital in Portage during the week of April 24-28.
- Thanks to the Wisconsin Leadership Seminars teen volunteers, Hope House has a Child Abuse Prevention Month pinwheel display in our front yard. Each blue pinwheel, an awareness symbol for the month, contains a quote card from Darkness to Light. If you are in the area, feel free to stop by and take a pinwheel home with you to place in your yard or attach to your mailbox or bring it to work.
- The Adams County Coordinated Community Response Team, in partnership with Hope House, will be putting up a SAAM display at the courthouse, a newspaper article, and radio PSAs.

Hope House is once again encouraging businesses, organizations, schools, and churches to participate in Denim Day. Denim Day is in honor of a young woman who was raped by her driving instructor. He was convicted, but he appealed, and the judges overturned the conviction. The judges decided that "...because the victim wore very, very tight jeans, she had to help him remove them, and by removing the jeans it was no longer rape, but consensual sex." Denim Day was created as a message in protest of victim-blaming and to promote what consent really looks like. We need to start by believing survivors and not blame them for the sexual assault that someone else committed against them.
Please consider asking employees to wear jeans on April 26 in exchange for making a donation to Hope House. If you’d like Denim Day buttons or flyers, please email us the amount you'd like here. We encourage businesses wearing jeans to take photos and send them to us so we can promote them on our Facebook page and in our e-bulletin. NEW THIS YEAR: Please also consider challenging other similar businesses or other businesses in your community to see who can get the most employees wearing jeans on Denim Day or raise the most funds for Hope House. Some ideas for how you can do this include sending this information to them or posting information about it in your local newspaper or Chamber of Commerce. If your business plans to participate in Denim Day, please let us know at 608-356-9123 or email here. Thank you!
Hope House is facilitating two free Stewards of Children sexual abuse prevention trainings for adults. Darkness to Light's Stewards of Children is the only evidence-based child sexual abuse prevention training proven effective in educating adults to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. This training utilizes a video, workbook, and group discussion. Light refreshments will be provided, and participants are welcome to bring their own food as well.
- Monday, April 24 from 4:30-7pm at the Endeavor Village Hall, 400 S. Church Street, in Endeavor. RSVPs greatly appreciated: Jess at Hope House, 608-356-9123 or email JessicaR@HopeHouseSCW.org.
- Saturday, April 29 from 9:30am-noon at the Boys & Girls Club, 124 2nd Street, in Baraboo. RSVPs greatly appreciated: Nola at Hope House, 608-356-9123 or email PreventCoord@HopeHouseSCW.org.
Monetary donations are most needed. Individuals have the option of donating online. Please note that a portion of your online donation will go towards PayPal fees. Donations can be mailed to Hope House, P.O. Box 557, Baraboo, WI 53913. We also appreciate gas cards, gift cards (Walmart, Kwik Trip, Walgreens, Kohl’s), taxi vouchers from Baraboo Taxi, and used cell phones, iPods and iPads. Please note that we are not accepting stuffed animals/plush toys, used toys, clothes (except for new sweatshirts and sweatpants), shoes, used books, furniture, TVs, bar soap, hats, scarves or travel-size bottles of shampoo, conditioner, or body wash. Current needs include the following:
- Kitchen: Silverware, Non Perishable Food Items, Fresh Produce, Juice, Sippy Cups, Milk, Coffee, Sugar, Creamer, Food Storage Containers, Kitchen Sponges, Dishwasher Soap
- Cleaning supplies: Lysol Spray and Wipes, Mop, Broom and Dustpan Combos, Windex, Floor Cleaner, All Purpose Cleaner, Swiffer Floor Dry Sheets, Vacuum Cleaner, Magic Eraser
- School Supplies: Notebooks, Colored Pencils, and Backpacks
- Miscellaneous: Women's Tennis Shoes, especially size 8 and up, Nail Clippers, New Underwear and Bras, First Aid Kits, Zippered Mattress Protector, Copy Paper, Journals, Pocket Calendars, 10-Gallon Storage Totes, Women and Children Sweatpants, Sweatshirts, Pajamas, Towels, Wash Cloths, Small Lamps
News
Sexual Assault
|
|
Domestic Violence
|
|

- Bystander Intervention Helps Prevent Sexual Assault in High Schools, Study Shows: “Green Dot provides an annual training session to students, then identifies 'popular opinion leaders,' who receive additional training that they then pass on to their peers. Students are taught the ‘three Ds’ of bystander intervention: direct, delegate, and distract…In the largest and longest study of its kind, researchers studied 26 Kentucky high schools over five years. Half of the schools used the Green Dot program, and half did not offer any bystander intervention training. They found that by years three and four of the study, victimization rates were about 12% lower in schools that offered the Green Dot program than in those that did not”…Read more
![]()
|
![]()
|
- Susan Bird-Winbun, of Baraboo, who’s twins were murdered by their father, is speaking to groups and organizations about domestic violence prevention, she also is writing a book about her experiences…Read more
- Loyal Stowers, 33, of Portage, faces felony drug and misdemeanor domestic abuse charges…Read more
- Glenn D. Kaiser, 38, of Mauston, charged with strangulation and suffocation, including two additional charges, after an incident in the town of Necedah…Read more
- Aneta Zapotoczny, 44, of Dell Prairie, charged with attempted homicide, disorderly conduct (domestic abuse) and resisting an officer…Read more
- Justin Blanchard, 31, of Portage, faces a possible fifth conviction for a violent domestic offense in less than two years…Read more
- Robert Haar, 42, of Endeavor, faces extradition to Florida on suspicion of involvement in the gang rape of a 14-year-old girl nearly two decades ago…Read more
- Robert Harvey, 28, of Portage, found not guilty of inappropriately touching his girlfriend’s 5-year-old daughter in November 2015…Read more
- Matthew J. Sweatt, 35, of Elroy, faces three charges, including strangulation and suffocation, domestic abuse repeater…Read more
- Wisconsin PATCH Program’s Parent Resources: “As a parent, guardian, or other trusted adult your support can really help teens get the care they need and deserve. All resources are gathered from credible sources and contain medically accurate information that can improve how you work with the teens you care for”…Read more
- Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health Collective Impact Resilience Workgroup: The Resilience Workgroup has four focus areas: “1. Defining & Promoting Resilience Culture & Language 2. Building Resiliency in Individuals, Families, and Schools Across the Life Span 3. Building a Professional Culture of Resilience 4. Resiliency: Measuring our Progress.” Check out their resilience resources
- High School Students Start Club To Make Sure No One Sits Alone At Lunch: “A club called We Dine Together at Boca Raton Community High School in Boca Raton, Florida, consists of students who roam their school’s courtyard during lunch looking for students who are eating alone. They then introduce themselves and get to know the students”…Read more
- Hidden Consequences: The Impact of Incarceration on Dependent Children: “This article summarizes the range of risk factors facing children of incarcerated parents. It also cautions against universal policy solutions that seek to address these risk factors but do not take into account the child's unique needs, the child's relationship with the incarcerated parent, and alternative support systems”…Read more

Engaging Faith Leaders for Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM): The National Sexual Violence Resource Center has designated the 2017 SAAM campaign, Engaging New Voices. One of the groups they are providing resources to is faith communities. Faith communities can be an important place for healing, connection, and growth. You can help ensure that your local church has the tools to prevent sexual violence and support survivors by checking out the resources in the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault's SAAM Toolkit, especially page 12.
Break the Silence Sunday is April 23: Join churches from across the state in recognizing Break the Silence Sunday, which has been designated as April 23 but could be done anytime of year. Break the Silence Sunday is an effort to open up a conversation within churches about the reality of sexual assault, to support survivors, and to commit to the work of preventing sexual assault. To learn more, visit breakthesilencesunday.org/2017-materials-resources. Please let us know if your church will be participating and if Hope House can help in any way. It's also a great opportunity to recognize Denim Day at your church (please see above). You can suggest congregants wear jeans to church or suggest an alternate option, such as congregants wearing a Denim Day button, which Hope House can provide, or using denim hymnal bookmarks. Churches also have the option of designating their offering for the day to Hope House. Please let us know if you have questions or if you plan to participate at 608-356-9123 or email us here.
- New Domestic Violence Hotline for Native Americans: “StrongHearts is a culturally-appropriate, anonymous, confidential service dedicated to serving Native American survivors of domestic violence and concerned family members and friends. By dialing 1-844-7NATIVE (1-844-762-8483) Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. CST, callers can connect at no cost one-on-one with knowledgeable StrongHearts advocates who can provide lifesaving tools and immediate support to enable survivors to find safety and live lives free of abuse”…Learn more
- How to Detect and Respond to Elder Abuse
- Resource Guide to Trauma-Informed Human Services: “This guide provides human services leaders at the local, State, Tribal, and Territorial levels with information and resources on recent advances in our understanding of trauma, toxic stress, and executive functioning. It especially highlights what these advances mean for program design and service delivery. The guide helps professionals learn about trauma-informed care and helps those currently engaged in trauma-informed work to improve their practice. These resources provide an overview of key concepts related to trauma and a guide to resources from a range of HHS federal agencies and respected sources outside government. These materials are both a ‘front door’ to the topic of trauma and a ‘road map’ to relevant resources”…Read more
- NNEDV’s 10 Tips to Have an Informed Conversation about Domestic Violence: Check out this 5-page guide on talking to others about domestic violence
- Ten Ways to Fight Hate: A Community Response Guide: Check out this guide from the Southern Poverty Law Center