Hope House is excited to announce that we were one of two organizations in the state awarded the Rape Prevention Education sub-grant through the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault. With this funding, we created a new position, the Prevention Project Coordinator and hired Robin Bariel this October. She will work closely with Baraboo High School to help plan and implement classroom and extracurricular education that gives students the skills to build healthy relationships. She will coordinate school staff training, facilitate parent and community education, foster a coalition, and influence policy and organizational practices.
To ensure success of the project, the grant requires input from school staff, parents, students, and other community members. Hope House would like to invite you to actively participate on an advisory committee to provide feedback and guidance on how we can best work towards eliminating risk factors for sexual violence at Baraboo High School. The first meeting will be Monday, November 9 from 6 - 7:30 pm at East Elementary School in Baraboo. If interested in attending or wanting to learn more, please contact Robin at 608-356-9123 or email her here.
Wow, what a month! Staff, volunteers, and community members were quite busy raising awareness of domestic violence in our service area. We released our I Am a Survivor video, held a luncheon on the impact of domestic violence on children, raised awareness at three local high school football games, put up community displays, staffed awareness booths at Juneau County Women's Night Out and the Sharing Suppers in Portage, Endeavor and Mauston, participated in Ho-Chunk's DVAM walk at the House of Wellness, and more. Local businesses, such as Fantastic Sams in Baraboo and Health Source Chiropractic in Baraboo, held promotions benefiting Hope House, and Culver's in Lake Delton had a donation jar with awareness cards. WRPQ in Baraboo ran DVAM PSAs and local law enforcement had NO MORE magnets on their squad cars. Thank you to everyone who helped raise awareness this October!
Here are some resources you may be interested in that came out this year for DVAM:
7 Ways to End Domestic Violence for #DVAM2015: “We’re nearing the end of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to get involved! Domestic violence is an issue that affects communities everywhere all year round. There are always opportunities to raise awareness and support survivors. In honor of all survivors, here are 7 ways YOU can #SeeDV and #TakeAStand against domestic violence”…Read more
Director Hannelore Williams Discusses LoveStruck Documentary Webseries: “This week, we sat down with filmmaker Hannelore Williams, director of the forthcoming three part documentary webseries, LoveStruck. In LoveStruck, Williams interviews both survivors and perpetrators of domestic violence, honestly exploring the personal toll of the nationwide epidemic”…Read more

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
- Bathrooms: Toilet bowl cleaner, Toilet paper, Deodorant, Disposable razors, Small garbage cans with bags, Nail clippers, Cleaning supplies such as Lysol disinfecting spray and floor cleaner, Clorox wipes, Hairspray, Bleach, Bathroom rugs and bath mats
- Kitchen: Paper towels, Ziploc bags, Tupperware, Small mason jars, Dishwasher soap, 13-Gallon garbage bags, Silverware, Brush for cleaning bottles, Sip cups, Saran wrap, Aluminum foil
- Food and Beverages: Meat, Fresh fruit and vegetables, Yogurt, Cheese, Canned soup, Snack items (crackers, granola bars, etc.), Fruit juice, Milk
- Laundry: Powder laundry detergent, Dryer sheets, Fabric softener sheets
- Clothing for Women and Kids: Winter boots, Socks, Women’s underwear, Medium-Large size pajamas, New sweatshirts and sweatpants
- Misc: Pack 'n Play, Vacuum, New white full/twin bed sheets, Double stroller, Baby wipes, Band-Aids, Diapers and pull-ups, Pocket-sized calendars, Strollers, Baby bottles, Umbrellas, Hangers, Weather radio, Journals, Exercise balls, Yoga/exercise DVDs, Relaxation CDs, Baby thermometer, CD players, Regular light bulbs
Special Note about Travel-Size Items: We encourage those looking to donate travel-size items to donate them to the Backpack Project. The Backpack Project strives to provide Baraboo School District students who are financially challenged to enter the school doors on the first day ‘just like everyone else’ and to show these children the community supports and encourages them to learn and do their best. If interested in donating towards this project, please contact Becky Hovde at 608-963-8230 or hivebiz@centurytel.net.
Domestic Violence
![]()
|
![]()
|
Sexual Assault
|
![]()
|

-
Nebraska Eighth-Graders Turn School's Sidewalks into Display of Positive, Anti-Bullying Messages: “October is National Bullying Prevention Month. This week, eighth grade students at Scott Middle School in Lincoln wrote positive messages on the school's sidewalks to express their feelings as part of a national campaign”…Read more
- Anti-bullying Laws Appear to be Working: “Looking at data from more than 60,000 high school students in public and private schools in 25 states, the study found that states that did have anti-bullying laws with at least one Department of Education recommendation saw fewer instances of bullying”…Read more
- Mass Killings in the US: Masculinity, Masculinity, Masculinity: “Too many boys are learning that violence and entitlements to domination and control, including, centrally, over girls and women, define become ‘a real man.’ That's about gender, and the outcomes are grossly misogynistic, whether they use money, knives, fire, laws, or guns and whether or not their stated intent is religiously or racially motivated”…Read more
- Friends Don’t Ask Their Friends for “Rush Boobs”: “I genuinely believe that virtually all fraternity men don’t want their mothers, girlfriends, sisters, and women friends to be raped. That just isn’t enough anymore. Many of these young men would proudly pin on a white ribbon pledging they are against rape or host a 5K to benefit a local rape crisis center. That just isn’t enough anymore. We have raised enough awareness, and we need real action...Moving toward culture change will require these young men to question tradition and advocate for structural change. It will require them to listen to women. It will require them to do something revolutionary for men to do: follow”…Read more
- Women Share Their Experiences of Rejecting Men's Sexual Advances - and How They Reacted: “Women have been sharing stories about the abuse they have faced after rejecting sexual advances from men. The accounts have been compiled on the When Women Refuse blog. The site was launched after 22-year-old Elliot Rodger killed six people in a drive-by shooting in Santa Barbara in May 2014. In a previous YouTube video, he had complained about being rejected by women and had threatened to take revenge”…Read more
- Mysterious New Emoji Keeps an Eye Out for Bullies: “Apple added the emoji to its virtual keyboards as part of the anti-bullying ‘I Am a Witness’ campaign from the Ad Council, a nonprofit that produces public service messages. The aim is for users to include ‘the Witness Emoji’ in messages when they see online or text messages that contain hurtful, bullying comments. Other major tech companies, including Google, Facebook, Snapchat and Adobe, are also getting behind the campaign, which was started in honor of National Bullying Prevention Month”…Read more
- Harley Tarkenton, 28, and Robert Reick, 28, both of Portage, charged with repeated sexual assault of a woman…Read more
- Gregory Heep, 28, of Wisconsin Dells, sentenced to four years in prison for possession of child pornography…Read more
- Alexander Kluball, 25, of Reedsburg, transported a minor across state lines for sex trafficking…Read more
- Roger Shaw Jr., 36, of Montello has been charged with first degree sexual assault of a child under 12, first degree child sexual assault, child enticement…Read more
- Davian Salgado, 25, of Chicago, has been charged with sexual assault of a child under 16 years of age in Juneau County…Read more
- Kindness Matters: Transforming Your Classroom and Creating a Bully-Free School: “There's plenty of evidence that science backs up the positive effects of kindness, so let's take a look at five joyful ways that you can transform your classroom”…Read more
- NetSmartz’s New Video: Split Decisions is NetSmartz’s “newest video that shows positive ways for teens to resolve online conflicts...and what happens when they don't. Watch as two girls, Lily and Gabriela, make different decisions that lead them down very different paths. One leads to common ground. The other leads to digital drama. This video is accompanied by a discussion guide and activity cards for middle and high school students.”
- What Should Parents Know about Instagram?: Check out this article and video from Common Sense Media. They also have similar articles on Snapchat, Tumblr, and Vine.
- PACER’s Anti-Bullying PSA: “Have you ever felt like the whispers, giggles, note passing, and looks were directed at you or someone you care about? Imagine if all that attention was channeled into positive action. Disney is supporting Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center in hopes of inspiring social change among young people everywhere”…View the 2-minute PSA
Faith Communities' Section
|
|
- Free Youth Mental Health First Aid Training: On Friday, November 6 from 8 am - 5 pm will be a free Youth Mental Health First Aid training at the Adams-Friendship Area School District Building. For more information and to register, please see the flyer.
- Domestic Violence in Later Life Conference: This 2nd annual conference will be held November 13 from 9 am - 3:45 pm at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. To learn more and to register, click here.
International Day of the Girl: October 11 was International Day of the Girl. Check out this powerful video where “thirteen girls from 8 countries perform this dynamic rendition of ‘Yet’ – a poem by British writer and performer Keisha Thompson – to rally girls around the struggle to overcome discrimination, claim their rights and celebrate their futures”…View the video and check out additional resources