McHenry County Blog

The following press release was received from Kelli’s Cuckoo’s Nest in Cary:

Meat Raffle to Benefit Turning Point

Kelli’s Cuckoo’s Nest in Cary will host a Meat Raffle to benefit Turning Point on Saturday, March 28th, from 2-5 PM.

They will be donating 10% of the register plus the proceeds from the raffle.
Kelli’s Cuckoo’s Nest is at 100 Crystal St. (Route 14) in Cary, right across the highway from the train station.

Turning Point is a domestic violence agency with a mission to confront violence against women and children in McHenry County, Illinois.

A story I planned to write fell through the Rod Blagojevich arrest day crack.

Jane Farmer, Executive Director of Turning Point wrote a letter which I’d like to share with you. It follows:

Congratulations on the recent conviction regarding the 911 domestic violence call with (the) Harvard Police Department. Assistant State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally did an outstanding job of prosecuting this case.

I am impressed with the work Patrick did as well as your stand on holding domestic violence perpetrators accountable for their actions.

This certainly proves once again that evidence based prosecution not only can work, it truly does work.

As you well know, domestic violence cases are difficult to handle, often having a victim recant or flee based on fear or lack of options.

This was an amazing case and will help keep our county that much safer.

Thank you again for the work you and your staff do and I applaud your office’s efforts to continue assisting Turning Point in our mission to “Confront Violence Against Women and Children in McHenry County.”

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Click to enlarge the image.

A story I planned to write fell through the Rod Blagojevich arrest day crack.

Jane Farmer, Executive Director of Turning Point wrote a letter which I’d like to share with you. It follows:

Congratulations on the recent conviction regarding the 911 domestic violence call with (the) Harvard Police Department. Assistant State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally did an outstanding job of prosecuting this case.

I am impressed with the work Patrick did as well as your stand on holding domestic violence perpetrators accountable for their actions.

This certainly proves once again that evidence based prosecution not only can work, it truly does work.

As you well know, domestic violence cases are difficult to handle, often having a victim recant or flee based on fear or lack of options.

This was an amazing case and will help keep our county that much safer.

Thank you again for the work you and your staff do and I applaud your office’s efforts to continue assisting Turning Point in our mission to “Confront Violence Against Women and Children in McHenry County.”

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Click to enlarge the image.

I wish I had permission to use that photo of the little kitten hanging on by his claws.

This one of a woman who just got Christmas presents for her kids they would otherwise not have had will have to do.

A client is hugging Cindy Smith after receiving presents donated by local organizations, mainly local women’s groups you can read about here.

It would epitomize the month-to-month fight for Crystal Lake’s domestic violence and rape prevention organization on Route 14 just north of the West Crystal Lake Avenue traffic light.

PEACE4ALL held a tent rummage sale on Country Club Road in mid-August.

$2,500 was raised.

Despite the fact that only one person is being paid (someone to assist the ones who do the unpaid counseling), it still takes about $3,000 a month to keep the agency open.

The rummage sale allows PEACE4ALL to stay open through September.

Fund raisers are scheduled for October and November.

Wonder why the agency should survive?

Read what it did for one woman:

“Peace 4 All is a Christian organization that has been helping me through the end of this ordeal. I wish I had known about them earlier. 

“They are a free institution.

“They assist and counsel both men and women who have been or are being victimized either physically or emotionally.

“They are non-profit-entirely dependent upon donation organization.

“Their site is www.peace4allonline.org. The site is not very well produced. They are in need of someone to volunteer to develop a better one.)“

I wish I had permission to use that photo of the little kitten hanging on by his claws.

This one of a woman who just got Christmas presents for her kids they would otherwise not have had will have to do.

A client is hugging Cindy Smith after receiving presents donated by local organizations, mainly local women’s groups you can read about here.

It would epitomize the month-to-month fight for Crystal Lake’s domestic violence and rape prevention organization on Route 14 just north of the West Crystal Lake Avenue traffic light.

PEACE4ALL held a tent rummage sale on Country Club Road in mid-August.

$2,500 was raised.

Despite the fact that only one person is being paid (someone to assist the ones who do the unpaid counseling), it still takes about $3,000 a month to keep the agency open.

The rummage sale allows PEACE4ALL to stay open through September.

Fund raisers are scheduled for October and November.

Wonder why the agency should survive?

Read what it did for one woman:

“Peace 4 All is a Christian organization that has been helping me through the end of this ordeal. I wish I had known about them earlier. 

“They are a free institution.

“They assist and counsel both men and women who have been or are being victimized either physically or emotionally.

“They are non-profit-entirely dependent upon donation organization.

“Their site is www.peace4allonline.org. The site is not very well produced. They are in need of someone to volunteer to develop a better one.)“

I’ve written before about Crystal Lake’s domestic violence and rape prevention agency, PEACE4ALL.

It’s an all-volunteer operation that fills a significant community need.

The organization has scheduled an out in the open rummage sale. There will be some good stuff there. I took over bags gleaned from my wife’s closet.

If you have stuff you want to donate, give them a call at 815-455-2457. Same number, if you want to help out.

Here’s the press release I received:

P.E.A.C.E. 4 ALL – Second Annual
Rummage & Treasure Tent Sale

P.E.A.C.E. 4 ALL is hosting their second Annual Rummage and Treasure Tent Sale. The sale will be held at 3104 S. Country Club Road in Woodstock on August 7th, 8th and 9th from 8 am – 7 pm each day. All proceeds and donations will be used to support victims of family violence.

Donations for the rummage and treasure tent sale may be dropped off at 44 N. Virginia Street in Crystal Lake on August 4th, 5th and 6th.

Items needed include:

• gently used clothing,
• household good,
• baby items,
• furniture and
• toys.

Monetary and gift card donations from individuals, businesses and organizations are also greatly appreciated. To donate large items, such as furniture, please call 815-455-2457.

Be sure to mark the dates and join us for a shopping adventure where you’ll be sure to find some incredible deals!

For more information, contact P.E.A.C.E. 4 ALL at 815-455-2457

I’ve written before about Crystal Lake’s domestic violence and rape prevention agency, PEACE4ALL.

It’s an all-volunteer operation that fills a significant community need.

The organization has scheduled an out in the open rummage sale. There will be some good stuff there. I took over bags gleaned from my wife’s closet.

If you have stuff you want to donate, give them a call at 815-455-2457. Same number, if you want to help out.

Here’s the press release I received:

P.E.A.C.E. 4 ALL – Second Annual
Rummage & Treasure Tent Sale

P.E.A.C.E. 4 ALL is hosting their second Annual Rummage and Treasure Tent Sale. The sale will be held at 3104 S. Country Club Road in Woodstock on August 7th, 8th and 9th from 8 am – 7 pm each day. All proceeds and donations will be used to support victims of family violence.

Donations for the rummage and treasure tent sale may be dropped off at 44 N. Virginia Street in Crystal Lake on August 4th, 5th and 6th.

Items needed include:

• gently used clothing,
• household good,
• baby items,
• furniture and
• toys.

Monetary and gift card donations from individuals, businesses and organizations are also greatly appreciated. To donate large items, such as furniture, please call 815-455-2457.

Be sure to mark the dates and join us for a shopping adventure where you’ll be sure to find some incredible deals!

For more information, contact P.E.A.C.E. 4 ALL at 815-455-2457

I know the twelve days of Christmas have passed, but before Christmas I stopped over at the Route 14 Crystal Lake offices of PEACE4ALL.

It’s a non-profit domestic violence, sexual assault counseling and prevention organization for men, women and children.

When I walked in the back of the building lower level entrance at the P.E.A.C.E. 4 ALL’s North Virginia Street location, there were presents everywhere!

There were gift bags on the floor, wrapped presents stacked on tables, and even more presents along with clothing, household and food pantry items in a side room.

One woman with a passel of boys from more than ten miles away was there to pick up their family’s presents.

Women in Management members bought 240 gifts and provided 25 gift bags.

The Women’s Leadership Network provided a huge array of presents for two big families and additionally, they provided over $200 in gift cards to grocery, gas and retail stores.

The PEACE portion of their name is an acronym that stands for:

• Prevent,
• Educate, and
• Advocate in our
• Community in order to
• End domestic violence and sexual assault.

PEACE 4 ALL believes in providing education to our all of our community members and they are available for speaking engagements for your groups or classes of adults and children.

PEACE4ALL has identified several key needs in our community and they are providing many gap-filling services that are not available through other agencies in the area.

PEACE4ALL is in the process of finishing the building of their transitional housing.

It will provide for up to an unheard of 18 month stay for clients.

There they can recover and receive the necessary counseling, job training, schooling, and ultimately, the healing they need in order for them to move forward to lead productive lives in our community.

Homelessness is a difficult situation alone, but then add the part of domestic violence on top of the homelessness and the problems are multiplied.

PEACE4ALL provides sexual assault services for persons who are ages 17 and under, which is a key population that is not being served through any other avenue in the county. Situations like date rape and the important pieces of educating our youth in these areas are what PEACE4ALL is embracing to help make a difference in the youth of our community.

In the Fall, PEACE4ALL will be opening their Children’s Center in a Trout Valley day care facility. It will specialize in providing help to children who have witnessed family violence in order to aide them in their healing and recovery.

Bobbi Allen, the new outreach person, told me that she recently introduced herself at a meeting of the Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce Newcomers meeting.

“Afterwards seven people came up,” she told me.

“The first was a victim. The other six said, ‘We want to help.’”

Marlowe Middle School in Huntley had taken on another family with seven children whose father had left the family without resources to finance Christmas presents.

I asked Cindy Smith, one of the co-founders for some statistics.

She told me prior to Christmas that 485 people had been helped in the last year, about 85% women and 15% men.

I know I met a couple of men who had been helped during this past fall’s “garage sale.”

As with all not-for-profit organizations, there is always a wish list.

PEACE4ALL is looking for

computers with Windows XP, laptops to do emergency orders of protection, compassionate people who would like to be trained as advocates, volunteers to help with event planning and in the business office, projectors, desks & chairs, office supplies (copy paper, printer ink, but you need to call for details, file folders, stamps), non-perishable goods, food and gas gift cards, food coupons, small bottles of water & juice, shampoo, deodorant, and, of course, gifts of money are always welcome and truly are needed at this time.

To volunteer, provide assistance or to reach PEACE4ALL with questions or to schedule a speaking engagement, please call their business office at (815) 455-2457 or you can write to them via email at: info@peace4allonline.org.

= = = = =
The top two pictures are in reverse order. The client in the office picking up presents for her family was wiping tears of joy when I entered the office. She hugged Cindy Smith after looking at the presents for her family. Bobbi Allen stands in her red Christmas sweater looking at the bags of gifts for other families. At the bottom is a poster I found in another room. You can click to enlarge it to see some of what those who use PEACE4ALL’s services discuss.

I know the twelve days of Christmas have passed, but before Christmas I stopped over at the Route 14 Crystal Lake offices of PEACE4ALL.

It’s a non-profit domestic violence, sexual assault counseling and prevention organization for men, women and children.

When I walked in the back of the building lower level entrance at the P.E.A.C.E. 4 ALL’s North Virginia Street location, there were presents everywhere!

There were gift bags on the floor, wrapped presents stacked on tables, and even more presents along with clothing, household and food pantry items in a side room.

One woman with a passel of boys from more than ten miles away was there to pick up their family’s presents.

Women in Management members bought 240 gifts and provided 25 gift bags.

The Women’s Leadership Network provided a huge array of presents for two big families and additionally, they provided over $200 in gift cards to grocery, gas and retail stores.

The PEACE portion of their name is an acronym that stands for:

• Prevent,
• Educate, and
• Advocate in our
• Community in order to
• End domestic violence and sexual assault.

PEACE 4 ALL believes in providing education to our all of our community members and they are available for speaking engagements for your groups or classes of adults and children.

PEACE4ALL has identified several key needs in our community and they are providing many gap-filling services that are not available through other agencies in the area.

PEACE4ALL is in the process of finishing the building of their transitional housing.

It will provide for up to an unheard of 18 month stay for clients.

There they can recover and receive the necessary counseling, job training, schooling, and ultimately, the healing they need in order for them to move forward to lead productive lives in our community.

Homelessness is a difficult situation alone, but then add the part of domestic violence on top of the homelessness and the problems are multiplied.

PEACE4ALL provides sexual assault services for persons who are ages 17 and under, which is a key population that is not being served through any other avenue in the county. Situations like date rape and the important pieces of educating our youth in these areas are what PEACE4ALL is embracing to help make a difference in the youth of our community.

In the Fall, PEACE4ALL will be opening their Children’s Center in a Trout Valley day care facility. It will specialize in providing help to children who have witnessed family violence in order to aide them in their healing and recovery.

Bobbi Allen, the new outreach person, told me that she recently introduced herself at a meeting of the Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce Newcomers meeting.

“Afterwards seven people came up,” she told me.

“The first was a victim. The other six said, ‘We want to help.’”

Marlowe Middle School in Huntley had taken on another family with seven children whose father had left the family without resources to finance Christmas presents.

I asked Cindy Smith, one of the co-founders for some statistics.

She told me prior to Christmas that 485 people had been helped in the last year, about 85% women and 15% men.

I know I met a couple of men who had been helped during this past fall’s “garage sale.”

As with all not-for-profit organizations, there is always a wish list.

PEACE4ALL is looking for

computers with Windows XP, laptops to do emergency orders of protection, compassionate people who would like to be trained as advocates, volunteers to help with event planning and in the business office, projectors, desks & chairs, office supplies (copy paper, printer ink, but you need to call for details, file folders, stamps), non-perishable goods, food and gas gift cards, food coupons, small bottles of water & juice, shampoo, deodorant, and, of course, gifts of money are always welcome and truly are needed at this time.

To volunteer, provide assistance or to reach PEACE4ALL with questions or to schedule a speaking engagement, please call their business office at (815) 455-2457 or you can write to them via email at: info@peace4allonline.org.

= = = = =
The top two pictures are in reverse order. The client in the office picking up presents for her family was wiping tears of joy when I entered the office. She hugged Cindy Smith after looking at the presents for her family. Bobbi Allen stands in her red Christmas sweater looking at the bags of gifts for other families. At the bottom is a poster I found in another room. You can click to enlarge it to see some of what those who use PEACE4ALL’s services discuss.

When I was writing the story about Turning Point’s fund raiser at Sam’s Club on Sunday, one bit of information that I wanted to include was the total amount raised.

I heard on STAR 105 that a couple would match all contributions up to $25,000. I wanted to know if they made their goal.

Monday, I received this reply from Joe Kvidera, Events Coordinator:

“I won’t know a “For sure” number till later in the week but I think it’s safe to say we raised at least $75,000.”

So they raised their $50,000 goal, plus 50% more.

A successful fund raiser, even if it did rain.