OceanFirst Bank Supports Children’s Program at 180 Safe House

Thank you to our friends at OceanFirst Bank for supporting our Youth Advocacy Program at our Safe House. OceanFirst Bank’s generous financial support will help us to provide the counseling and advocacy that children staying with us at our shelter so desperately need. 

This generous donation of $15,000 will support the Safe House’s Residential Youth Advocate position. The Safe House Youth Advocate provides a welcoming environment for children as soon as their family arrives by providing them with an age-appropriate tour of their temporary home and a welcome bag with items to make their stay comfortable. Once the family settles in, counseling assessments are completed to understand the needs of each individual. The Youth Advocate works with each child to process the abuse they may have witnessed, and supports them as they adjust to their new environment and, in some cases, a new school, too. Advocates also incorporate creative arts, drama, music, and play therapy into counseling for children and teens. Because children are often the silent victims of family violence, it is critical that 180 provides intervention. Children who have witnessed violence often cannot express their feelings about traumatic events in their lives using words alone.

Children who experience the stress of living in a violent home often display negative behaviors, such as hitting, throwing tantrums, crying, becoming quiet and shy, or showing signs of: poor impulse control, verbal or physical aggression with peers and/or family members, low frustration tolerance, feeling sad, depressed or anxious, physical complaints without signs of sickness, poor school performance, low self-esteem, acting too old or too young for their age.

Thanks to this generous gift from OceanFirst Bank, children can receive the specialized support they need as they heal from the effects of domestic violence. Thank you OceanFirst Bank! Your ongoing support means so much to us!