Vienna donates $10K to advance North Star Child Advocacy Center’s mission
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VIENNA -- North Star Child Advocacy Center received a $10,000 donation from the City of Vienna on Monday, the organization announced via press release.
The donation comes from a unanimous vote from Vienna City Council during its Feb. 8 meeting. North Star is a non-profit that advocates for child sexual abuse victims and seeks treatment for therm.
Executive Director Greg Collins had given a presentation to council at its Jan. 25 meeting. He said he intended it to be for educational purposes only.
"My intention was to merely educate that community's elected officials and possibly in the future, be considered to be included in their regular budget so we can start seeing a more stable platform than we currently have with grants. I didn't ask for any amount of money at that time," he said in the release.
Collins reflected on the reception he received from council members.
"You could see their facial expressions changing, their body language shifting and even a few watery eyes," he said.
Collins said he received a text message from a staff member advising of the donation on Feb. 8.
"I can tell you I was choked up," he said. ""It felt really good to be in front of this group of people from the very beginning, but to see a follow up call to action was special."
Vienna Mayor Randy Rapp visited North Star on Tuesday. He discussed the effects of the presentation on council.
"Realizing that child abuse in Wood County is more prevalent than we want to think, and hearing Greg tell us some of the actual statements made by children that have been interviewed at the center was a real eye-opener to us all," he said.
Rapp said that a government official's job is to prioritize spending and taking care of children should be a high priority.
"A percentage of the over 600 children that North Star interviews every year are children from Vienna, these are our kids. Our job, as elected officials, is to properly prioritize the city's spending. There is not much of a higher priority to me than taking care of our children," he said.
Effective July 1, North Star will lose the Encova (previously BrickStreet) grant that has been utilized for the last eight years, providing $50,000 per year, as it will no longer exist. Another grant through the federal Victims of Crime Act Fund is projected to decrease by October 2024 by 57% and 86% in October 2025. VOCA is 42% of North Star's budget.
Collins said his presentations at Vienna City Council was a preemptive measure to secure more consistent funding for the organization.
"Getting some stability from budgets and not relying on the failing grants will assist us in helping them with their massive daily workloads for 100 years to come," he said.
Collins also expressed his appreciation to local government officials for their support and willingness to learn more about North Star's mission.
"With the actions of the City of Vienna and statements from them of more help to come is monumental for us and a statement to the family or guardians of an abused child in our community, that we are here for you," he said.