The Ministry Against Domestic Violence of Great Bend has received the Community Ally of the Year Award from the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence (KCSDV).
The service group was awarded the honor during KCSDV’s 12th Annual Safe Homes, Safe Streets Awareness Day and Sunflower Safety Breakfast event in Topeka on Feb. 12. Carol Dellinger and Sheila Hunt, members of the Ministry Against Domestic Violence, attended the event and accepted the award on the group’s behalf.
The award comes just as the group is gearing up to host a dinner and silent auction Saturday to support the work of the Family Crisis Center in Great Bend. (See Breakfast Briefings for more information.) According to MADV member Carol Dellinger, there will be door prizes and the silent auction will include “affordable” items for folks to bid on.
“Every penny of our costs for the meal and prizes has been donated, so all of the profits go to the Crisis Center to use in their work to end domestic violence,” Dellinger said.  
Since 1995, KCSDV has been recognizing outstanding advocates and allies who are working to enhance victim safety, to increase perpetrator accountability, and to prevent and eliminate sexual and domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking in Kansas.
“I am so grateful for the work of the Ministry Against Domestic Violence,” said Laura Patzner, executive director of Family Crisis Center Inc., the sexual and domestic violence advocacy program serving Barton, Rush, Ness, Pawnee, Stafford, Edwards, Pratt, Kiowa, Comanche and Barber counties.
“They formed to make a difference and have done just that, creating awareness, supporting services and standing with survivors,” said Patzner. Family Crisis Center nominated the Ministry Against Domestic Violence for the award.
The Ministry Against Domestic Violence was formed when Father Chuck Dahm came to Great Bend to talk about the church’s role in addressing domestic violence. A group came together and made a commitment to understand the needs and work to help survivors find safety and to create an educated and safe faith community to respond to survivors within their congregations. What started as a conversation four years ago has turned into numerous acts of service and a steady commitment to survivors in Great Bend.
“The Ministry Against Domestic Violence continues to support the Family Crisis Center, helping advocates provide life-saving services to victims. It is this type of community service organization that deserves the Community Ally of the Year Award,” said Joyce Grover, executive director of KCSDV.
Other award winners at this year’s event included Steve Howe, Johnson County District Attorney, for the other Community Ally of the Year Award; Angie Blumel of Kansas City for the Juliene Maska Outstanding Advocate of the Year Award; Karen Pyles from Kansas City for the Volunteer of the Year Award; and the Art Circles project of the Family Crisis Services Inc. in Garden City for the Project of the Year Award.