Start the giving season off strong by donating to a local nonprofit organization in Santa Barbara County on #GivingTuesday, November 29th!
With your support these nonprofits can continue to thrive and serve those who need their services the most. This is why Noozhawk has re-launched its annual Good for Santa Barbara Section, so that finding a cause you connect with is made easy and donation information is readily available!
In this interview, Noozhawk spoke with Ashlyn Neavel, Marketing Manager for Olive Crest to learn how this nonprofit helps prevent child abuse by strengthening, equipping, and restoring children and families in crisis.
Olive Crest
Question: What is the name & mission of your nonprofit?
Answer: Olive Crest is dedicated to preventing child abuse by strengthening, equipping, and restoring children and families in crisis… “One Life at a Time.” ®
Q: How long has your nonprofit been in service and whom was it started by?
A: Olive Crest was founded in 1973 by Dr. Don and Lois Verleur.
Q: What was the inspiration behind your nonprofit?
A: In 1973, Dr. Don and Lois Verleur took in four teenage girls and opened their first home for children. Drawing from the olive tree in the front yard and the idea of a family crest, Olive Crest, a name symbolizing “peaceful family,” was born. The Hope Refuge Campus was inspired by the growing epidemic of youth who were being exploited by sex trafficking in the United States. It is estimated that 325,000 children are at-risk of being forced into sex trafficking each year and only 511 beds at various facilities were identified in the United States, who were equipped to address the complex trauma these young girls have faced. In 2014, additional shelter beds in Santa Barbara for this high-risk population were deemed the number one priority. Olive Crest’s Hope Refuge Campus is one of the only residential facilities in central California specifically designed for minor girls who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation.
Q: How is your nonprofit primarily funded and what are your greatest needs?
A: Olive Crest’s Hope Refuge Campus receives government funding, but with the help of generous donors, Olive Crest is able to offer much more. The Hope Refuge Campus offers the highest level of care that a state-licensed facility can offer, which addresses the complex trauma of exploitive sexual abuse. Through therapeutic and relational support, the goal is for each girl to heal from the trauma of their abuse, be a part of a strong, loving family, and get connected to a community of support that will help them forge a pathway to success.
Currently, our greatest need is to renovate and modernize the campus to be able to serve more minor girls. The current facility is nearly 60 years old, and general wear and tear has started to show. In addition to renovating the campus, increased demand for services has stretched Olive Crest’s staffing and resources, so additional funding would provide counselors, therapists, and case managers to work directly with the girls as they combat the trauma they have endured.
Q: In what ways does your nonprofit utilize it’s funding?
A: All funds raised for Olive Crest’s Hope Refuge Campus go directly towards the needs and operating costs of the facility. This six-month residential program operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, providing hope, restoration, and resources for healing. All needs that arise for the girls, including clothing, food, safe/secure housing, medical/dental services, and recreational activities are provided during their time in the program. A comprehensive and nurturing education environment is onsite which allows these girls to continue their education and reach their full academic potential in a comfortable setting, while continuing their treatment and recovery.
Q: How do people get involved/volunteer for your nonprofit?
A: Olive Crest believe that “Everyone Can Do Something…What’s Your Something?” Through various drives, community events, monetary donations, or volunteering your time, everyone has the power to make a difference in their community and have an impact on this under-served population. Volunteer opportunities could include hosting an art activity, mentoring, recreational opportunities, or music classes.
To learn more about volunteer opportunities or how you can get involved, please contact Sally Cook, Director of Development and Community Engagement at sally-cook@olivecrest.org
Q: What makes your nonprofit different from others?
A: For nearly 50 years, Olive Crest has transformed the lives of 200,000 children and their families. We work tirelessly to meet the individual needs of kids in crisis by providing safe homes, counseling, and education for both youth and parents. Our 98% stability rate is a testament to the lifelong commitment and unwavering compassion that the Olive Crest family maintains to the children and families we serve, even after they have graduated from our programs.
Additionally, Olive Crest’s Hope Refuge Campus is one of the only programs that services minor girls who have been sex trafficked. Most facilities are for women, 18 years or older.
Finally, all staff are Trauma Informed trained, Commercially Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) trained, and hold a Bachelor’s Degree at the minimum.
Q: Can you share one or two stories of individuals whose lives have been changed because of your organization?
A: Olive Crest received a call from a local probation department regarding a 14-year-old girl named Rachel, who had recently been arrested and placed in juvenile hall. After realizing Rachel was a victim of sex trafficking, she was referred to Olive Crest’s Hope Refuge Campus, where she could get the appropriate help they knew she needed.
Once Rachel arrived at the Hope Refuge Campus, more about her past was discovered. Over the years, she has been exposed to extreme abuse and neglect, had been a victim of sex trafficking, and had experienced multiple failed foster placements. Rachel’s mother was in prison, her father was absent from her life, and she didn’t have any extended family to help guide her through life.
It was also discovered that Rachel had dropped out of school, was very defiant, and as a way to protect herself, she refused to let people get close to her. Rachel was in denial and didn’t admit that she has been trafficked; she simply thought that her life was “normal.”
After working with staff at the Hope Refuge Campus, Rachel’s journey toward healing began. She participated in extensive trauma counseling and group therapy, started attending on-site schooling, and learned what it meant to have healthy relationships.
Today, for the first time, Rachel is enrolled in public high school, and slowly starting to integrate with her fellow peers. She is facing her anxious fears, is on the road to graduate, and is taking the appropriate steps to living a healthy, productive life.
15-year-old Destiny grew up highly vulnerable in an unsettled and dysfunctional home. Problems at home caused her to escape the sad realities of her life by regularly running away. Destiny sought unhealthy attention by people she met on the streets, and soon found herself being groomed for sexual exploitation. Thankfully Destiny found Olive Crest, where she was greeted with authentic love, care, and support she so desperately wanted.
From the moment Destiny arrived at the Hope Refuge Campus, she felt truly supported. “I didn’t know what to expect when I first came to Olive Crest, so I was nervous and ready to run,” Destiny said at her graduation speech. “But once I realized the staff really cared about me and other understood what I have been through, I knew I could face some of the crazy stuff that has happened to me and I could really heal from all I had been through. I have never felt such love and acceptance.”
Destiny soon became one of Olive Crest’s successful graduates from the Hope Refuge Campus and was celebrated with a red-carpet event, speeches, a special meal, and lots of happy tears.
Q: Why should donors trust your organization and are there other ways to help outside of donations?
A: For 50 years, Olive Crest has been meeting the needs of some of the most vulnerable children and families, becoming one of the leading providers of services for children and families in crisis. Established, proven, and respected, Olive Crest serves 4,000 children and families each day through the Western United States. Year after year, our programs meet the highest national standards in delivering optimal services to the community and surpass national average for key outcomes, including Safety, Well-Being, Stability, and Permanence. Olive Crest has been accredited by the Council on Accreditation since 2001; and received the California Nonprofit of the Year Award in 2019, by State Senator Richard D. Roth. Olive Crest’s Hope Refuge Campus is operating at the highest level of licensing provided by the state of California.
Q: Can you tell us one short-term goal AND one long-term goal that your nonprofit has for the next year?
A: One short-term goal for Olive Crest’s Hope Refuge Campus is renovate and upgrade the campus in order to service more young girls who need the love.
Long-term, it is the goal to establish a Transitional Housing program. Transitional Housing is a comprehensive program that will help these high-risk girls forge pathways to economic stability and self-sufficiency. This is available to girls who have graduated from the Hope Refuge Campus and will include safe, affordable housing and supportive case management to help them achieve their life goals.
While a part of this program, girls will participate in at least 4 hours of Independent Living Skills (ILS) classes, which include areas of financial literary and budgeting, time management and healthy living, and workforce development training. The girls will be encouraged to continue their education, whether it be a GED, trade school, or community college/university.
Click here to support Olive Crest’s mission to prevent child abuse by strengthening, equipping, and restoring children and families in crisis… “One Life at a Time.”
Check out Noozhawk’s Guide to Giving for a full list of nonprofits to donate to this giving season.