Nyki Stump, art therapy graduate student and counselor at Emporia State University’s Student Wellness Center, along with her daughter McKenna, a junior at Osage City High School, created artwork for the new SOS shelter. They partnered with Tiffany, former Shelter Manager, Angie, current Shelter Manager, and Connie, Executive Director, to create the design. “The staff at SOS were easy to work with and their excitement about receiving the piece made it so much fun to do!” according to Nyki. McKenna commented that she was “thrilled to be able to contribute to the Emporia community as a young artist.”
The SOS shelter provides a place where those affected by domestic violence can be safe and receive services to move forward with their lives. SOS’s vision statement is, “We envision a community in which every person lives without fear of interpersonal violence.” In addition to the shelter, SOS’s crisis services offer advocacy, assistance with legal services, education about interpersonal violence and other important topics, as well as safety planning. If you need any of these services, please call the 24/7 Helpline at 1-800-825-1295 to speak with an advocate, it is free and confidential. SOS is also the home of the CAC (Child Advocacy Center), CVEC (Child Visitation & Exchange Center), and CASA of the Flint Hills (Court-Appointed Special Advocates). For more information about all of SOS’s programs and services, please visit www.soskansas.com.