MORRISON – A little more than a year after Whiteside County's child advocacy center, April House, faced almost-certain closure, its luck has completely turned around – thanks to an outpouring of community support.
Friday, the public is invited to tour the newly renovated location.
With mounting bills and the loss of a crucial state grant that had kept the center up and running, Johanna Hager, April House's executive director – and its sole employee – was at a loss for what to do.
A July 22, 2013, news article detailed the center's plight and the extent of its monetary difficulties. April House, a place where victims of child sexual abuse, physical abuse and serious neglect go to be interviewed about the things they have endured, was clearly in dire straits.
Last July, Hager couldn't even afford the $3,000 needed to apply for accreditation with the National Children's Alliance, something April House needs to be eligible for government grants like the one from the state attorney general's office that it had relied on for years.
Less than 2 weeks later, the center received $31,545 in donations. most of which came in the form of a $12,500 United Way grant, and a private donor who matched it.
Since then, the community has continued to show its support. When the County Board approved April House's move from 503 N. Madison St. to the house next door at 501, a local group immediately stepped in help renovate it.
Major improvements to the original location would have been needed to bring it up to the standards required for accreditation; it was much less expensive to fix up the gray house next door.
That's where the Twin Cities Sunrise Rotary Club came in. Members have been working since April to upgrade the house, an effort Whiteside County Sheriff Kelly Wilhelmi called "invaluable."
In October, Hager, gave a presentation about the center and its financial struggles at the club's meeting.
“It just sparked a lot of emotion in the club that day, and even before she left, we had already started a petition to see if we could raise some money,” club President Dean Ahlers said in a previous interview. “And it snowballed from there.”
Including the work done by the club, donations have totaled around $50,000, Wilhelmi estimated.
State's Attorney Trish Joyce agreed.
"We feel relieved," Joyce said. "We feel so grateful to the community, to individuals, to businesses – especially to the Sunrise Rotary Club for all of their work and efforts. We’ve had people donate from a dollar all the way up to several thousand dollars, and so it’s made us very hopeful that we’ll be able to continue our work."
The donated materials and manpower combined with the brainstorming of everyone involved is what made the overhaul of the new location possible, Joyce said, citing the county's IT director, John Moss, and his creativity in developing and installing a new digital video system – with the help of Frontier Communications – that cost $17,000 less than the one the county originally was considering.
"We’ve had so many people step up locally – business owners and private citizens who have either donated money, products, or time to us," Wilhelmi said. "We’ve had so many people who have given without hesitation. It's been incredible."
"But we’re not out of the woods yet," Joyce said. "The money received has helped us pay back due bills and work toward accreditation ... but we still need to fundraise ... we still will have about a $30,000 deficit each year, unless we’re able to raise those monies on our own."
For the second year in a row, they're planning a golf outing at Cross Creek Golf Course in Morrison, Joyce said, and it's that kind of independent fundraising that could keep April House running for many more years to come.
To attend
An open house for the newly renovated April House Child Advocacy Center will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Friday at 501 N. Madison St. in Morrison. There will be light refreshments and a special presentation.
An 18-hole, four-person scramble golf tournament to raise fmoney for April House begins at 10 a.m. Sept. 27 at Cross Creek Golf Course, 15523 Henry Road in Morrison.
Cost is $60 per person, which includes use of a golf cart and lunch. Registration and payment are due Sept. 22. The day also includes a dessert sale, a 50/50 raffle, a lucky duck raffle and free goodie bags.
Call Whiteside County Sheriff Kelly Wilhelmi at 815-772-4044 or State's Attorney Trish Joyce at 815-772-5194, or find April House on Facebook to register or for more information.
Call April House at 815-772-8663 to learn how to donate or otherwise help.