CAPSEA Launches 'Leave the Lights On' Fundraiser for Emergency Shelter

CAPSEA’s fundraiser aims to counteract post-pandemic downturn in donations.

About the Fundraiser

CAPSEA’s ‘Leave the Lights On’ fundraiser is dedicated to raising crucial funds for the operational sustainability of our emergency shelter The fundraiser’s theme, ‘Leave the Lights On,’ aims to capture our commitment to providing a safe haven for those in need, symbolized by the continuous illumination of our shelter’s lights.

Despite the ever-increasing demand for our services, CAPSEA has been grappling with dwindling donations, coupled with rising operational costs due to factors like inflation. Your participation in this fundraiser will directly impact the lives of survivors who rely on our shelter’s services, ensuring our shelter’s lights are always on, ready to offer refuge, safety, and hope.

Together, we can make a difference and ensure that CAPSEA’s emergency shelter remains a beacon of safety for those who need it most. Illuminate hope today and help us ‘Leave the Lights On’ for survivors on their journey toward healing and recovery.

You can Make a Difference.
Donate Today.

There is no such thing as a small donation. Every dollar donated to CAPSEA helps to change the lives of women, men, children, and families in Elk and Cameron County. Every donation makes a difference

“Your participation in this fundraiser ensures the CAPSEA shelter lights are always on, ready to offer refuge, safety, and hope. I urge everyone in our community to illuminate hope today and help CAPSEA ‘Leave the Lights On’ for survivors on their journey toward healing and recovery.”

Paula Eddy, Executive Director of the Elk County Community Foundation and CAPSEA board member.

CAPSEA was founded as an emergency shelter more than 40 years ago. While the organization has since grown to encompass a comprehensive spectrum of services, including legal and medical advocacy, post-trauma healing, and sustainable housing solutions, the critical importance of the emergency shelter remains. Each year, nearly 100 victims and families find refuge in the shelter, allowing their escape from dangerous, potentially life-threatening situations.

As the surrounding communities have struggled to regain their financial footing post-pandemic, CAPSEA has also grappled with a sharp downturn in donations and equally concerning increase in costs fueled by record-breaking inflation. This unfortunate circumstance sparked the creation of the nonprofit’s ‘Leave the Lights On’ fundraiser, which aims to raise the funds needed to sustain CAPSEA’s emergency shelter for those who depend on it.

“The reality is that our community members are struggling. Everyone is doing their best to adjust to the spike in living costs, especially after so many businesses closed during COVID,” said CAPSEA Executive Director JoAnne (Billie Jo) Weyant. “Unfortunately, this has had a devastating impact on the donations needed to sustain the shelter’s operations. Donations have been cut in half since last year, but the need for safe emergency housing has not. Each week, CAPSEA’s staff fields dozens of calls from victims in need of our support. If you’re able to do so, please consider donating. Your tax deductible donation will directly impact the lives of survivors who rely on our shelter’s services.”

For many victims of domestic violence and sexual assault throughout the 1,223 square mile Elk and Cameron County area, the shelter is the only viable housing option that allows them to escape an unsafe living situation. It’s estimated that operating costs for the shelter will be around $250,000 for 2023, which is a 170% increase from recent years. Rising operational costs for the shelter include:

Utilities
Maintenance
Food and toiletries
Security and safety measures
Insurance costs and deductibles
24 hours/day staffing with specialized training

As CAPSEA embarks on the years-long undertaking of transforming the former Udarbe Towers into its new “Under One Roof” all-in-one center, the existing emergency shelter remains the sole refuge for victims in need.

“We are excited for the future, but focused on the present and how we can continue to provide relief, safety, peace of mind, and nourishment to those affected by domestic and sexual abuse,” added Billie Jo.

“Your participation in this fundraiser ensures the CAPSEA shelter lights are always on, ready to offer refuge, safety, and hope,” said Paula Eddy, Executive Director of the Elk County Community Foundation and CAPSEA board member. “I urge everyone in our community to illuminate hope today and help CAPSEA ‘Leave the Lights On’ for survivors on their journey toward healing and recovery.”

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