Last Year's Event -- 2012 Toast to Heal Hearts

In November 2012, a small group of individuals hosted the first fundraising effort in support of Healing Hearts Child Advocacy Center. The event, aptly named Toast to Heal Hearts, was a wine tasting held pool-side at the lovely home of Dr. and Mrs. Brad Stewart. Guests sampled wine donated by Jimmy Tharp of Grapevine Liquor & Wine and enjoyed delicious hors d'oeuvres prepared by Jennifer Hanlon of the Fillin Station Grille. A cigar bar was provided by The Tinder Box of Collierville, TN.

The event was well done in an elegant yet relaxed atmosphere. Acoustic guitarist Mike Salzgeber played through the evening while guests mingled and supported the fundraising effort. Items ranging from a Crystal Ball evening, a guided Delta duck hunt, a weekend in Tunica, and other fabulous prize packages were included in a raffle where guests all cheered as the winning tickets were drawn.

The night was a complete success with over $12,000 raised by this single event. Toast to Heal Hearts was indeed instrumental in the CAC being able to open in April of this year. 

About the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT)

The Multi-Disciplinary Team recently celebrated its one-year anniversary of collaboration between all agencies in fighting child abuse as a team. Since June 2012, DHS, the DA’s office, law enforcement from all cities, mental health professionals and the HHCAC staff have been meeting monthly to review all reported cases of child abuse in Desoto County.

Words from Steven Jubera, DeSoto County Assistant District Attourney:

 “I am very proud of our team and how they work together day after day to do what is right for the kids of Desoto County. The detectives are on the front lines, investigate the cases and often have to look these offenders in their eyes. DHS works hour after hour to put these families back together after the horrors these kids suffer. The counselors I have been blessed to work with help the kids.

“Our forensic interviewer looks into the eyes of these sweet children as they share the most intimate details of their suffering. They need all of our support. The individual child is the hero. They do the bravest thing anyone could ask another person to do by telling. The bravery these kids put forth, everyone who has come through Healing Hearts CAC’s doors, is amazing to me. They are stopping child abuse every time they disclose abuse. We need to support them and we need to break down every barrier between them and justice.”

The children of Desoto County are very fortunate to have this team fighting on their behalf. The entire team of law enforcement, DHS staff, mental health professionals and prosecutors is doing an excellent job to protect the victims of child abuse in DeSoto County and bring offenders to justice.

About Healing Hearts Child Advocacy Center (CAC)

At this time last year a child advocacy center did not exist in DeSoto County but the need for a coordinated effort to protect and advocate for our abused children was most certainly a reality.

Before Healing Hearts opened, children in DeSoto County who were suspected of being abused were taken to child advocacy centers in Memphis, Tupelo, or Oxford. Healing Hearts Child Advocacy Center opened its doors in March, 2013, and has already served many children in their reported abuse situations. These children come to the CAC for a forensic interview which is captured on tape and is used by the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) of professionals – the District Attorney’s office, all branches of law enforcement, and the Department of Child Services. This interview process eliminates the need for the children to tell their story multiple times to multiple people – school officials, DCS, police, lawyers, etc.

By June, well over 60 interviews had been completed at the CAC and the MDT (organized last year in anticipation of the CAC opening in DeSoto County) had reviewed 156 cases. With the MDT in place and moving cases swiftly to justice, there is less cost to DeSoto County while there has been an increase in the number of arrests of offenders, number of cases presented to the Grand Jury, number of indictments and prosecutions.

More abuse cases have been reported in the first half of 2013 than in all of 2012. Coordination has greatly improved between DHS, law enforcement, and the District Attorney’s office. The District Attorney’s office has greater faith in these cases than previously because of Healing Hearts, the staff, and the expertise the CAC brings to DeSoto County. Our children deserve to have their stories heard and they deserve professional counseling for the mental and emotional wounds they have suffered. Our children should never be put in a position where they carry the weight of the world in a criminal prosecution. That started to end a year ago when the MDT was established and continues now with the opening of Healing Hearts CAC. We must continue to fight until every child knows that the people of DeSoto County stand behind them, support them and love them. Our greatest success is the first steps we have taken and our greatest challenge is to completely end child abuse.

The DeSoto County community has stepped up to support the CAC. We hope you will continue to do so by participating in the Toast to Heal Hearts event on November 1. If you have any questions about our community education programs, the services provided at HHCAC, or the upcoming events that will provide funding and support for the center, please feel free to contact Healing Hearts CAC at (662) 349-1555 or by email.

We also encourage you to like the Facebook page “Healing Hearts ChildAdvocacy Center” and visit the website, www.healingheartscac.org.   View the latest newsletter or sign up to receive the newsletter through your email.