The three partners for this year’s Kay’s Way supply drive provide vital services for women and children dealing with big issues: Child abuse. Domestic violence and sexual assault. Our local foster care system.
The clothing, personal care products and other items donated during the supply drive, May 13-24, will assist these nonprofit organizations in supporting the women and children they serve.
The Mt. Pleasant Women’s Initiative organizes Kay’s Way, which honors the memory of Kay Krapohl Smith, daughter of Krapohl Ford co-founder Robert Krapohl and the mother of current dealership co-owner Mark Smith. Kay, who became a co-owner of the dealership, was one of the co-founders of the Women’s Initiative. She was involved in community projects in multiple counties, and our ongoing community commitment honors her and the founders of our dealership.
“This is a special time of year for us at Krapohl,” Mark said. “My mother believed in giving back and working to make our community better. Our ‘Local Dealership. Local Commitment’ tagline came about in part because we continue to share her belief in getting involved.”
When Kay passed in 2008, her obituary listed more than 30 volunteer organizations she had served. The Women’s Initiative created Kay’s Day, an annual fundraising social gathering, in her honor. The pandemic of 2020 put that on hold, and it was transformed in 2021 as the Kay’s Way supply drive.
Donations of supplies for the Isabella County Child Advocacy Center, the Foster Closet of Isabella County and R.I.S.E. Advocacy can be dropped off in the Krapohl sales showroom and at Weichert Realtors-Broadway Realty.
On May 22, every dollar spent by customers on oil changes at the Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center at Krapohl will go to the Kay’s Way supply drive partners, to purchase the items most needed by their constituents.
Here’s a closer look at each of this year’s partner organizations.
Isabella County Child Advocacy Center
The message from Britnee Neitzke is simple: “You can’t turn a blind eye to child abuse.”
Neitzke is in her third year as president and CEO of the Child Advocacy Center, which works with alleged victims of sexual or severe physical abuse or have witnessed violence.
“It’s important to understand child abuse exists in our community and to be able to recognize signs of abuse,” she said.
Three pillars make up the bulk of services the Child Advocacy Center provides:
- Forensic interviews: These usually are recorded single-session interviews conducted by trained professionals when child abuse is suspected or if a child has witnessed violence. Extended multi-session forensic interviews are conducted when children are involved in criminal or child protection investigations. More than 200 forensic interviews are conducted each year.
- Advocacy: Each child and family that come to the center are teamed with a family advocate. This relationship continues after the initial visit, throughout the investigation and court process. The advocacy may include crisis counseling, referrals to a sexual abuse treatment program, a medical exam, community resources, and/or prevention education.
- Prevention education: The Child Advocacy Center conducts sessions, such as its “Darkness to Light: Stewards of Children” program, which teaches adults how to prevent, recognize and react to child abuse. The Center provides several other programs, including those in every public school in Isabella County. Some school programs are geared for first- to third-graders, while others focus on seventh- to ninth-graders. These programs reach more than 8,000 people each year.
Items to donate to the Child Advocacy Center: Feminine hygiene products, shampoo, conditioner, styling products, hair accessories, shaving cream, deodorant, snacks, water, gas cards.
Foster Closet of Isabella County
Through special events, welcome packages to new teens and children, and outreach to the community for volunteers and supplies, a team of part-time volunteers works in Clare and Isabella counties. The Foster Closet started in 2014, and the Kay’s Way supply drive will especially help with the welcome packages and other needs for foster children and teens.
Items to donate to the Foster Closet: Underwear, socks, hairbrushes and accessories, feminine hygiene products, duffle bags, backpacks, makeup, nail polish, twin sheet sets.
R.I.S.E. Advocacy
R.I.S.E. Advocacy provides intimate partner and sexual assault support services in Isabella, Clare and Gratiot counties. Services it provides include free advocacy, counseling and support to survivors of assault.
The R.I.S.E. website offers help to those who feel they or their children are in an unsafe environment. If necessary, R.I.S.E. can provide emergency shelter for victims and their children. The organization also has legal advocates who can help clients across the three counties.
R.I.S.E. has a 24-hour help line for additional information or to talk with someone: 844-349-6177.
Items to donate to R.I.S.E. Advocacy: Twin sheets and comforters, pillows, bath towels, underwear, deodorant, laundry detergent, dish soap, cleaning supplies.
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