The Beacon Center

We are always happy to receive a check or we have a needs list on our website.' said the soft voice from the Beacon Center.
My husband and I were taking a trip to town anyway so we printed the needs list and hopped in the truck for the 20 minute run. This was the first time we had seen the Beacon Center's needs list and it told a story that touched our hearts. The list brought visions of victims of domestic abuse or sexual assault seeking sanctuary at Beacon Center with just the clothes on their backs and their children in their arms.
The list is a story of starting over, leaving broken dreams and nightmares behind to make a new life. While we could not give these people courage to move forward, we could help them with the list.
The list is humble. It starts with the basics in any kitchen pantry: breakfast food, soups, pasta, peanut butter and more. Your heart skips a beat when you see the baby items: baby food, diapers, sippy cups, diaper rash cream. Then there are the things we take for granted: deodorant, shampoo, dish soap, nail clippers, toilet paper, and garbage bags. These items are frequently on our shopping list but we had never imagined what it would take for someone else to start over from a place of trauma. The miscellaneous category shows the start of a new normal: blankets, towels, can opener, small toys, gas cards, bus tokens, and tickets to the movies.
The list inspired us. We started with one shopping cart and soon had two carts heaping full. We shopped for the people we created in our imagination who came to the Beacon Center. We questioned ourselves, would they like tomato or chicken noodle soup? What brand of cereal would be best? We settled on our usual brands for things like shampoo, toilet paper and garbage bags. The baby items were tougher. We hadn't purchased baby supplies in many years so we guessed at what we thought would be best. We slipped in a few treats, special cookies and my favorite tea. When it came time to check out of the store we found multiple jars of peanut butter in both carts and somehow we knew that was ok.

The Beacon Center supports victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in a mostly rural five county area at Watertown, South Dakota.
Thank you for the opportunity to tell our story and the chance to win a donation to the Beacon Center. We hope the list inspires you as much as it inspired us. .