The room is welcoming, with soft chairs and walls painted in relaxing, neutral tones. The shades are drawn, dimming the room slightly, and a white noise machine plays out in the hallway. The sounds of crashing waves, rhythmic and soothing, can be heard from inside.
The room is the workplace of Sue Andersen, a community education coordinator and advocate at Voices of Hope, a Lincoln-based nonprofit that offers free and confidential services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and other forms of abuse.
Andersen has been an employee for Voices of Hope for 28 years now.
"I had actually used services here many many years ago, 30-plus years ago," she said.
Since joining, she said she’s helped advocate for thousands of victims, each …show more content…
Whether it’s answering calls on the crisis landline or working with walk-ins, Andersen is paired with victims in many ways.
"It’s really a lot of listening,” she said. “Advocating is kind of walking alongside someone, it 's not in front, not in back. I 'm not going to do things for them, but provide information to empower them to make the choices that are best and safest for them."
After so many years of working as an advocate, Andersen says it’s made an impact on her life.
“I always say that once you know this stuff, you can 't ever not know it,” she said. “It’s not a job, it 's a way of life.”
Andersen said statistics about sexual assaults, such as the fact that one in four college women report surviving rape or attempted rape, are numbers she finds hard to forget.
“Walking down the street, you just kind of start numbering people off: one, two, three, four... you can 't let go of it."
Even her home life has been affected by the job. As a single mother with four sons, Andersen said the job has changed how she’s raised her …show more content…
Someone who would say all the right things every time and make every woman and child safe.
While she found out that isn’t the case, she still is happy to help whom she can.
“I think that you learn that you 're part of a process,” she said. “So it 's an honor to be a part of that process.”
For victims seeking help through Voices of Hope’s walk-in services, the doors are open on weekdays.
The building doesn’t stand out from the neighboring homes; the center itself is two combines houses, with a wraparound porch and brown siding. The only indicator that it’s not a home is a sign out front with its name.
Walk-ins are given a brief form to fill out, and then often offered coffee or water before taking to a room to speak with a staff member.
Andersen said that the most common visitors come in for partner violence and domestic dating violence.
For many of the victims, the abuse isn’t a physical or sexual assault. Andersen said many of the cases she’s seen involve verbal abuse and manipulation, forms of abuse that don’t leave marks.
“It 's about power and control,” she said. “A lot of this intimidation, using emotional abuse, isolating... it 's not against the
The room is the workplace of Sue Andersen, a community education coordinator and advocate at Voices of Hope, a Lincoln-based nonprofit that offers free and confidential services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and other forms of abuse.
Andersen has been an employee for Voices of Hope for 28 years now.
"I had actually used services here many many years ago, 30-plus years ago," she said.
Since joining, she said she’s helped advocate for thousands of victims, each …show more content…
Whether it’s answering calls on the crisis landline or working with walk-ins, Andersen is paired with victims in many ways.
"It’s really a lot of listening,” she said. “Advocating is kind of walking alongside someone, it 's not in front, not in back. I 'm not going to do things for them, but provide information to empower them to make the choices that are best and safest for them."
After so many years of working as an advocate, Andersen says it’s made an impact on her life.
“I always say that once you know this stuff, you can 't ever not know it,” she said. “It’s not a job, it 's a way of life.”
Andersen said statistics about sexual assaults, such as the fact that one in four college women report surviving rape or attempted rape, are numbers she finds hard to forget.
“Walking down the street, you just kind of start numbering people off: one, two, three, four... you can 't let go of it."
Even her home life has been affected by the job. As a single mother with four sons, Andersen said the job has changed how she’s raised her …show more content…
Someone who would say all the right things every time and make every woman and child safe.
While she found out that isn’t the case, she still is happy to help whom she can.
“I think that you learn that you 're part of a process,” she said. “So it 's an honor to be a part of that process.”
For victims seeking help through Voices of Hope’s walk-in services, the doors are open on weekdays.
The building doesn’t stand out from the neighboring homes; the center itself is two combines houses, with a wraparound porch and brown siding. The only indicator that it’s not a home is a sign out front with its name.
Walk-ins are given a brief form to fill out, and then often offered coffee or water before taking to a room to speak with a staff member.
Andersen said that the most common visitors come in for partner violence and domestic dating violence.
For many of the victims, the abuse isn’t a physical or sexual assault. Andersen said many of the cases she’s seen involve verbal abuse and manipulation, forms of abuse that don’t leave marks.
“It 's about power and control,” she said. “A lot of this intimidation, using emotional abuse, isolating... it 's not against the