COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

GMi Companies is proud to serve our community and take pride in the opportunities we offer and are involved with in Lebanon, Ohio. We participate in several programs and give as much as we can to our community.

ABUSE RAPE CRISIS SHELTER OF WARREN COUNTY

For the last three years, Cory Bowers has spent a few hours a week at the Abuse Rape Crisis Shelter (ARCS) of Warren County, playing with children living at the shelter while their mothers attend group therapy.

Cory had no idea her service was going to be recognized at ARCS’ annual gala in October, where she was presented with a silver serving tray symbolizing service to the organization.

She enjoys visiting with the children. “I like giving them a break from their worries and providing the one-on-one attention they crave,” she said. “With their lives in upheaval, they really just want time to be kids.” The group can be one to 15 children, ages 0-18.

The involvement started when Cory was looking for a place to volunteer and saw ARCS was in the area. A 12-week training program was required before she could begin working with the children. During that time, she learned all about the shelter and their services.

The 14-bed facility, opened in 1984, provides about 3,000 shelter nights to 130 women and children every year. It also offers:

  • Legal and Court advocacy
  • Individualized Safety Planning
  • Individual and Group Support Counseling
  • Information and Referral for judicial, legal, financial, mental health, and housing

“ARCS gives women and their children a temporary safe place to live, helps the women find jobs, and advocates for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. They provide prevention and support groups. They do amazing work,” Bowers noted.

The shelter is always in need of donations and volunteers. can donate funds through https://arcshelter.com, or apply to volunteer.

If you know anyone who needs help, the crisis hotline is 888-860-4084.

 

WARREN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

GMi-donated trees help children enjoy Christmas and summer camp

When she heard about the Warren County Historical Society’s idea to raise money for children’s programming by selling decorated Christmas trees, Sherrie Bowers knew GMi would want to be involved. Sherrie serves on both the GMi and the Historical Society boards, and played a major role in the project.

GMi decided to decorate one tree, and donate three others to children’s nonprofits. “We knew it would be fun for the children to have trees they decorated in the Christmas Festival at The Harmon Museum,” Sherrie explained.

Sherie personally delivered trees to Brush of Hope (an after-school art program for girls), the Lebanon United Methodist Church’s preschool and kindergarten, and the Abuse and Rape Crisis Shelter (ARCS); then picked up the decorated trees a week later and delivered them to the Historical Society. She also decorated GMi’s tree.

“It was the first year of the fund-raiser and very successful,” she noted. “There were 55 trees purchased and decorated by local businesses and organizations. Our goal was to raise $2,000 to send children to the Society’s summer camps, but we raised $3,000.”

The decorated trees were sold to the public through a bidding process. “When people came into the museum, they bid on a tree, and also voted for their favorite,” Sherrie said. “We didn’t think the children’s trees would get very high bids, but ARCS’ ‘cotton candy’ tree got a very respectable bid, along with the second-highest number of votes; Brush of Hope’s tree got 2nd place in the Children’s Division; ‘Snowmen’ (the one Sherrie decorated), was third-favorite; and the church’s Preschool/Kindergarten tree got a special ‘Spirit of Christmas’ award.

Each four-foot, undecorated artificial tree cost $25, and GMi gave every group $25 worth of decorating supplies, for a total GMi donation to the Historical Society of $200.

“The Society will definitely do it again,” said Sherrie. “It was a fun community project. Fifty-five groups got in the holiday spirit decorating the trees; everyone who visited the museum during the festival got to enjoy the trees; and dozens of children will have the opportunity to learn about history this summer through the monies raised.”