The Center for New Beginnings held a Sept. 6 ribbon-cutting ceremony and fundraiser at its new offices in downtown Asheville to call attention to the group’s work on behalf of people affected by violence. The event marked the first anniversary of the nonprofit’s work with victims, survivors, witnesses and first responders.
But the organization itself has struggled to survive, co-director Steve Gerber reports. His wife, Lori Gerber, who founded the nonprofit, says: "This is my passion, to [help] someone at the worst time in their lives. I'm honored to be there to listen and to help."
Both Gerbers work other full-time jobs as well; Lori (a substance-abuse counselor by day) has worked in the field for decades, including counseling emergency responders in New York City after 9/11 and being the one who knocks on a family’s door to tell them a loved one has died.
“You have Helpmate, things for domestic violence for women,” Steve explains. But there is no victim-services agency for those who’ve lost a loved one to suicide or homicide, or people who’ve been burglarized or attacked. “That's the niche we're trying to fill in this community.”
The center, he says, gets calls from across Western North Carolina, reflecting the lack of available services. “We had a person come from Swain County who can't sleep a lot,” Gerber recalls. “The first responders, too: the police officers and people who have to go and see these things. People need to talk about this and have therapy and counseling so they can go forward.”
Besides coordinating services provided elsewhere, the center does crisis intervention and post-trauma debriefing, trains first responders, works to boost general awareness and helps crime victims file compensation claims.
But if the need is clear, building community awareness of it has been “a slow process,” Gerber reports, adding that the response from law-enforcement agencies has been mixed. Although the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office uses the center's services, he notes, “We've been getting some resistance, and I don't really know why.” On the other hand, the Sheriff's Office is helping put together literature to refer crime victims to the center.
Meanwhile, the nonprofit has found support from various quarters, including the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, Western Carolina University, local churches, other nonprofits, Asheville FM and several local companies.
In addition, the center is currently seeking grant support, and it welcomes individual donations and volunteer help. “That will help us get more literature out in the community and hold special training and programs, to educate people on what we do,” Gerber explains.
And despite the challenges, the couple remains committed to their mission, he maintains. “Things are happening slowly, but they're happening, so we're not giving up.”
— The Center for New Beginnings has offices in the Self Help Building in downtown Asheville (34 Wall St., Suite 802). For more information, visit the website (http://centerfornb.org) or call 989-9306.
David Forbes can be reached at 251-1333, ext. 137, or at dforbes@mountainx.com. Send your health-and-wellness news to mxhealth@mountainx.com.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.