The Crisis Control Center moved its office in August to a building that was formerly a sporting goods store and originally a church at 50 W. Liveoak St.
The agency was founded in 1988 and serves victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. It had been located for years at 112 N. 12th Avenue until the move, which gives them more office space to be able to better serve the community.
Stephanie Luke was named the interim executive director for CCC in July, following the departure of Eileen Meadows in May. Luke is also a survivor of domestic abuse and she has told her story at many of CCC’s vigils.
“I had started out as a nighttime advocate several years ago and then they had a board position open and asked me to join,” Luke said. “Then, I was board president for the last year and a half and we came to a point where the Crisis Control Center was just going through a new vision.”
Luke said the agency is planning to offer more services to victims.
“We’re hoping to expand our services to be a little more friendly to our clients,” Luke said. “We have space now that we’ve not had before. Of course, the shelter’s going the same as it always has but we’re hoping to able to start a survivor academy which will be a set of course work that the clients will go through together and hopefully, build those bonds that will stop them going back to the abuser.”
She said CCC had outgrown its space. The Jason and Heather Brewer family remodeled the building at 50 W. Liveoak St. two years ago and opened a sporting goods store.
“They decided to close the store and put it up for lease,” Luke said ‘We were the first to come and it’s just perfect for us because this way, since it was an old church, it definitely has a good vibe to it. We have the space for clients to have a more comfortable seating area when we’re counseling them. We have a kids play space. We also have a donation room that we have not had before. We were always able to take donations but we didn’t have a space specific to collecting goods for clients, so now we do. It’s more than doubled our square footage.”
CCC operates an emergency shelter for victims of domestic violence, stalking or sexual assault.
“We will help file protective orders,” Luke said. “We can put them in emergency housing. We can help and if you have to leave unexpectedly, then you do need clothing, hygiene items, somewhere to just counsel and we provide all of those types of services.
“Then, we are hoping to build a group that will be a survivor support group that they’ll bond together and hopefully, that will give them strength … if they need to change jobs, if they need to find new housing, then they can rely on each other through the survivors sisterhood.”
Luke said a survivor support group will help with accountability of the victims and also let them know they are not alone, and that their stories are not unique.
“Everybody is struggling on lots of the same level,” Luke said. “But, we also have had an increase in men and so what we’re hoping to do here is be able to have a new advocate for that service specifically. “In fact, about half our clients right now are men, and so we’re excited that they are being able to step forward and say, ‘Hey, this happens to me too.’” According to Luke, the experience of men in domestic abuse is not much different because like with women, it involves the abuser controlling the victim.
“It’s about wanting to know where you are and what your schedule is and checking your phone, checking your mail, checking through your email, and then isolation,” Luke said. “They may not want them to see their family. They may not want them to have a relationship with their kids or something like. So, that’s kind of universal. It’s just that men are getting brave enough to come forward.”
According to Luke, a large percentage of police officer-involved shootings are from domestic violence intervention and there was one recently in Bryan County when a sheriff’s deputy was wounded.
“Our hope is to lessen the occurrences of domestic violence because we are number one in the country for deaths for intimate partners and that’s not something we want to be number one in,” Luke said. “So, the attorney general this year was able to double our funds from what we’ve gotten in years past that hopefully, we’ll see more awareness that will help with the lower death rates, lower brutality rates, that sort of thing.”
CCC serves not only Bryan, but also Atoka, Johnston and Marshall counties.
“We’re hoping to get more advocates in those outlying counties,” Luke said. “Hopefully when we do that, that will help change the complexion of those communities as well.”
Luke recalled when she was a victim of domestic abuse.
“I was able to come to the center and they helped me work through exactly what we’re talking about, safety planning and they helped me get things in order so that I could leave an unpleasant marriage,” she said.
One reason Luke accepted the interim position, which could become permanent, is because she graduated last December with a degree in nonprofit leadership.
“I have a heart for ministry,” Luke said. “I helped start the Boys & Girls Club a long, long time ago. I’ve served on the Main Street board. I just think our non-profits are the heartbeat of our community and so when I was able to get my degree, I had actually looked at positions in Oklahoma City and when the board was recognizing we needed to transition into a new vision here, they asked me to come forward and would I be willing to do that. It was so close to my heart, I said, ‘Absolutely.’” She appreciates the community for their help.
“We just want to say thank you to the community that has helped in our move, from the Southeastern football players (who helped the agency move) to the churches to individuals that have come through,” Luke said. “We couldn’t do what we do without their help and so we always want to welcome and open our doors and if there’s somebody out there that needs help, then don’t hesitate to call us and we will do the best we can to help them and intervene.”
CCC’s phone number is (580) 924-3030.
