Showering God's love on the most vulnerable

For the past 17 years, Paula Condol has been giving her heart to a higher purpose, and the joy it has brought her is like nothing else.
           
“I have been with the Dakota Children's Advocacy Center (DCAC) for the past 17 years and its mission has become a part of my heart,” said Paula, who now serves as the organization's executive director. “I strongly believe in giving kids not only great childhoods, but also giving them the skills so they can grow up to be healthy, productive adults. We have such a wonderful opportunity at the DCAC because we are given the honor to intervene with people during one of the most difficult moments of their lives. We all have such a strong passion for the work we do.”
           
The mission of the DCAC is to provide a safe, family friendly environment that promotes hope, health, and healing to traumatized children and their families. They serve children and their families that have been affected by abuse. They also provide education to prevent abuse from occurring and to improve intervention if or when it occurs.
           
Time and time again, DCAC employees prove to have a tremendous impact on those whom they serve. With willing hearts, they lift the children they work with up from their sorrows, and show them that they are not alone.  
           
“We help people in many different ways,” Paula said. “For some, it is helping them feel safe when safety isn’t something that they’ve known, for others it is providing a listening ear when they feel like their whole world is falling apart. At times, we help them by empowering them to take a stand and to take back control. Sometimes it’s as simple as giving them a cozy blanket to hold as they fall asleep in a new place, or helping them find their smile again as they learn to deal what has happened to them.”
           
The DCAC opened in the spring of 1997 and became a full member of the National Children's Alliance in 1998. For 20 years, they operated under an umbrella organization. In November 2017, they became an independent non-profit. In 2008, they partnered with the Diocese of Bismarck to help develop and present Safe Environments Training sessions to kids and volunteers across the western half of North Dakota. Over the past 10 years, they have provided these training sessions to over 10,000 people.
           
They have partnered with many faith-based organizations over the past 20 years helping to make child safety a high priority. The Diocese of Bismarck has embraced education for both children and its volunteers to educate them and prevent abuse of any kind. Each year, out of the 2,500 people that DCAC trains, over 75% of them are associated with Catholic churches throughout the Diocese of Bismarck.
           
“Even though the DCAC is a secular organization, I myself am a Catholic, and every day I hope that I do my job with God’s love and a servant's heart,” Paula said. “We have helped thousands of individuals over the years. Many of their stories have been ingrained in my soul and will always stay with me That’s why we do what we do—to start people on a new, better path in life, and give them resiliency so they can face the bumps they will meet head on, with strength and courage.”
           
Looking back, Paula can't help but be impressed by the ground that the DCAC has covered over the years. 
           
“Since its opening, the DCAC has experienced tremendous growth,” Paula shared. “We have gone from seeing 60 kids a year to over 500. We have served all of the counties in North Dakota, including the state’s Native American reservations, as well as northern South Dakota and Eastern Montana.” 
           
Shannon Hilfer, who has worked with the DCAC as a forensic interviewer for nearly 12 years, is grateful to be a source of consolation to her clients and their families.
           
“After a child has made a report, they come to the DCAC to be interviewed so they don't have to talk to social services or law enforcement representatives,” she explained. “They tell their story to me, in one place, at one time. It is important that they can tell their story to someone who is trained in talking to them so that the information is accurate and reliable.”
           
Over time, Shannon sees the children and families she works with grow stronger, more assertive, and confident in dealing with their personal situations the best that they can.
           
“I tell our families that unfortunately I can’t ensure that bad things won’t happen again, because that is the way life is, and I have no control over that,” Shannon said. “But what I can do is give them skills so that when bad things do happen, they can take a deep breath and know that they have built a strong support system and a resiliency within themselves.”
           
Shannon also sees glimpse of the joy and freedom her clients can have with the help of people who care.
           
“That is why I keep doing what I do, because I get the unique experience of being with people in their darkest hours and walking with them to a place where I am no longer needed because they are strong and vibrant and whole,” Shannon said. “They’ve gotten their smile back, and that's what keeps me going.”
           
The fruits of this careful, gentle approach are evident in many ways.
           
“It is very important that when kids have these difficult things happen to them, we don't re-traumatize them with our professional response,” Shannon said. “With the DCAC's help in interviewing them, we see better outcomes for the kids, both health-wise and prosecution-wise. People need to understand that children can't protect themselves, and that they rely on adults to protect them. They are totally vulnerable.”
           
The DCAC is always in need of donations, and at times, of volunteers. The DCAC events would not be able to happen without the generosity of volunteers. Special events volunteers join event-planning committees and are needed the day of events to help with set up, registration and clean up. Volunteers also needed to assist with the Giving Tree Project during the holidays, which provides necessary gifts for children seen at the DCAC. The monthly sponsorship program, providing snacks and other items for the children served at the DCAC, also relies on the contributions of volunteers.
           
Those who would like to join the mission of the DCAC may contact [email protected] or call 701-323-5626. Prospective volunteers can to set up a time to come in for a short visit so that a staff member can explain the various programs offered and help determine the best volunteer role for them. Volunteers need to complete an application and background check, sign a pledge of confidentiality, and attend a volunteer orientation. The Dakota Children’s Advocacy Center is located at 1303 East Central Ave. in Bismarck. More information is available at www.dakotacac.org.