BY KARISSA MILLER
Dove House Children Advocacy Center is a safe place where sexually abused children can tell their stories and access services that are critical to healing. The goal is to reduce trauma and improve case outcomes in the judicial system.
During the Dove House Children’s Voice Luncheon on Tuesday at the Cove Church in Mooresville, Executive Director Beth McKeithan offered a powerful analogy to explain the nonprofit’s work.
“The notion that ‘broken Crayons still color’ encapsulates this spirit of resilience, reminding us that even when we’re bruised and battered by life’s trials, we possess the capacity to continue making a positive impact,’” McKeithan explained.
Children in Iredell and Alexander counties are brought to Dove House after disclosing abuse to a trusted adult or friend and are referred by an entity like law enforcement or the Department of Social Services. Dove House provides a wide array of services to child victims of sexual assault as well as their non-offending family members. All of their direct services are provided at no cost to the client.
Dove House Board of Directors Chair Patti Richardson said she’s a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and believes that each survivor has a story.
“It’s a story that must be told. Within that story is a strong purpose and often a stronger challenge to achieve that purpose,” Richardson said.
The path of the child victims won’t always be straight and easy, she added.
Richardson said that thousands of stories have been told over the 23 years that Dove House has been serving the community.
Survivor’s Testimony
Richardson introduced Justin Hefner, a child abuse survivor who is committed to bringing hope to victims as a social worker. He works at One Place Children’s Advocacy Center in Jacksonville, N.C., and is working towards becoming a child therapist.
While growing up in Mooresville, Hefner sometimes attended a church where Rash was a youth pastor.
“Mark was abusing his role in the church to mask some hidden desires,” said Hefner, now 33. “My brother, myself and other young men being among those desires.”
As a kid, Hefner sometimes spent the night at Rash’s house because his parents trusted him.
On one occasion, when Hefner was 12, Rash made inappropriate advances on him while he was asleep, Hefner told the audience of Dove House supporters.
“I immediately froze. My body was cold, and I was confused and scared. I was laying so close to the safety of my home, but I felt a thousand miles away. I was frozen by fear and confusion,” he recalled.
The next day Hefner told his younger brother what had happened to him. Although Hefner told him not to tell his mom, his brother reported the incident to his mom.
Hefner’s parents called the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, which connected him to the Dove House. That’s when he met Candy Feimster, a senior victim advocate, whom Hefner calls his angel.
He attended counseling sessions, but there was fallout with friends because some of his church friends didn’t believe his accusations against Rash.
While Rash pleaded guilty to indecent liberties with a child, he is no longer registered as a sex offender. According to court records, Rash served 20 months in prison. He was released on July 18, 2007.
In addition to his work, Hefner advocates for stricter punishment for child sex offenders because they often reoffend.
“An abuser must be held accountable. But the one that protects the abuser shares responsibility for future victims,” he said.
Hefner encouraged the audience to speak up and report something if they see something wrong.
“Because of the child advocacy center, Dove House, I can continue to be more resilient and more okay,” Hefner said.
Before giving his testimony, Hefner shared a personal video clip of him running that provided glimpses of his journey as a child sexual abuse survivor. The video was a gift from his job at One Place Child Advocacy Center and was filmed by Two Dots Productions to help shed light on the epidemic of child sexual abuse.