The Domestic Abuse Resource Center (DARC) serves adults, teens, and children who have experienced unhealthy relationships in Allamakee, Bremer, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Howard, and Winneshiek Counties. DARC Advocates are committed to helping survivors access the information and services they seek and provide options that fit their needs. Advocates offer crisis counseling, community resources, and referrals to area providers.  Advocates and highly trained volunteers listen without judgment and provide available options. Some of the services provided include:   Safety plannin ..read more

Prevention education and promoting safer communities is an essential part of our work at Helping Services. Dating Violence and Stalking Advocacy Coordinator, Brittany McIntyre, continues to partner with the Title IX office and the Office of Student Engagement at Luther College, to provide the evidence-based bystander curriculum, Green Dot. Communities that actively use the Green Dot program have seen reductions in sexual violence, relationship abuse, and stalking by 17-21%. Green Dot relies on the premise that if everyone does their small part and commits to individual responsibility, the com ..read more

The Helping Services’ Domestic Abuse Resource Center team is continuously seeking volunteers to assist survivors and our advocate team in a variety of ways. Volunteers have the flexibility to create their own schedules and our team remains flexible in order to meet the volunteers’ needs. We greatly appreciate our volunteers’ time and commitment to the vital work we provide!  The Domestic Abuse Resource Center team covers seven counties that include: Allamakee, Bremer, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Howard, and Winneshiek. Volunteers work closely with the Volunteer Coordinator to provide uni ..read more

Prevention education is a part of the services we provide at the Domestic Abuse Resource Center. Advocates in the Resource Center provide the background and knowledge of safe and healthy relationships and assist students with skills they can use in setting personal boundaries. Dating violence advocates work with students from 6th grade through college by providing an age-appropriate healthy relationships curriculum. Presentations cover a multitude of important topics including; identifying dating violence red flags, setting healthy and appropriate boundaries, how to help someone who may be in ..read more

Thank you to the Northeast Iowa Montessori School that donated to our Giving Project for clients of our Domestic Abuse Resource Center. Pictured are (back, l-r) Val Deenex, parent, Rachael Buresh, head of Northeast Iowa Montessori School, (front, l-r) Ruth K, Eddie M. and Liam K. Helping Services would like to thank everyone who gave so generously to make a brighter holiday for our clients! Visit the Northeast Iowa Montessori School online at neim.us ..read more

Helping Services for Youth & Families’ Domestic Abuse Resource Center (DARC) is recognizing Domestic Violence Awareness during the month of October. In Iowa and around the world, October is a month to create awareness around domestic violence, using the color purple to symbolize the cause.  Helping Services’ Domestic Abuse Resource Center advocates work alongside survivors each day to provide options around safety and healthy outcomes for clients and their families. Supporting survivors is the number one goal. One way that the advocates support survivors is through the client supply p ..read more