Cheryl's House is the new name for the CAPSEA shelter, named in honor of the late Cheryl Zappa. In the mid 70's Cheryl and others worked to establish an agency to help victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The organization was originally called Crisis Line. In 1984 Crisis Line changed it's name to CAPSEA. For 30 years, Cheryl was an active part of the agency. Cheryl passed away in July of 2007.

In the Spring of 2008, the shelter was dedicated in memory of Cheryl. Between 50 and 60 special people turned out for the dedication of Cheryl's House. Cheryl's husband Ben Zappa and her mother Martha Sweeney were on hand to cut the ribbons and officially open Cheryl's House.

You can make a difference in the lives of others by volunteering at C.A.P.S.E.A. Our volunteers serve as the "backbone" of everything we do. Click here to download our volunteer application. (You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to download this form. Click here if you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader.)

• Must be 18 years of age or older
• Must have a concern for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault
• Must possess good communication skills
• Must relate to a variety of people
• Must complete a free specialized training course of 80+ hours

The possibilities are endless! Call us to see how your special talents can make a difference in the lives of others!

If you don't have the time in your busy schedule to become a volunteer, but you would like to help...please consider collecting and donating items that the victims need.

Laundry Detergent & Bleach Automatic Diswasher Detergent Tall Kitchen Bags Coffee, Sugar, Creamer, Equal, Tea Bags Shampoo, Conditioner Children's snacks/juice boxes Canned Soup & Pasta Paper Towels, Toilet Paper, Kleenex Gas Cards Women's Razors & Shaving Cream Lysol Spray/Disinfectant Wipes Wal-mart Gift Cards Cash donations are always appreciated as they allow us to purchase what victimes need when they need it

Do you have an old cellphone laying around collecting dust? If you answered yes...please consider donating it to C.A.P.S.E.A. Since we started the program in 2004, the Shelter Alliance has donated over $500 to our organization to help provide needed items to victims of abuse. We are also involved in a program that donates refurbished cell phones to us to give to victims to help them stay safe. If you would like to donate an old cellphone, please call us at 772-3838 or 486-1227!

Another easy way to help us is through a new search engine powered by Yahoo! called GoodSearch. Just start using GoodSearch.com as your search engine and they will make a donation to C.A.P.S.E.A., Inc. with every search you make. It doesn't cost you a thing! The more people who use this site, the more money will go to those in need. So please spread the word to your friends and family.

Here's the web site — www.goodsearch.com. Once there...Before you hit the search button...make sure you select C.A.P.S.E.A - Ridgway under the section "Who do you goodsearch for".

Everyone should have a "rainy day" fund in case there's an emergency or to help plan for the future. C.A.P.S.E.A. is no different! The good news is that we have one in the form of an endowment fund with The Elk County Community Foundation.

Just what is an endowment fund? Simply put, it works like a savings account or "401K" for our organization. C.A.P.S.E.A. supporters and others make contributions directly to the fund, which generates income for the organization to use or reinvest to help the principle grow.

Gifts to our Fund can be made in any number of ways.

• Make a direct financial contribution in any amount.
• Make a planned gift, such as naming the C.A.P.S.E.A. Fund in your will.
• Name our Fund as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy.
• Donate an asset, such as jewelry, real estate, artwork or an automobile.

Your gift to The C.A.P.S.E.A. Fund is important to assure that the programs provided by C.A.P.S.E.A. will have a source of income now and into the future. Together we can build a path to tomorrow. For more information, contact the Elk County Community Foundation at 814-834-2125.