Photo by Deb Gau A “resource room” at WoMen’s Rural Advocacy Programs’ office in Marshall has supplies like baby and personal care items to help area residents getting away from domestic abuse, said WRAP Executive Director Becci tenBensel. WRAP recently received $50,000 in funding from the Otto Bremer Trust that will help them respond to a growing caseload.

MARSHALL — The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way people lived across southwest Minnesota. Unfortunately, as people were more isolated at home over the past two years, calls for help from people experiencing domestic abuse increased, said Becci tenBensel.

“Our caseload has really increased,” said tenBensel, the executive director of WoMen’s Rural Advocacy Programs (WRAP). “The numbers have gone up and stayed up.”

But while there’s been an increased need for their services, tenBensel said WRAP has also gotten some significant support. This month, WRAP was granted $50,000 in funding from the Otto Bremer Trust. The funds were awarded to help WRAP with operating costs to provide safety and support services for victims of domestic abuse and sex trafficking in southwest Minnesota. The funding will make it possible for WRAP to hire an additional advocate to work with clients, tenBensel said.

“We were really excited,” tenBensel said of being awarded the grant. “The Otto Bremer Trust does a lot for Minnesota in general, and in our area.”

WRAP serves Lincoln, Lyon, Redwood and Yellow Medicine counties. The group’s mission is to provide safety and assistance for victims of domestic violence and sexual exploitation, as well as to raise community awareness through education.

Being able to hire an additional regional advocate will make a big difference for WRAP’s clients and employees, tenBensel said. Both the number and complexity of cases WRAP works with have increased in the past couple years, she said.

In 2020, WRAP’s client numbers increased around 12%, tenBensel said. She said that increase coincided with an increase in domestic violence reported by the Marshall Police Department and the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office.

Currently, the full-time advocate at WRAP’S Marshall office is working with 60 to 65 client cases in a three-month period, tenBensel said.

“What we’re finding is the case load per advocate is just too high,” she said. Being able to hire another advocate will both help clients and help prevent burnout among current WRAP advocates.

From July 2020 through June 2021, WRAP helped provide emergency financial assistance to crime victims a total of 620 times, tenBensel said. In that same time period, WRAP provided a total of 334 nights of emergency shelter and 774 relocation services. Relocation services may include helping a crime victim with finding emergency shelter, or help moving or completing rental applications.

The Otto Bremer Trust grant will be a big help for WRAP, tenBensel said. Other support the organization has received during the pandemic also helped them provide more services to clients.

“Our agency was awarded over $130,000 in COVID-19 specific funding through several foundations and funders,” she said. That additional funding helped WRAP start a second safe home for crime victims, and expand one part-time advocate to a full-time position.

WRAP is working to find funding to help keep those additional positions and services going, tenBensel said.

Community support has also been important for WRAP, she said. Area donors and supporters have helped WRAP do things like stock “resource rooms” at each of the agency’s offices in Marshall, Granite Falls and Redwood Falls. Through the resource rooms, WRAP is able to help provide clients with items like baby supplies, personal care items, and new or gently used clothing or household items.

“The community support we have gotten has definitely increased over the past two years,” tenBensel said.

More information about WRAP, as well as ways to help support the organization, can be found at the WRAP website, www.letswrap.com.