Jerry's Toyota Shares Important Resource at Company Event

Since the inception of the Walk a Mile in Their Shoes event, Jerry’s Toyota has been a loyal supporter of GBMC’s Sexual Assault Forensic Examination and Domestic Violence (SAFE/DV) program through their sponsorship. This fall, they took their commitment to caring for victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence to the next level by selecting the SAFE/DV program as the beneficiary of their company’s annual golf tournament.

“Both Jerry's Toyota and GBMC have been longstanding, active members of our community,” James Stautberg, President of Jerry’s Toyota, said. “While recognizing how GBMC contributes to our community through the SAFE/DV program and seeing how well our philosophies match by valuing the importance of giving back to our local area, it just made the decision easy in my mind to partner with such a needed program.”

Aside from caring for victims, community outreach is a major piece of what the SAFE/DV program offers the community. The partnership with Jerry’s Toyota accelerates that goal, helping to spread awareness of the signs of abuse, as well as acknowledging these crimes can happen to anyone.

“This program has no boundaries. Abuse can affect any demographic; it is blind to race, gender, age, and creed,” Bill Bolander, Chief Communications Officer for Jerry’s Toyota, said.

And on October 18, 100 golfers at Eagle’s Nest Country Club got the message. Many learned – some for the first time – how GBMC is moving the needle toward prevention of these crimes. Though many supporters of and participants in the event had no previous ties to GBMC, once they learned of the remarkable work being done, they wanted to help.

Laura Clary, BSN, RN, FNE-A/P, SANE-A, SAFE Program Manager, shared that during the weekend prior to the tournament, her team treated 10 patients in a 48-hour period, including a patient about to celebrate a third birthday.

Jerry’s Toyota announced plans to double the original event income of $60,000 to donate $120,000 to GBMC’s SAFE/DV program. This donation comes at a critical time, as the program has received less grant money due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The SAFE/DV Program is committed to providing compassionate and confidential medical, forensic, and crisis counseling to sexual assault, domestic violence, and abuse victims of all ages. Using a patient-centered approach, specially trained forensic nurse examiners attend to victims’ medical needs while expertly documenting injuries and collecting evidence of crimes. With an advocacy-based empowerment approach, victims also receive referrals for follow-up support, counseling, shelter, and legal assistance to address their safety and emotional needs.

Services are provided at no cost to the patient but are available when they need them because of generous and dedicated support from Jerry’s Toyota, their tournament participants, and many more committed donors.