RTS Recyclebank and the Office of Mayor Bryan Barnett of Rochester Hills will donate up to $2,400 to HAVEN–Oakland County, a non-profit organization that helps protect roughly 30,000 people every year by providing shelter, counseling, educational programming, court advocacy, and a safe place for survivors impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault. Rochester Hills and Recyclebank have partnered on increasing sustainability through recycling for more than 13 years, and since the start of the pandemic have worked together to adapt the program to new, pressing needs.
As part of this drive, the City and Recyclebank are allowing residents to redeem Recyclebank rewards points in the form of donations to HAVEN. “The COVID pandemic is not just the great tragedy we’re witnessing in the media,” said David Segall, Vice President of Policy and Municipalities at RTS Recyclebank. “It will take years before the full impact of the pandemic – from increased rates of domestic abuse to alcohol and drug addiction to suicides – is truly understood. But help is needed right now.”
Organizations like HAVEN are more essential than ever, and the increased need for their services also creates a need for additional financial support.
HAVEN is Oakland County’s only 24-hour emergency shelter exclusively for domestic violence and sexual assault victims. HAVEN also offers a non-residential Counseling Program that includes one-on-one counseling, group counseling, and healing workshops to people of all ages that have been impacted by domestic violence or sexual assault. In addition to its counseling program, HAVEN offers survivors free court advocacy and assistance and education on legal options.
“This is such an important cause and unique opportunity for our community to help simply by doing the right thing: by recycling, states Mayor Bryan K. Barnett. “We are turning trash into cash. Cash that is going directly to a local non profit meeting the most critical of needs at our most critical time.”
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rochester Hills residents have kindly used thousands of dollars’ worth of their accumulated Recyclebank points to help other organizations, including Leader Dogs for the Blind and Neighborhood House.
Said Segall: “We are so thankful to Mayor Barnett for referring us to HAVEN, and for the incredible work that this organization does. We highly encourage the City’s residents to donate if they can, as soon as they can!”
