By Hub City Times staff

MARSHFIELD – Marshfield’s domestic abuse organization is still settling into its new home after moving in May 1st. The Personal Development Center (PDC) is now in the former Transitional Homeless facility once operated by the St. Vincent DePaul Outreach Center at 505 East Depot Street.

Director Renee Schulz said PDC started making renovations to the facility almost right away. A community fundraising campaign has begun to assist the agency with getting the new location ready with modifications for increased security. That was started after the Marshfield Common Council turned down a funding request from the agency in March, which was asking for $80,000 to cover the costs associated with acquisition of the former homeless shelter, plus $20,000 a year in operational expenses.

“Of course, it was disappointing,” Schultz said. “I also know that the city is very supportive of PDC and the programming that we provide. They share in our, and other community members, desire to have this building occupied and make sure that we are providing a good service for the community. So, I know that the level of support is certainly there.

“Right now, we are just focusing our attention on moving forward in our connections with the community and getting community businesses and organizations involved that way.”

Schulz said PDC did secure a bank loan to finance the acquisition of its new home. But she said her organization will need another $150,000 a year in operational expenses, mainly for around-the-clock staff members. She’s now turning to the community to provide on-going support for the agency.

“We have our resident guest rooms,” she said. “By adopting a room, groups can come in, and they can do the painting… and we have items that we are going to be needing to get that room up and ready for all of our participants to come into. So, we have a lot of those kinds of opportunities where community members can get involved at any different level.

“Of course, if there are donors who are out there who are interested and able to contribute at a higher level, those are some individuals that we are in the process of talking to or we would love to have conversations with. Certainly, any type of financial contribution, big or small, certainly add up and they help with everything that we need moving forward.”

There is no formal fundraising campaign. Schulz says they’re keeping the fundraising low key. There is information on the PDC website and Facebook page. The agency has also established a donation registry at Target or online at Target.com. As for upcoming fundraising events, Schulz says there will be a golf outing on July 13, along with a patio night at Schalow’s Nursery on July 26.

And while the agency settles into its new home, Schulz says PDC is also going through a rebranding and name change of sorts. The agency is now known formally as the PDC Orenda Center.

“Orenda is a term that means ‘the extraordinary, invisible power within every human being; it’s the energy that affects change in one’s own life and empowers us to positively impact our world.’”

The Personal Development Center provides services for victims and survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault. Schulz says the agency’s programming has a common thread of safety and advocacy for those victims. She says there are also services specific to the aging and disabled populations, and the youth population – topics like safe dating relationships and healthy friendships. PDC also has volunteers who respond to calls of sexual assault, and serve as advocates while those victims go through forensic exams and subsequent treatment. There are also supervised visitation and child exchange programs.

For more information, or to donate to the Personal Development Center, send an email to [email protected] or call the center at 715-384-2971.