More than 700 attend Grand Forks CVIC's annual Judd Sondreal Memorial Rise & Shine for Peace Breakfast
May 1—EDITOR'S NOTE — If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, visit CVIC's website at https://www.cviconline.org/ or call the 24-hour crisis line at (701) 746-8900.
GRAND FORKS — During the CVIC's annual Judd Sondreal Memorial Rise & Shine for Peace Breakfast, CEO and President Coiya Tompkins Inman emphasized the power each individual has to address interpersonal violence in the Grand Forks community.
"When we have a team that believes in themselves and believes (in ending interpersonal violence) in two generations, I believe our dreams are limitless," Tompkins Inman said. "Those dreams signify hope. They signify hope in one community that cares, one individual who sees you and one friend who says, 'I'm there for you.'"
More than 700 people gathered Wednesday morning, May 1, in the Alerus Center ballroom for CVIC's signature fundraising event, which had a goal of securing $450,000 in donations for the next five years of the organization's operation. During the breakfast, the mission, concerns and progress of the CVIC — which stands for Community Violence Intervention Center — were shared with current and prospective donors.
Among those in attendance were two women who survived interpersonal violence and decided to share their experiences. Sherah Adkins, a CVIC client, said in a video that she chooses to share her story because she knows there are others with similar experiences. She hopes to inspire them to seek help.
"Healing can be done," Adkins said. "If we can have our victims turning into survivors, the hope is that they're not going to be another generation of trauma passed down."
Amorelle Upton, the event's keynote speaker, is now a UND student in the doctoral occupational therapy program and CVIC partner. But as a high-schooler, she was in a relationship with someone who controlled what she wore, who she talked to and how she spent her time.
"Reflecting back five years ago, I truly wish that myself and those around me had been more educated on the topic of domestic violence," Upton said. "Although the resources were available to me after I'd gotten out of the relationship, and I'm forever grateful for that, I often wonder if circumstances would've been different if I were more educated."
With this in mind, Upton chose to speak at the event with hopes of helping others. She told the Herald that having an impact on just one person would make it worthwhile.
Also during the event, the 2024 Jim Vigness Peacemaker Award was presented to Chuck Hiles, owner of C&B Home Improvement in Grand Forks.
Hiles — one of 10 nominees selected by CVIC staff and board members — has provided maintenance and repairs at CVIC's facilities, including the emergency shelter, for the last decade. During that time, he's gone above and beyond his duties, according to a CVIC press release.
"Chuck installed protective strips on high-traffic hallway corners at Mary's Place to increase the longevity of our floors in an incredibly cost-effective way," said Shannon Morley, CVIC director of shelter services. "Although he considered it a minor adjustment, we consider it a way to increase the longevity of our shelter's flooring, thus allowing us to focus our funding and efforts on supporting our clients rather than pouring money into entirely preventable building repairs later on."
Hiles also thinks of ways to make lives better for clients and staff, assembling furniture and doing touch-ups to make everyone more comfortable in the space.
"Chuck is very mindful of providing privacy and confidentiality, and consistently has positive and respectful interactions with shelter clients, even bringing treats throughout the year for clients and staff to enjoy," said Jody Hodgson, chairman of CVIC's board of directors and the opening speaker at Wednesday's event. "For shelter clients, arriving at a safe and welcoming space is often the first step in their healing journey."
