Carolina BalloonFest PARTNERS

Carolina BalloonFest is pleased to partner with Dove House Children's Advocacy Center and Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County and Gordon Hospice House to help support these essential services in our community.

Since opening in September 2002, our existence has eliminated the need for traumatized child victims and their non-offending family members to go to multiple "scary" locations (such as police stations, District Attorney's office, hospitals, child protective services, etc.) for interviews and medical examinations. All of the treatment and investigative activity takes place in Dove House's non-threatening home environment with the professional multidisciplinary team members coming to the child instead of the child being taken to them. One of the most important things we do is ensure that the child and non-offending family members receive the therapy they need to begin their healing When society intervenes in family life because of child sexual abuse, our goals are to protect the child from harm, to minimize any further trauma to the child, to protect society from the offender and her actions. These goals require the involvement of many different community agencies and professionals.

Dove House Children's Advocacy Center was created to enhance coordination among community agencies and professionals involved in this process. Our formal protocol promotes better understanding of and respect for one another's roles and expertise, strengthens informed case management decisions, and most importantly, is designed to minimize the trauma that children and their non-offending family members can suffer during the investigation and intervention process.

Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County was established in 1982 as a not-for-profit corporation to serve families throughout the region. Our mission is to provide quality care and a plan for living by helping patients and families meet their end-of-life goals through compassion, comfort and dignity.

Hospice of Iredell County is the leading hospice provider in the area, having earned the confidence of doctors, hospitals, nursing homes and families throughout the community. Through offices in Mooresville and Statesville, hospice care giving teams provide end-of-life care to more than 110 patients each day. Hospice of Iredell County's services are delivered by a knowledgeable, compassionate team of professionals that includes physicians, nurses, certified nursing assistants, social workers, chaplains and over 250 volunteers. Additionally, a wide array of support services, such as individual and group counseling for children and adults, are offered through the Bereavement Program.

In September 2005, Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County opened the Gordon Hospice House, a nine-bed, state-of-the-art facility on its campus in Statesville. Nestled on six acres, the beautiful, home-like facility is state licensed, Medicare / Medicaid certified and accredited. The Gordon Hospice House ensures that compassionate, family-centered care is available to all in need in Iredell County and surrounding communities.