By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
Twenty years ago, when the Cocoon opened its doors to a survivor and her child, it was a lifeline for her.
Since then, the Cocoon has continued to be a lifesaver to more than 8,000 people in Wood County.
“The reality is, it’s happening here in our community,” said Dr. Kacee Ferrell Snyder, president of the Cocoon’s board of directors, during the Cocoon’s 20th anniversary kickoff celebration. “Our neighbors, friends and family members are being directly impacted by interpersonal violence, making the work of the Cocoon more important than ever.”
According to Cocoon Executive Director Kathy Mull, domestic and sexual violence cuts across every zip code, every income level, every age, race and identity.
The effort to create a safer, more compassionate community began as a small grassroots effort. Today, the Cocoon has become a vital resource for survivors, providing emergency shelter, legal advocacy, safety planning, crisis intervention and education.
“Our hotline rings every day. Our staff work with survivors in the shelter, which remains full. They meet survivors in courts, college campuses, workplaces and safe spaces,” she said.
Celebration prompts déjà vu
For Mary Krueger, a member of the founding board of directors and one of the speakers, the 20th celebration was a throwback to the June 14, 2005, ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The initial event was held in the same Wood County Courthouse space to keep the original location that was donated by the late Doug Valentine, confidential for safety reasons.
Also, many of the inaugural board members and community supporters showed up for both events. The founding board of directors included social service providers working in the domestic violence field, some with victims, some with perpetrators; church leaders; physicians; elected officials; and university faculty, and administrators.
“That moment of acquiring an actual physical space for the Cocoon shelter was one of three milestones, culminating a seven-year process of lobbying for a shelter, justifying the need, and explaining its proposed services,” Krueger explained.
The support of Wood County’s faith community was the second milestone.
“Local ministers, pastors, priests and imams were unequivocally receptive to our outreach, and their congregants were financially generous,” she said. “Without them, the Cocoon would never have been anything other than just a great idea.”
The third milestone was hiring Michelle Clossick as “the first staff member and the entire staff” within hours of the ribbon cutting. “We owe her a debt of gratitude,” Krueger said.
Community leaders speak up
The ceremony on Tuesday included words of praise and congratulations by community leaders at the city and county level.
Bowling Green Mayor Mike Aspacher called the Cocoon “a beacon of hope and healing for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.”
The leadership, staff and volunteers at the Cocoon have been on the front lines for 20 years, helping people escape abuse, find safety and start over.
“I believe Bowling Green is a town that looks after its neighbors and the Cocoon is proof of that compassion,” Aspacher said. “They remind us that when someone is hurting, we don’t turn away; we show up.”
Perrysburg Municipal Court Judge Aram Ohanian, who has worked closely with the Cocoon in his current role and previously in the prosecuting attorney’s office, said the Cocoon and its staff has been phenomenal over two decades.
Through his work with the agency, he has learned, when a survivor stands before him is in the courtroom, “They are a survivor, but they are really people who are at the worst time of their life,” he said.
The Cocoon has been there for 20 years, supporting them in court and when they need help. “There is really no other organization like that in northwest Ohio,” he said.
“Prosecuting domestic violence cases is hard because by their very nature they don’t occur with a lot of witnesses,” said Wood County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Dobson.
It is not unusual for survivors to recant, change their stories, and refuse to testify. “We wonder why that happens,” he said. “But one of the driving factors is fear of loss of support, retribution, fight, loss of financial or family support, or stepping into a system that can often forget about the victim in favor of the defendant.”
The Cocoon is known for helping “to restore the support, strength and dignity in a situation where oftentimes that’s exactly what’s been stripped away from them,” Dobson added. “The prosecutor’s office is fortunate to have the Cocoon here because they provide us support and also hold us accountable.”
Celebrating more than a number
Mull acknowledged reaching 20 years is a major accomplishment.
However, the real celebration is for “the power of resilience, the survivor who came to us hoping for a safer future and exited shelter with her children, a job and a renewed sense of hope,” she said.
They celebrated the college student who called the 24/7 hotline and found someone who believed them.
Mull also thanked the volunteers, donors, staff and community partners who made the work possible, and the survivors who trust the shelter and remind them why the work matters.
“The need in our community is still real, and it’s still urgent. Survivors continue to reach out daily, and they deserve the best we have to give.,” she said. “Today is a day for gratitude but it is also a day for recommitment. As we reflet on our growth, we must also acknowledge that we still have far to go.”
Strengthening the systems to support survivors and deepening prevention efforts in the county will be crucial to the work for the next 20 years.
“We must continue to advocate for and support the Cocoon through partnerships, referrals, volunteering, and financial assistance,” said Ferrell Snyder “I hope each one of you will consider giving back and join us for other events throughout the year as we celebrate the 20th anniversary in this amazing milestone.
Additional events are scheduled to celebrate the anniversary, including:
- July 13: Perrysburg Family Fun Day, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Rotary Park, Rotary Park Shelter House, 26350 Ft. Meigs Road, free and open to the public
- July 26: Cocoon’s Parking Lot Party, 4 p.m., Arlyn’s Good Beer, 520 Hankey Ave, Bowling Green
- Aug. 14: 20th anniversary Sandpiper River Cruise, 6 p.m., Toledo, tickets are $60 per person
- Nov. 6: 20th Anniversary Gala, 5:30 p.m., Nazareth Hall, Grand Rapids, Tickets are $100 per person
