PORT ANGELES — A family, staff, fire department and four individuals were honored this week for supporting survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
Health Families of Clallam County Executive Director Becca Korby presented Tuesday the agency’s annual Gratitude Awards at the county commissioners’ meeting, where she received a proclamation recognizing April as sexual assault awareness month.
The Gratitude Awards began in 2008 to recognize those who go “above and beyond” for survivors, Korby said.
“To date, we have given this Gratitude Award to 45 individuals,” Korby told commissioners.
“And this year, we have another seven very, very deserving people.”
Korby presented certificates to each award recipient and gave a synopsis of why eash was selected by a county task force and a Healthy Families Children’s Advocacy Center multidisciplinary team.
Here are the recipients of the 10th annual Gratitude Awards:
• The “Ventura Clan,” David, Meghan and Ella Ventura of Phoenix Dragon Martial Arts in Port Angeles.
“We have reached out to them when we get children or adults who perhaps would like to learn self-defense, or little children who are angry who need to get it out in a healthy way,” Korby said.
“The Venturas have opened their doors to us to allow some of our clients to participate in the education that they can give them. And we are deeply grateful.”
• Edna Petersen and the staff at Necessities &Temptations gift shop in Port Angeles.
Since 2011, baristas at Petersen’s gift store in downtown Port Angeles have donated $7,749 in tips to Healthy Families of Clallam County.
“They just handed me 565 more dollars,” Korby said amid applause.
Healthy Families, which operates the only nationally accredited children’s advocacy center on the North Olympic Peninsula, uses the donated coffee tips to purchase “hundreds of hours of therapy for children.”
“That’s one place where we struggle a little bit on funding,” Korby said. “So we’re deeply grateful.”
• Sequim Police Detective Devin McBride.
From their first meeting, Korby said she was impressed with McBride’s “remarkable compassion” and “strong sense of duty” while interviewing child survivors.
“I saw him treat this family with dignity, respect and unbelievable kindness,” Korby said. “This child was so comfortable, which is not the norm necessarily.”
• Port Angeles Police Sgt. Tyler Peninger.
Peninger and his team of detectives are entrenched in crimes of sexual and domestic violence and child abuse and neglect, Korby said.
Often working behind the scenes, Peninger reviews cases, prioritizes investigations, assigns investigators and makes decisions about investigations, Port Angeles Deputy Chief of Police Jason Viada said.
“These are some dark, ugly decisions that have to be made,” Korby said.
“The Port Angeles Police Department has, like everywhere else, gone though ebbs and flows, and you guys face some really difficult, dark crap every day.”
Said Viada: “Sexual assault is something that most people would prefer not to think about, or maybe something that people would like to think only affects other people.”
“Sgt. Peninger works long hours thinking about it and making tough decisions about difficult cases,” Viada said.
• Port Angeles Fire Department.
Chief Ken Dubuc accepted the award on behalf of a department that responds to emergencies in the “gentlest, most patient way under horrible circumstances,” Korby said.
Korby recalled the professionalism and compassion shown by first responders when a Healthy Families client had died.
“One of them came over and comforted me and the others treated this woman with the most dignity and respect I’ve ever seen,” Korby said.
• Stephen Taylor, Healthy Families therapist.
Korby received “raised eyebrows” from some when she hired Taylor about four years ago because of his gender.
“People say this is a women’s issue,” Korby said. “It is not a women’s issue. It is a human issue.”
Taylor, who maintains a private practice in Port Angeles, was described as “effective, kind and patient.”
“He is available to us when things are above and beyond our intellect and education,” Korby said.
“Stephen has stood steady for all of us in our battle to keep our balance in the face of some very large emotional and psychological challenges.”
• Edward Bluhm, supervisory resident agent for U.S. Homeland Security investigations.
“Ed has worked above and beyond for justice and social change for some very vulnerable victims — trafficked, undocumented, highly damaged victims — and he has done it with continuity and with courage,” Korby said.
Bluhm convinced a judge to keep an alleged rapist in custody by reminding the court that the man had a federal hold for deportation, Korby said.
“Had Ed not taken the time to come to court that day, that man would have been out, most likely, and he shouldn’t have been out,” Korby said.
“[The alleged rapist] is now living a very different life than he would have been living because of a lot of the work that Ed did.”
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsula dailynews.com.
