Jerrie Bell's commitment to service spans more than two decades, and in that time she's advocated for a group of people she said can be overlooked - victims.
Bell is a former executive director of Callaway County's Coalition Against Rape and Domestic Violence. She was also a former state victim advocate for the Missouri Victim Assistance Network (MOVA), traveling to communities north of I-70 to establish domestic violence programs.
Her work with victims, Bell said, is the highlight of her career, and those experiences are ones she's thankful for.
"I continue to pray that God can use me for his hands and his feet," she said. "So, when those opportunities come along I'm very grateful for each and every one of those."
Bell's service to victims through CARDV and MOVA, along with her volunteer work with SERVE, Inc., the YMCA of Callaway County, the Fulton Soup Kitchen, the Central Missouri Stop Human Trafficking Coalition and the Art House, led the Fulton Human Rights Commission to select Bell as its 2015 recipient of the Jane Bierdeman-Fike Humanitarian Award. She was presented with the award at the Humanitarian Banquet on Saturday.
Nancy Foster, who worked with Bell at CARDV as the director of operations, nominated Bell for the honor, referencing her long-term service to the area. Foster said when she heard about the award last year, she immediately thought of Bell.
"Jerrie Bell has done so much to improve the programming of several organizations within our community," Foster wrote in her nomination letter. "She has reached out to numerous friends, acquaintances, co-workers and organizations to connect people, improve services and raise funds to support these organizations."
Before leading CARDV as its executive director from 2009-12, Bell helped establish the organization in 1994. From there, she volunteered and served on its board. The work, she said, was not easy.
"Startups are very difficult, and this type of work is not something a lot of people say, "Oh, let me get behind this,' even though it's needed badly," Bell said.
When she came on as the CARDV director, Bell said she supervised a group of "dedicated, passionate" people who were focused on the non-profit's mission of serving domestic violence and sexual abuse victims. This teamwork resulted in hiring a domestic violence investigator at the Callaway County Sheriff's Office, a position Bell helped secure funding for, and the addition of therapy for children and adult victims through a partnership with the University of Missouri's social work program.
"We were able to expand and really look at trauma-informed therapy which is fundamental, I believe, for victim services for domestic violence victims," Bell said. "I think anyone in the household that experiences domestic violence experiences trauma and that is so impactful. I don't care if you're a small child or the adult, trauma creates such trauma in a home, and if you don't address that trauma, it's hard to go on and find yourself again. I think (the therapy program) was huge."
Reflecting on her time at CARDV, Bell said struggles made the group stronger. Foster said Bell was a leader who had a "good way of inspiring all of the people around her to being the best they can be," adding that she also supported the staff by ensuring everyone was healthy. Bell said having some fun was a way to do that.
"...There's such an emotional drain on you that humor is key, as I see it," she said. "So, we laughed a lot - mostly at ourselves."
Through all the ups and downs, it all came back to supporting the victims for Bell.
"I think it's important to talk about the victims of domestic violence, who are truly some of the smartest, strongest people I've ever met," Bell said. "They're resourceful, strong, and I think sometimes people perceive them as weak or wouldn't use those (positive) adjectives. But I truly believe these women are amazing, and I've learned so much from them, seeing their struggles and how they address those struggles is inspiring often."
Callaway County Court Clerk Judy Groner, Bell's sister, said Bell has always been a good listener, acting as the "sound board" for their siblings. In her work with victims, Groner said her sister's unbiased opinions and attitudes allow Bell to look at who a person is, rather than the situation that person faces.
"Her line has always been: You don't know what they've been through," Groner said.
Bell, a mother of five, has two children who have gone into service-related fields. Her daughter, Kate Smart, works for the Nonviolent Peaceforce - an international organization that "fosters dialogue among parties in conflict and provides a protective presence for threatened civilians," according to its website. Bell also has a son living in the country of Georgia, working for Humanity for Children, which strives to better quality of life for children in remote areas. Through the organization, Fulton and Kibungo, Rwanda have a partnership, led by Bob Hansen and Nancy McCue - the 2014 Jane Bierdeman-Fike Humanitarian Award recipient.
When Fulton Human Rights Commission Chair Carmen Brandt informed Bell she would receive the award, Bell said she was shocked and amazed.
"As Carmen and I started talking about it, I thought, "This is such an honor.' And then I felt very humbled by it as well. It's very humbling to receive something like this," Bell said.
Currently, Bell leads fundraising efforts for the Art House, devoting herself to another local startup.
"I really like the passion that's there (at a startup), and the enthusiasm and excitement when people get together who are like minded and have this single purpose of making something happen," she said.