He also hopes you may fill his stocking with some end-of-the-year donations for Project Jason, too!

Project Jason is a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization serving families of the missing across the U.S.

Unique services not available elsewhere include:

•   Come Home – we recruit homeless shelters to display missing persons posters in hopes someone seeking respite will be recognized.
•   18 Wheel Angels– We secure free ads, and create graphic concepts, for written narratives about missing individuals in monthly magazines read by tens of thousands of truck drivers.
•   Awareness Angels Network – Subscribers receive emails with missing persons posters and updates according to U.S. regions of their choice.
•   14,500 free personal ID kits have been given out in English and Spanish.
•   I.D. Kitty – a fuzzy life-size mascot who attends public events. He helps children have fun while learning about safety and receiving their ID kits.
•   Outreach to 3D Virtual Worlds – Project Jason disseminates posters to tens of thousands of people nationwide, and spreads awareness of the cause.
•   Healing Harbor – the only free online counseling service for families of the missing. The counselor, Duane Bowers, is one of the nation’s most respected specialists in emotional needs of families of missing.
•   Keys to Healing Retreat – a retreat specifically for families, regardless of age of their missing person. The retreat changes attitudes of family members – attendees depart feeling empowered to continue or start a search and are reminded how important it is to care for themselves.
•   Website forum – Case developments and article postings ensure that thousands of missing persons are not viewed as just a height and weight — readers come to understand who the person is and how much they are missed.
•   Free Law Enforcement DNA Training – Kelly Jolkowski hosts an audio training about DNA and how it is processed, featuring two renowned experts: Dr. Arthur Eisenberg, Director of the DNA Identity Laboratory, University of North Texas, and George Adams, the Missing Persons Coordinator with the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification.
•   Assistance with law enforcement training fees for several officers annually

We have an all-volunteer staff: not even I.D. Kitty draws a salary! All donations go directly toward services for the families of the missing, training, and printed safety materials. Your donation is fully tax deductible.

With your help, Project Jason and ID Kitty can make 2011 a better year for the families of  missing loved ones whom we serve.

To donate online, please visit  http://projectjason.org/help.shtml or mail a check or money order to Project Jason, PO Box 3032, Omaha, NE 68103.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Project Jason and ID Kitty.

Second Life: A First Glance at Nonprofit Graphics

AAUW displays corporate approach to signage.

AAUW (American Association of University Women) hits all the bases with outside and inside signage. Although not very imaginative, their communication is clear, crisp, identifiable and inspiring.

Kiva.org has signs that always provide orientation.

KIVA: Loans that Change Lives demonstrates a corporate design approach very effectively. Every view reinforces their identity and the viewer is never lost.

Project Jason expresses their mission visually.

PROJECT JASON: Assistance for Families of the Missing has a mysterious name so graphics become even more important to communicate mission. Very compelling in their portrayal of finding missing children, the visitor gets swept into awareness.

The more a viewer becomes engaged during a visit, the more inclined he or she is to drop a donation in the tip jar on the way out. The fundraising aspect of Second Life has only begun to be tapped. A much wider-reaching audience can augment the real life performance of these organizations. Graphics have a major role to play in compelling that audience to action.

Follow-up: I received a thank you today on behalf of the family of the girl who was abducted Wednesday.

Thank YOU ALL for forwarding the missing person poster yesterday. The poster went totally viral, within SL and all over the internet.

She was found because someone saw the Amber Alert on the internet! She is now safe at home and the abductor is in custody.

Your assistance just may have brought a missing person home safely!

Mom Hopes Age Progression Solves Case of Missing Son

Report —

Can Age Progression Help Find Jason Jolkowski?

June 13, 2010 – OMAHA, NE – Sunday, June 13, marks nine years since the disappearance of an Omaha teen, and his family hopes an age progression photo and revamped poster will help lead to his whereabouts.

Jason Jolkowski was 19 when he vanished during an eight-block walk from his home to Benson High School in Omaha, Nebraska, the morning of June 13, 2001.

His credit cards, bank account, and cell phone remain untouched, his car was left in the repair shop and his last paycheck left at work. It is unlikely he ran away – he was excited about a new job and was close to his family. But there are still no clues as to what happened.

One in six missing persons is found as a result of a visual, so there is hope that an age progression created by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children will help.

“We are sure that someone, somewhere, knows something that could bring our family the answers we desperately need,” said Kelly Jolkowski, Jason’s mother, and the founder of nonprofit, Project Jason, which has since helped thousands of other families with missing loved ones.

“Enough time has now passed that perhaps someone will remember something, or someone will decide to do the right thing. It can be an anonymous call to the tip line – we don’t care how the information comes in. Just please help us by coming forward with what you know.”

Kelly Jolkowski was recently the recipient of the U.S. Justice Department’s 2010 Volunteer for Victims Award for her work helping other families of the missing

There is a reward offered for information that leads to finding Jason. If you have any information, no matter how small you think it is, call the Omaha Police Department at (402) 444-5818.

Or you can call anonymously to the Omaha CrimeStoppers at 402-444-STOP or to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) 24-hours a day.

Giant sized posters will be placed at the following locations beginning June 13:

Holy Name Church, 2901 Fontenelle Blvd.

St James Lake Park, 48th and Bedford

More information: http://projectjason.org/

Jolkowski Family Makes New Push For Clues

OMAHA, Neb. – Family and friends of Jason Jolkowski said they planned to put up posters on Sunday to mark the ninth anniversary of the teen’s disappearance.

Jolkowski was last seen outside his Omaha home in 2001. Since then, his family has worked to help other families locate their missing children.

The family said it has created posters with age-progression pictures that it hopes will provide clues in the case.

Things you say early on during a disappearance could come back to bite you, bad. Make no mistake: some of the more callous things said by law enforcement, even when they weren’t intended to do harm, will be repeated for years to come as family members tell their stories.

Here are things you shouldn’t say to families of the missing. Most were said while an officer was taking the first report, or talking to the family in the early days of the disappearances. Some were said by officers later on.

ALL were actually said by law enforcement to family members whose loved ones are still missing to this day, years later. If you are going to be quoted for years to come, you may want to think about what that quote should look like.

Get Rid of any “Policies’ that Make People Have to Wait to File a Report

A number of states now have laws that guide LE to take missing adult or child reports right away so that precious early hours aren’t lost.

“We have a policy that you have to wait 24/48 hours to file a report” is considered old school these days. There is a reason that family member or friend or neighbor is there to file a report.

Go ahead and take the report, get the information in the system. Err on the side of caution rather than assume they’ll turn up; 105,000 of those cases have not turned up. Don’t let yours be one of those cases that goes cold just because you didn’t want to take the report right away.

The “What’s the Big Deal?” Category

Despite family and friends insisting that the person wouldn’t just up and leave, some officers don’t (or won’t) take the disappearance seriously, much to the distress of the family.

“He is probably in Mexico having margaritas with his friends.”

“She’ll be found when she wants to be found.”

“He’s an adult. It’s not a crime for him/he has a right to walk away from his life.”

“99 percent of them walk back in in a couple of days.”

When no body was found the comment “Oh, he just went off to start a new life.”

“When you find her she’s going to run away again.” (But there is no history of running away.)

There are no signs of foul play.” (This makes it sounds like an excuse to not investigate and it’s hurtful to families who are very fearful that something has happened because they know their loved one’s habits.)

“He couldn’t take the responsibility of his family, he needs a breather.”

Every Missing Person is Loved by Someone; Every Missing Person is Important

There’s almost no worse smack-down than implying their loved one is not important.

“So what, we have an average 4,000 missing per year in Los Angeles.”

“If your daughter is missing, it is not my fault, she had a choice.”

“We are not looking for your daughter/son/parent/sibling etc.”

“It’s not the crime of the century…why would we be looking for him?”

Help the Families With Guidance as to What They Can Do

They don’t need ridicule, they need help.

“It’s a waste of time putting up flyers.”

Be Considerate of the Family’s Feelings

“Be prepared that he went off to commit suicide.”

“We are not only investigating the abductor, we are investigating you as well.”

“Maybe he has a girlfriend he’s hiding out with” (said to his wife).

“Sometimes people on drugs jump off bridges” (said by a policeman to his wife while she stood holding her and her missing husband’s newborn baby).

Excuses, Excuses

More often than just the statements below indicate, officers sound downright lazy.

“If we get some free time we will send a K-9 unit out to look for him” like he meant nothing and was not a priority.

After all of his clothes but his pants were found it was “He probably had a few dollars in his pocket and walked across the border into (insert state or country here) .”

His pants were found the next day, LE said “He’s probably on a bender and will show up when he’s out of money.”

And the Winners Are…

“Maybe she just went somewhere and died.” Actual police statement to a mother with a missing daughter.

“Wow, this is just like on TV!” (Said by LE during an actual search.)

“You care about your son but no one else does.”

“She could have been abducted by aliens, I guess.”

“It is 5:00 and I don’t get paid after five.”

A Few More Tips

“Closure” is a word that jars most families of the missing. ”Resolution” is preferred.

If you are going to release a presumed deceased statement to the media, tell the family FIRST!

Copyright Denise Harrison 2010
All Rights Reserved.

When someone disappears, those close to the family often don’t know what to say, so they say nothing. Some people say the wrong thing altogether. Here we will compile a list of things not to say, to help you not “step in it,” and help the family members avoid additional pain, unintended or not.

The “Get Over it” Bunch

“How long are you going to keep looking?” (Don’t ask this. Always let family members keep their hope. Most are not going to stop looking, so asking this question will make it clear that you don’t understand what they are going through.)

“It’s time to get on with your life.” (That and “Get over it” to me, reflect the speaker’s discomfort with the situation and not a real desire to help.)

“I hope you have a closure.” It’s a little-understood fact that the word “closure” shouldn’t be used. There really is no closure: often one answer leads to more questions; the pain is never going to go away, no matter, what; and life will never return to what it was. Some suggest “resolution” as a better term.

At Least…

At least you have other kids.”

“You have other children to take care of.”

“Well, At least the kids are with their mother/father.” (There is tremendous harm done to children in non-custodial parental abductions. To learn more, go to Take Root.

Don’t Chalk it up to Fate

“Everything happens for a reason.”

From a mom of a missing young lady: “The most hurtful came from a ‘friend’ who said explicitly that perhaps it was ‘karma’ - there was something I’d done to earn this hurt and only discovering it and making amends would bring her back! Like we don’t beat ourselves up enough!”

“She is in a better place.”

“We all have to go some day.”

Let’s Not Dictate What Another Person Should or Shouldn’t Think/Feel/Do

“You have to forgive him/her” (The perpetrator). This is quite hurtful. Best to let the person determine their own process in their own time and to their own individual outcome - forgiveness or not.

Don’t Blame the Victim

Just because someone lived a lifestyle that was out of the norm doesn’t mean they are any less loved, nor any more deserving of having gone missing. Perhaps it’s easier and less scary to think there is a reason someone disappeared or came to harm, but you have to remember: no one is immune, even you.

“As far as God striking people down for being nasty, then that probably is what happened to him/her.”

Watch What You Post Online

Please be mindful of what you post on message boards. Family members often read them in hopes of gaining leads:

“I heard from a reliable source that her daughter and daughter’s boyfriend were involved and that her body was found and she was pronounced dead. Can anyone prove any truth to this?”

“She should have stayed at home with the family that loves her so much and not been whoring around.”

“Maybe she just had to get away. Crackheads do that sometimes.”

“I just heard a rumor that the family is hiding her from the drug dealers and that they are trying to frame an innocent man for her disappearance. ”

“[Last names] are like the middle east. There are just some things the world would be much better off without. ”

Be careful about speculating out loud (verbally or online) any upsetting scenarios.

Psychics

If you are a psychic don’t contact the family. Contact the police.

You may think you are doing the kindest thing, but again, you should take these sorts of things to the police, not the families of the missing. Don’t drag them into what you perceive to be real visions. Some mentally cannot handle it. Psychics contacting the family are considered by many family members to be re-victimizing those living with this loss.

Copyright Denise Harrison 2010
All Rights Reserved.

Her Mission for the Missing Earns Mom National Kudos

4/20/2010
By David Lohr

(April 20) — A Nebraska woman who emerged from the “nightmare” of her son’s disappearance to bring hope to other families of missing people has received unprecedented national recognition for her efforts.

The U.S. Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime last week named Kelly Jolkowski, president and founder of the Omaha, Neb.-based nonprofit Project Jason, as its 2010 Volunteer for Victims Honoree.

The announcement came at the National Crime Victims’ Service Awards, which paid tribute to Jolkowski and eight other people for “outstanding work on behalf of crime victims.” The awards, which were held Friday in Washington, D.C., are part of the OVC’s National Crime Victims Rights Week, April 18-24.

What makes Jolkowski’s award especially significant is that it’s the first one in memory to be given to an advocate of missing people.

“I’m honored to accept this award on behalf of all missing persons, the families who miss them and in my son’s name,” Jolkowski said upon receiving the award. “The secondary victims, the families, deserve a voice and to be treated with fairness, dignity and respect as they go through what is undoubtedly the most difficult time in their lives.”

One Mother’s Story

Jolkowski’s own family ordeal began almost nine years ago, as she recalled in a recent interview with AOL News.

“It was June 13, 2001, and Jason was 19 at the time,” Jolkowski said. “My husband and I were at work when the restaurant he worked at called and asked him to come in early. To our knowledge, Jason said he would be glad to, but told them he would need a ride — his car was in the shop. They said they would have a girl that works there pick him up at a high school that is about seven blocks away from our house.”

It’s believed that Jason got dressed in his work uniform, which included dress pants and dress shoes, and then set off for the school.

“The girl that was supposed to meet him waited and waited, and he never showed up,” Jolkowski said. “She went back to work, and I didn’t know anything until it was getting to be later in the afternoon and my husband called me at work and said, ‘Have you heard anything from Jason?’ and I said, ‘No.’

“It was not like him not to show up. He was very responsible, so we were worried right away.”

Jolkowski says she and her husband drove around looking for Jason, but did not immediately notify the police.

“Like most people, we thought we had to wait 24 hours to report him missing. That is a perception you get from TV shows, so we didn’t call the police till the next morning,” she said. “They came over and took a report. The officer was nice enough, but when he left, he said, ‘Oh, he is probably just spending the night at a friend’s house.’ I am thinking, Jason is 19 years old. He hasn’t spent the night at a friend’s house since he was probably 10.”

Jolkowski was unconvinced her son vanished of his own accord, given that he hadn’t taken his money out of the bank, and “there is also no evidence that something was going wrong in his mind that would have caused him to commit suicide,” she said.

In fact, Jason had a lot going for him and was looking toward the future, she said. “He had been attending a local college part time and doing the radio announcer curriculum. There was this radio station where the college kids are the DJs, and he just loved that. He found a niche and a personality and people just loved him.

“He was just a really good kid, and we never had to worry that he was out doing things that got him in trouble.”

As the days passed with no word, Jolkowski had trouble finding a source of advice or comfort — partly because Jason’s age meant he was classified as a missing adult, rather than a missing child.

“We were so numb in the beginning that we didn’t know what to do,” Jolkowski said. “It seemed like it took awhile to get out of that initial shock. … I went to a computer and started researching on the Internet and finding another shock, of how many missing persons there were. I would look at those and I would say, ‘That won’t be us. This nightmare isn’t going to continue,’ but, unfortunately, it has.”

While conducting her research, Jolkowski discovered the Iowa Missing Person Information Clearinghouse website, which collects and displays information and photos about that state’s missing people. She learned that the clearinghouse had been created as a result of a law — and saw an opportunity.

“I took that Iowa law and patterned it for Nebraska and tried to get that passed in Nebraska,” Jolkowski said. “I knew nothing about politics and the legislation and how that works, so I pretty much was learning from scratch as we went along.”

Jason’s Law eventually was passed, but it took several years of hard work and determination. During that time, Jolkowski decided to start a nonprofit to assist the families of missing adults and children. She would call it Project Jason.

Reaching Out to Others

The frustrations of her own search for answers were still fresh in Jolkowski’s mind as she envisioned Project Jason.

“When Jason went missing … we didn’t know anything about getting fingerprints off his possessions or saving something of his for DNA or trying to get dental records,” Jolkowski said. “Nobody came to us and told us these things.

“We did not know where to turn for advice or support,” she continued, “which is why we started Project Jason. Our goal is not only to raise awareness, but to provide families of the missing with useful information.”

In addition to helping families better understand the search process, Project Jason also offers resources such as free online counseling, bimonthly poster campaigns and organization for grassroots efforts to pass missing-persons legislation.

Since Project Jason was founded in October 2003, it has helped countless families and, in some cases, reunited them with their loved ones.

“We had a case of two missing children who had been abducted by their mother, and the [rest of] the family found us on the Internet,” Jolkowski said. “I convinced them to write the story, and we published it on our website.” When a man in a distant city — who had seen the girls and suspected they were abducted — saw the story, he contacted the police; as a result, the children were reunited with their father.

In another case, a mentally ill man who had been missing for 14 years was located after someone recognized him on the Project Jason site.

“It doesn’t matter if they are a child, an adult, someone suffering mental illness, a prostitute or a drug abuser,” Jolkowski says. “I don’t care what the situation is; all the cases are treated alike. If they are missing, there is a family out there that loves them, and that family deserves answers.”

Despite the organization’s successes, Jolkowski said, she still has to navigate a lot of hurdles — like the sheer expense of keeping it running.

“It’s really hard to get donations,” Jolkowski said. “After we started, we got a lot of media attention, and I had this dream that I would go to the post office box and it would be full of donations. I went there a few days later, and there was nothing. Some months, you get no donations; sometimes you will get $25 or some small amount, and that is what we work with.”

‘Catalyst for Change’

Being named a Volunteer for Victims Honoree by the OVC, however, could go a long way toward raising awareness of the cause, as Jolkowski herself noted during Friday’s ceremony.

“For this work to be honored can be a catalyst for the change of the mindset of the public,” she said, “as it pertains to the aid given to these suffering families.”

The OVC was established by the 1984 Victims of Crime Act to oversee diverse programs that benefit victims of crime. It provides substantial funding to state victim assistance and compensation programs — the lifeline services that help victims to heal — and supports the training of criminal justice and allied professionals in the rights and needs of crime victims.

Ernie Allen, president and CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, is one of many who believes Jolkowski was the appropriate choice for the OVC award.

“We thank the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office for Victims of Crime for recognizing such a worthy member of our community in such a significant and prominent manner,” Allen said in a press release. “Furthermore, we applaud Kelly Jolkowski, whose outstanding work on behalf of the missing and their families resulted in this deserved honor today. We are proud of her and fortunate to benefit from her knowledge, her talents, and her dedication.”