SAFE HAVEN SHELTER FOR BATTERED WOMEN
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Mission Statement
Safe Haven Shelter and Resource Center’s mission is to provide safety, space to heal, advocacy, and empowerment to women, children, and all survivors of domestic violence.
About This Cause
Safe Haven Shelter and Resource Center’s programs include but are not limited to: 1) our 39 bed shelter for survivors of domestic violence and their children, providing shelter, food, support and advocacy for survivors in crisis; 2) our Legal Advocacy and Resource Center programming, providing ongoing support and advocacy to obtain protection through the civil and criminal court processes; and 3) our community education program which educates professionals such as legal and medical systems as well as the general population on the dynamics of domestic violence. Safe Haven Shelter and Resource Center (legal name Safe Haven Shelter for Battered Women) located in Duluth, Minnesota has two facilities consisting of an emergency shelter and a drop-in Resource Center. The shelter is used by survivors and their families who cannot stay in their homes because it is not safe there, or by those who are already homeless because of the abuse and who may have been living in their cars or with friends/family members until they came to our shelter. Our 39 bed shelter facility, which is staffed 24 hours a day, provides survivors and their children with food, clothing, shelter and all of the basics of life. Annually our Shelter Program serves 300 unduplicated survivors and 250 unduplicated children with an occupancy rate of over 95%. Sheltering families means supporting and empowering individuals as they move to a life free from violence, and advocating for them as they look for permanent housing, find a job or apply for benefits. Advocates facilitate support groups for survivors who are residents and those who have left the shelter or have never lived here but are victims of domestic violence. We also answer crisis calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week giving support and encouragement to those who are living in households with domestic violence and respond to victims after law enforcement has been called to a home because of a domestic violence incident. The Safe Haven Resource Center, located across from the Duluth City Hall and the St. Louis County Courthouse, is open Monday – Friday 8 am to 4 pm as an on-the-street presence offering services to victims of domestic violence who may not need emergency shelter but need our help in other ways. The Resource Center includes offices for staff and community partners, two kitchens, a lounge with computers for client use, a child care space, a shower and a salon. The Resource Center’s programs serve 1,370 unduplicated clients each year. Victims usually come to the Resource Center for the first time to access our Legal Advocacy Program which helps them utilize the protections of the civil and criminal court systems. While receiving a restraining order to keep an abuser away is a pro se process, it is intimidating for victims and so advocates help them with preparing the petition and sit with them in court to provide support. They also work as intermediaries with police, prosecutors and probation officers to make sure the victim’s voice is always heard. Annually, Legal Advocates assist 270 victims to write and file restraining orders and provide advocacy to an additional 65 victims who self-write their orders to keep abusers away. We also follow up on arrests and incident reports, attend court hearings with victims and facilitate meetings with law enforcement for initial reports or investigative interviews. In addition to assisting with legal matters, the Resource Center is home to the four weekly support groups and our Self-Sufficiency Program which helps survivors to become independent through securing employment, new housing, and furthering their education. We also bring in partners such as Legal Aid, therapists, Art Therapy, massage therapists, mental health practitioners, dental services, food demonstrators and others to improve health and well-being. It is a busy place with an average of 250 victim visits per month, 2/3 of which are victims seeking help without an appointment. Safe Haven’s work also includes a Community Education Program. Annually this program reaches an average of 2,200 people through 80 presentations and trainings. Presentation audiences include civic groups, religious organizations, college students, K-12 students, businesses, and professional groups. The focus of each presentation and training varies according to audience needs, but includes discussion on domestic violence as a social problem, power and control, male privilege, feminism, healthy relationships, and specialized presentations on how to support victims of domestic violence in the community, workplace, place of worship, and medical field.