In 2004, "April" took the first step toward getting away from her abusive husband. She had two children, one just 13 months old. She called the SAFE Shelter Outreach Program and victim advocates there assisted her with a court order. This Superior Court order stipulated that her husband...
Dear Friends of SAFE Shelter Center for Domestic Violence Services, I know too much time has passed since my last letter. My only excuse is 2015 was such a stellar year for the shelter that I got overwhelmed every time I thought about how to cover...
"Ruth" drove from Kansas City to Savannah to escape her abusive husband. She was pregnant and with three other young children. Driving a beat up old van with nothing but the clothes on their backs, she was determined to get as far away from her husband as...
"Melody" and her son Josh came to SAFE Shelter to escape the abuse she had suffered at the hands of her husband who was in the Army. Josh was three years old and was a human whirlwind. He couldn’t sit still for a minute and when he got angry,...
Dec. 17, 2013 Dear Editor, In a blink of an eye, Christmas is almost upon us! For children, it’s a magical season filled with wish lists and dreams. Homes are filling up with decorated trees, gifts family and friends. But for the women and children at SAFE Shelter, their...
October 9, 2013 Dear Editor, Every September, the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence sends out a list of people who lost their lives to domestic violence across the state. And in October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, many shelters, including SAFE Shelter will be reading these names during candlelight vigils. As I look over...
February 1, 2012 Dear Editor, After two months and over $100,000 in restoration, SAFE Shelter is finally open again, following a flood in November. Shelter residents, who had been housed in a local hotel, were brought back to the shelter on January 23. SAFE Shelter is this area’s only shelter dedicated...
December 12, 2011 Dear Editor, Three weeks ago, SAFE Shelter was forced to close its doors for the first time in 31 years. A broken sprinkler in an upstairs bedroom flooded the shelter, requiring us to find alternative housing for our 45 residents and their children. However, despite this temporary...
November 23, 2011 Dear Editor, On Saturday, Nov. 18, approximately 1,500 gallons of water from a broken sprinkler in an upstairs bedroom flooded SAFE Shelter. As a 16 year veteran in the field of domestic violence, I am used to handling crisis, but nothing prepared me for something like...
October 3, 2011 Dear Editor, Sitting at my desk here at SAFE Shelter, I can look out into the parking lot and see our families, running to meet the school bus, getting in cars for jobs or job interviews. And I can’t help but think that everyone out there...
