SAFE Shelter, Center for Domestic Violence Services, Inc.

Be sure to check out our Amazon Smile Wishlist! You can now send items we are constantly in need of directly to us. Wishlist Link: https://smile.amazon.com//ZC7X4UEGR/ref=smi_ext_lnk_lcl_cl

Dear Friends, another reason I love my job! I recently had the pleasure of spending the morning with all of these beautiful women who represent BBL and Friends with a Purpose. This sisterhood of business owners and career women work with those trying to start new business and mentor those who need help. They also reach out to the community in general to help those in need. One of the organizers, Erica Smalls, is no stranger to SAFE Shelter and has been here numerous times with donations from this group. BIG SHOUTOUT to BBL and Friends with a Purpose for helping make Savannah a better place!

Happy Friday SAFE Shelter Supporters! Let me share a little cheer with you going into this Halloween weekend. We have all had to make several changes to our day to day lives during the pandemic. When we saw the impending struggle everyone was facing with virtual school, we knew we had to do something to lighten the load for our clients. The solution? Meet Ms. Muhammad, our on-site, full-time teacher! Ms. Muhammad is here daily to assist our children with all of their online s...chooling needs. To recognize October as Domestic Violence Awareness month, Ms. Muhammad took it upon herself to hold a raffle for the residents. Pictured below are the staff members drawing the winners as well as the prizes! This was such a thoughtful gesture and I know it brightened the resident’s day to be able to participate. Thank you so much for all you do for SAFE Shelter, Ms. Muhammad! We are lucky to have you and so are our families!

#DYK if you are a victim of #domesticviolence you could qualify for the Georgia Victims Compensation Program? Click here to answer a few general questions to quickly determine if you qualify: http://crimevictimscomp.ga.gov//find-out-if-you-may-quali/ #VictimsComp #GA #DVAM #DVAM2020

Dear Friends, the Outreach Program and interns recently participated in the Harvest Health Festival. Sponsored by The Georgia Lighthouse Foundation of Atlanta, this first ever event brought together more than a dozen local vendors. The idea around the event was to bring together area resources to showcase what kinds of support our community has to offer. In the picture on the left, SAFE Shelter intern Bevin Gould helps to set up the very purple Outreach Program display!

Good afternoon SAFE Shelter supporters, it’s time for our Monday Message! This week’s message is brought to you by our Program Director, Ms. Rice. Ms. Rice has been serving the Savannah area as an advocate for Domestic Violence Victims for the past 15 years. For those of you in the Social Services field, you recognize that agencies and the services they provide are constantly changing- sometimes as fast as the needs of the clients we serve. Ms. Rice is somehow able to stay on... top of all of those changes and is our walking resource notebook here at the shelter. Ms. Rice has a way of building connections with others in the field and we are so lucky to have her special touch! For me though, the real magic happens when listening to Ms. Rice interact with clients. As you can imagine, sometimes tensions are high amongst residents as they learn how to regain their independence and face the reality of starting over. It can be tough, but Ms. Rice has a way of calming nerves and talking through things leaving the person on the other end of the conversation with a sense of confidence and reassurance. She is compassionate and empathetic but knows how to tell it to you straight at the same time. All of which are admiral qualities in any human being but can be extremely beneficial in our line of work! Along with building interagency connections, she also strengthens the relationships amongst the staff. She organizes professional development courses to make sure we all stay up to date on current practices. She also recognizes the importance of self-care by organizing fun team building days for the staff. Her leadership skills have really come to light during the pandemic. She has ensured each staff member and shelter resident has the appropriate protective equipment as well as posted educational notices about Covid for all who enter the building to see. Ms. Rice serves as the supervisor for our Case Manager, Child Advocate, Follow-up Case Manager, as well as Community Outreach Specialist. If that’s not enough, she also schedules and oversees all of our shelter interns. Ms. Rice’s message to Victims of Domestic Violence: We know you may feel trapped, but you hold the key to changing your story. You have the power within you to obtain an independent, self-sustaining life free of violence and we are here to help you find and encourage that self-empowerment. There are several other unmentioned responsibilities that Ms. Rice takes care of on a daily basis but just know, we at SAFE Shelter are so fortunate to have her!! Thank you for all that you do, Ms. Rice!

Dear Friends, one more picture for Purple Friday! Steve Laidlaw, our top notch security specialist, actually let me put this wig on him while he was showing me how to do something on my computer! We really did have fun and the SAFE Shelter staff really deserved all the fun they could find! But no one can top baby Charlotte, our little advocate in training! She wears purple like a pro!

SAFE Shelter staff (and family) participated in an impromptu PURPLE FRIDAY! We always have so much fun with this event. Just look at our fearless leader, Cheryl Branch, with TWO purple wigs! Her name for the day has been Purple Polly . Also pictured is little Charlotte, our Community Outreach Specialist’s daughter, decked out in her purple gear. Her mom, Abby Garrett, said we have to start that awareness early! Thank you to our Program Manager, Doretha Rice for getting everyone organized and having lunch prepared for us. The work we do here can be hard but we sure do have a good time when we can!!!

During the holidays each year, PetSmart offers their customers a way to give back by purchasing a stuffed animal for local children in need. Well friends, do you see those 3 giant bags of adorable unicorns and kitties? They were all donated to SAFE Shelter! Children that enter our program often face fear and confusion upon arrival; these stuffed animals will go a long way in making them feel a little more comfortable! Thank you so much, PetSmart!!

Pay attention. She's asking for help. This could be a life saver!

Dear Friends, it's true that sometimes the best things come in small packages! Meet Miss Bethany Moltry, a dynamic 6 year old who has a big heart for those who have less. With the help of her parents, she has been making care bags for the homeless and distributing them around town. She recently decided to broaden her generous reach and included SAFE Shelter as her destination. This BIG SHOUT OUT goes to Bethany who, with her heart of gold, is making the lives many around her a better place!

HUGE SAFE shelter thank you to Rachel and the other members of 100 Women Who Care in Savannah, GA for choosing us as your donation recipient this go round! We are so grateful for the community we live in and for such amazing people like you- 2,200 dollars, just wow!

2020 SAFE Shelter Candlelight Vigil

Don’t forget to join us TONIGHT at 6:00 pm to participate in our Annual Candlelight Vigil! We will be live-streaming the event from our Facebook page.

Dear Friends, this has been a week of amazing people and donations! The other day Parrish Duncan and Rachel Peterson, both with Rachel Peterson Realty, dropped by with a lot of really great stuff! They brought by six starter kits so to speak, for residents moving out of the shelter! These kits included comforters, towels, kitchen utensils, bath mats and towels! We were all shell-shocked, most of all Sheryl King, far right, who is the Coordinator of the Follow-up/After Care Program. Stay tuned for Monday when one of our clients comes by to pick up her stuff! Big SHOUT OUT to Rachel, Parrish and everyone who made these gifts possible!