SAFE Mission Statement:  SAFE is committed to breaking the cycle of domestic violence and sexual abuse.

SAFE Vision: Prevention through education, advocacy and appropriate intervention is the ultimate goal.  all victims of domestic violence and sexual assault will be provided safety, treated with dignity and respect and given the opportunity to create long lasting changes that will result in a life free of violence and abuse.

SAFE History
• Incorporated August 1985
• First office at UMC in 1986
• First shelter leased in 1988
• First shelter purchased 1992
• Transfer of sexual assault/ rape crisis from The Healing Place to SAFE
• New shelter purchased 2006
• 2010, our Silver Anniversary

Statistics:
• SAFE, Inc. of Transylvania County answers an average of 100 calls per week for help with domestic violence/sexual assault related issues, including new and ongoing clients.
• 116 women and children who were victims of family emergencies turned away during 2004-2006 due to space limitations. No” turn aways” since new shelter purchased.
• In 2003, 471 victims (does not include their dependents) were served by SAFE.
During FY 2008-9, over 600 individuals received SAFE services including protective order
assistance, counseling and shelter.
• 71% of victims with pets who enter domestic violence shelters report that their batterer threatened, injured or killed family pets. (NCCADV.org)
• North Carolina domestic violence programs provided direct services to 50,726 victims during fiscal year 2007-08. (NCCADV.org)
• In fiscal year 2007, 4,908 children received shelter services from domestic violence programs in North Carolina. (NCCDAV.org)
• Children who witness domestic violence are more likely to exhibit behavioral and physical health problems including depression, anxiety, and violence toward peers. (NCADV.org)
• National statistics show 1 in 5 college students and one in 10 high-school students experience violence. (NCADV.org)
• In the U.S. rape is the most costly crime to its victims totaling $127 billion a year considering factors such as medical cost, lost earnings, pain, suffering and lost quality of life. (US DOJ)
• Over 10,000 North Carolinians were affected by sexual violence in 2001. (NC Council for Women)
• One in 5 women has been sexually assaulted at some point in their lives. (NC DHHS)
• 61% of all rape cases occurred before the victim had reached the age of 18;
29% of all forcible rapes occurred when the victim was less than 11 years old; and
32% occurred between the ages of 11 and 17. (National Victim Center, 1992)
• Children are the silent victims. Children fail to report domestic violence or sexual abuse because of shame, fear of retaliation, or fear of not being believed. (NCCADV.org)
• In North Carolina alone, there were 104 fatalities as a result of domestic violence in 2008, 563 murdered in NC from 1/1/2002 to 3/23/2009. (NCCADV.org)

Direct Client Services Description:
(SAFE currently offers the following confidential services at no charge)

24-Hour Response Line
Response line for crisis intervention, assistance and support. This including option of counseling for anyone who calls.

Relocation Services
Provision of assistance, clothes, furniture and household items for clients in need.

Emergency Safe Shelter
Shelter, meals and personal items for victims, their children and pets. In FY 08-09, SAFE sheltered 142 women and children, a total of 3,979 bednights, 5,134 meals.

Counseling
Individual and group sessions for victims as well as abusers. In FY 08-09, SAFE staff provided
331 individual counseling sessions, with 464 group treatments and 265 outreach clients.

Case Management
Case management support for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

Court Advocacy
SAFE staff or volunteers accompany victims through legal or civil process and paperwork.
Staff assisted with 151 protective orders in FY 08-09, a new record.

Financial Support for Victims
Financial support provided through partnership with the Department of Social Services.

Resource Information and Referrals
Information and referrals to aid in housing, medical assistance, food stamps, childcare and employment for victims.

Hospital Support
Bedside accompaniment and advocacy through hospital procedure and other support for victims of domestic or sexual violence requiring emergency medical care.
SAFE Programs

Program Descriptions:

Abuse Prevention Education
Abuse Prevention Education attempts to reach many populations both through intervention and prevention. The Domestic Violence Intervention Program is an opportunity for men to work with a trained facilitator in a 26 week program to understand their behav¬iors. This is not anger management, this about the issues of power and control and is a major piece in the efforts to break the cycle. In FY 08-09, 43 men and 12 women were enrolled in the program. The women’s support group meets separately and discusses the same issues as well as their own behav¬ioral responses. Additionally, we work with the prevention facilitator from ARP/Phoenix to present programs in the county’s schools as a part of the Safe Dates Program.

Rape Prevention Program
New in 2009, this program establishes a position dedicated to the prevention of rape and sexual violence in our community. The first year, a community assessment will be performed with advice from a community wide task force. In the second year, intervention strategies will be initiated based on results of the assessment.

Community Outreach
Community outreach is responsible for getting information into the hands of those who may need it, including having materials accessible in our own two stores so that victims who may not be able to walk in the doors of our office may be able to make contact with us there. Our website offers a forum for confidential questions to be asked and responded to. Additional pieces include radio and print mediums to inform people about SAFE and our services.

Public Awareness/ Community Education
SAFE staff are available to attend civic, church, neighborhood or other meetings to discuss the agency and the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault. In Spring, 2009, we were invited to speak to all 9th grade classes in Transylvania County about SAFE and domestic/sexual violence. SAFE was also recently awarded a new state grant to fund a Rape Prevention Education Program.

The Children’s Program
Rather than simply provide childcare, SAFE employees were trained in the Positive Action curriculum. The series focuses on positive thoughts and actions leading to positive feelings about themselves. Chil-dren at the shelter work through the program which is age specific, with SAFE staff and volunteers covering topics in¬cluding health, esteem, consequences, etc. All staff were trained in order to create a culture of Positive Action to ensure consistency when working with children.

The New Leaf Program
Funded for the first time in 2008-9, SAFE started an Independent Life Skills Program as a part of the mission to break the cycles of domestic violence and sexual assault. By encouraging individuals to develop the skills they need to reach personal goals and become financially independent, one of the primary barriers to leaving a violent relationship is elimi¬nated. The New Leaf Program consists of weekly workshops as well as one on one work and is networked with other service agencies and resources in the area.

Acknowledge their pain; Honor their grieving; Support their healing

As SAFE continues to provide programs and services to those who need it most, we in turn need your help and the help of all our Transylvania neighbors who want to break the cycle of domestic violence and sexual assault. Here are some suggestions:

Become a Donor. Raising dollars takes many hands and hearts. Every gift, from $25 to $25,000 is important. Please give what you can and consider pledging a monthly donation to SAFE.

Become a Volunteer. Campaign work involves many tasks. We need volunteers for the following tasks: mailings, special event assistance, letter and thank-you note writing, gift-seeking volunteers and many others. If you have time or talent to offer and want to be involved, contact Mary Price, Volunteer Coordinator at 553-3409.

Become a SAFE Ambassador. We need to get our story and message out to many community groups. Share information packets with your friends and neighbors or arrange a time for us to present to your social, church or civic group.

Become a SAFE Talk Host. Change happens at the grassroots level. We want to arrange coffee talks in neighborhood settings to tell our story. Consider hosting a gathering of several friends and neighbors in your home or office for coffee and a 20-minute SAFE presentation. If you would consider doing this, please call Kimberley Austin at 885-7233 for more information.

Become a Referral Source. Link us to others who can help. If you think a friend, neighbor or associate may have a heart for our mission, yet you would prefer for SAFE to contact them, please provide us the names and addresses. We will make contact with all suggested persons to present our cause in an appropriate manner.

Living in an abusive relationship for several years, I felt stuck and hopeless. I had no one to turn to and nowhere to go. The night I looked in my abuser’s eyes and saw death, I knew it was time to run for my life. When he left in a rage, I called SAFE for help. SAFE took me into the shelter and provided a safe place for me to stay while I made decisions about my situation. The staff gave me support and encouragement. SAFE brought me from a place of despair, gave me hope and helped me see the light at the end of the tunnel. If SAFE hadn’t been there for me that night, I would probably be dead. With SAFE’s help, I was able to take back my life. They helped me understand that I do not have to live in fear or violence. I live in peace now. No one hits me or threatens me.
--Anonymous SAFE Client

SAFE, Inc. of Transylvania County
PO Box 2013
Brevard, NC 28712
(828) 885-7233
www.SAFEBrevard.com