By Lou Phelps
When the Chatham County Grand Jury December term ended this past February, the members were offered the opportunity to communicate their thoughts to Judge Michael Karpf of the Superior Court.
They wrote, “We, as the Grand Jury, have some suggestions to make based upon information provided from hearing presented cases. We feel it would be beneficial if family violence information was disseminated through the Chatham County school system. Children of all school age would benefit from learning there are options available to them and they do not have to keep silent about domestic or physical abuse. Children should possess this knowledge so the circle of violence or abuse could be stopped in as many cases as possible. The Assistant District Attorneys or representatives knowledgeable about domestic violence and abuse would be great resources for this suggestion.” It was a powerful observation of what is needed, made by local residents who listened to the tragic consequences of the lack of information.
In Chatham County, there are a number of ways for families to seek help. If the time comes that a battered mother or father and their children need to leave the home and have no where to go, one of the county’s most important resources is SAFE Shelter, a program founded by four women more than 30 years ago, and now overseen by a team of professionals, a legion of volunteers, and led by Executive Director Cheryl H. Branch.
Since opening its doors in 1980, SAFE Shelter has provided temporary, emergency shelter to over 19,000 victims of domestic violence and their children. The average stay is 90 days, according to Branch.
Its location is kept secret to provide safety from the abuser, tucked into a pretty Chatham County neighborhood. The beautiful facility has eight large bedrooms, each capable of housing a small family, with a total capacity of more than 30.
There’s a large community kitchen, family room with big screen TV, a children’s play room, large backyard playground and offices and counseling rooms. Branch’s newest goal is to add a computer room for the adults to work on resumes to find jobs, and for school age children to do their homework or play online video games, chat with friends and communicate with family members. She would appreciate help with donations of equipment and network support services, of course.
SAFE Shelter also offers other shelter services and programs including crisis intervention, a Children’s Program, counseling, legal services and a Follow-Up/Aftercare Program. No fees are charged for shelter services, supported by the United Way and various fundraising activities to support the full and part-time staff of 23 team members needed to keep the facility operating 365 days a year.
SAFE Shelter’s staff work closely with the local police department. According to Branch, when a woman is killed or hurt, they review the cases to see, “Did she make crisis calls? Did she call the police? The people who’ve been killed have usually not made the calls. They don’t think anyone’s going to believe them, but there’s a lot of help.” And, fortunately, SAFE Shelter has never had a death of any battered women who has sought shelter with them.
There is no stereotypical “client,” according to Branch. Abuse crosses all lines of wealth and race. “At one point I had six clients who lived at The Landing,”she said. “They range from public housing to gated communities.
“It’s almost worse for the clients who are well-off,” she explained. “It’s not that they are afraid to give up a life style. It’s a fear they won’t be believed. I had a woman married to a Savannah doctor. He would tell her he would kill her in her sleep, and say, ‘who are they going to believe; me or you?’”
“Abuse is about control. We’re seeing more men, as well. As hard as it is for a women to seek help, it’s 10 times harder for a man. We saw 12 men last year. There is a time to come to a shelter,” she emphasized.
The only criteria for accessing the shelter is that a client is involved in “intimate partner violence;” you don’t have to be legally married. They work with families dealing with incest, substance abuse and mental illness, and can provide a number of social services to help with all of these family crisis issues.
In many cases, the SAFE Shelter team helps families who end up remaining in the home, never coming to the shelter. Assistance can include helping the adult gain a restraining order, counseling for them and the children and a number of follow-up services and programs.
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