Safe Harbor Center: Annual Report FY2022

In appreciation of your support for Safe Harbor Center

we offer this annual report on the impact of your generosity.

Your support made it possible for us to impact the lives of more than 2,929 children and families throughout coastal Georgia.

Our Mission

The mission of Safe Harbor Center, Inc. is to provide services that promote security and stability for at-risk families, children, and individuals.

Our Core Values

The children, individuals, and families served come first in everything we do.

Commitment to excellence and professionalism are key tenets at all levels of our organization.

We are one team with one vision and one mission working together.

Collaboration and partnership within our organization, and with others who share our

vision and values, are keys to our sustained success.

Integrity, honesty, and ethical behavior guide all our endeavors.

Diversity of ideas, cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds strengthen our efforts.

Financial strength enables us to accomplish our goals.

Bryan Liberty

McIntosh

Wayne Glynn

Camden

Long Appling Jeff Davis

safe

harbor

Board of Directors

Peter Feininger Chairman Jeff Misner Vice Chairman & Treasurer

Alice Selman Secretary

Alison Bouts

Michael Butcher

Courtlyn Cook

Lori Windolf-Crispo

Senetra Haywood, Ed. S George Jackson

Michael Kaufman

Carrie Lorentz

Yolanda Y. Richardson, CA Mary Schellhorn

Nicole Spannuth

Dr. Shirley Wilson, MD

Executive Staff __________

Leslie Hartmen, LPC Executive Director

Andrea Belton

Director, Children’s Advocacy Center & Connie Smith Rape Crisis Center

Alician Black Director, Family Preservation

Jeff Clark Director, Street Beat Brittany Clay Office Manager

Keith Fenton Director of Development

Hillary Johnston

Volunteer Coordinator & Thrift Shop Manager

Lutas LaBarba, LAPC

Director, Children’s Center

Dr. Sherzine McKenzie

Director, Zach’s Place

Dr. Laura Ridings

Director, STRIVE Transitional Living Services

Marion Snyder

Senior Office Manager

(As of June 30, 2021)

Leslie Hartman, LPC Executive Director

Safe Harbor, established in 1991, resulted from community inspiration stemming from a simple trust and belief that life could be better for children in Brunswick and the Golden Isles. Now, 31 years later, what originated as a local charity has grown into a nationally recognized leader among non-profit organizations dedicated to serving children, families, and individuals who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected, and those experiencing homelessness. Your generous support has played a crucial role in helping Safe Harbor turn a dream into reality.

As we embark on our 31st year of service, we reflect on our promise and commitment to the children and youth in our care while also beginning the task of taking crucial additional steps to extend that continuum of care for children, families, and individuals throughout Coastal Georgia.

As this annual report reflects, Safe Harbor’s work this past fiscal year further solidified the critical role we play in caring for our community’s most vulnerable citizens. Your support made it possible for us to impact the lives of more than 2,929 children and families through our seven unique programs. Thank you for choosing to help – we simply could not do it without you.

But there is so much more to do. The need continues to be real and immediate. Now more than ever we must continue our efforts to prevent child abuse...reclaim young lives...and restore strong families. By supporting Safe Harbor, you are not only changing the life of a child who will go back into the community healed and hopeful but also families who will thrive in the future. You are helping to mold the life of a child that may one day grow up to be a teacher, a doctor, a military officer, a change maker, a philanthropist, a friend.

As you read the following pages of life changing stories, accomplishments, and opportunities ahead, I trust you will be encouraged and challenged to help us continue to fight for the least of these so together we can break the cycle of poverty, abuse, and homelessness in our community for generations to come.

On behalf of all our kids, and the thousands more we will serve in 2023 and beyond, thank you for caring.

Regards, Leslie Hartman Executive Director

Warmest

Children's Center

For the children and youth that reside at Safe Harbor Children’s Center, the first pages of their life story have been difficult and discouraging. We often speak about how damaged and bruised our young people are - the sad result of years of abuse, violence, and trauma. Time and again, they have been discarded and discounted. They have been told they are not worthy. Too many have been rejected (or worse) by those who should have loved them unconditionally, leaving behind physical and emotional scars that can linger a lifetime. Yet, we know that the first pages of their story do not have to be predictive of how it will continue.

Safe Harbor represents the start of new pages in their life to bring hope and healing. Our hope is that, through their time here, the course of their life and the content of their story going forward will be profoundly changed.

Situated amid stately live oaks in Brunswick, the city center of the Golden Isles of Georgia, Safe Harbor Children’s Center is a home for children in need of a safe, loving environment – a place where they are treated like family.

Safe Harbor Children’s Center, commonly known as the Windolf Residence, serves children, ages birth to 18, who have been removed from dangerous situations as a result of abuse, neglect, or abandonment. As a long-

term residential shelter, the center provides nurturing care, medical and dental services, academic tutoring, vocational guidance, recreational opportunities, and counseling and therapeutic services in a loving homelike environment.

The Windolf Residence provides services designed to facilitate an intensive, comprehensive, and therapeutic services that is centered on the healing of the child. Our professional staff offer a goal focused, learning atmosphere designed to equip youth with emotional stability, educational success, healthy hobbies, and coping skills.

Through our skilled and compassionate staff, Safe Harbor serves a variety of residents based upon his or her unique, often complex, needs. Services are designed to facilitate intensive, comprehensive, and therapeutic support that is centered on the healing of the child.

We were able to provide a loving home and 24/7 care for 52 abused and neglected children at Safe Harbor Children’s Center.

The children and youth served were able to escape years of trauma and regain a sense of hope and purpose.

Safe Harbor ensured the health and well-being of each child served by providing 520 medical and dental appointments.

Residents of the Windolf Residence learned effective ways to cope with distressing feelings and trauma- related memories of their own abuse by participating in 2,808 therapeutic counseling sessions.

100% of children served demonstrated significant academic improvement after participating in Safe Harbor’s robust academic tutoring program.

SOFIA'S STORY

My name is Sofia, and my life has not been filled with rainbows and Barbie dolls. There were no birthday parties, stuffed animals, or family trips to the beach. From the earliest time in my life that I could remember, life was about survival.

I was born right here in Glynn County, Georgia. My mom was sixteen and my father was twenty-three when I was born.

My earliest memories are of being hungry. My mother and father lived on gas station food and fast food. The smell of burned oil and salt still reminds me of my childhood. No matter how much food they had between the two of them, there never seemed to be any left for me. I remember digging through the fast-food bags on the floor hoping for a stray fry or leftover chicken nugget.

My mom was out of the house a lot. She and my dad would fight, and she would leave for days at a time. My dad was an alcoholic and a drug-dealer. There were people coming in and out of our house all the time. When my mom was gone, my dad spent most of his time asleep on the couch. When he was awake, he was having parties. I grew up thinking this was normal. I was always invited to “hang out with the adults” in the living room.

My life got a little easier when my dad was arrested the year I turned eleven. He had been charged with several drug offenses which resulted in me being placed into foster care. At that point, my mom had left to go live with my grandmother out of state and I hadn’t seen her since I was eight.

I subsequently bounced around a few foster homes and eventually landed on the doorstep of Safe Harbor Children’s Center. I did not want to go into the building. It took some coaxing from my DFCS case manager, but when she let me know that I would get to “shop at the store” next to the residence to pick out some supplies, I caved. To me, that sounded like Christmas.

At Safe Harbor, I found myself placed in an environment with eleven other girls and a roommate. The first few

days I didn’t talk that much. I did not trust the other girls and I certainly did not trust the staff. I was anxious about receiving food and was constantly asking for snacks so I could hide them for later.

However, within my first week of arriving at the center I began working with a case manager and a trauma therapist. It was there that I began truly opening up. My therapist, case manager, and residential director all worked together to create a specialized plan aimed to help me overcome the trauma I had experienced. Slowly I began to trust the adults around me and eventually came to realize that they were not going to take away my access to food, kick me out, or leave me in a vulnerable situation.

During the weekends, the staff at Safe Harbor would take us all out to do fun activities like explore the pier, go to the movies, or even go to the beach. I grew up my whole life with the beach under fifteen minutes away and until I arrived at Safe Harbor, I had never had a chance to go. I remember that day so well.

Safe Harbor provided me with a volunteer tutor to help me catch up in my schooling. Four times a week I would work with a tutor for two hours. I was able to work through personalized lesson plans to catch up within six months.

I ended up living at Safe Harbor until I was sixteen years old and a junior in high school. While I was there, I learned the value of who I am as a person. I still meet with a counselor weekly and am friends with most of the girls who lived with at the residence. I have a part-time job and I plan to attend college when I graduate. I want to get a degree in teaching so I can help other children who may be in challenging situations see their own potential.

I will forever be grateful to Safe Harbor. I have no relationship with my mother or my father but have all the love I need from the people who had supported me for the past several years. I no longer have anyone telling me “I can’t,” and instead have a team of people around me yelling that, “I can!”

every child deserves shelter, food, clothing, & education

When a kid is out on the street at 2 AM, alone and scared, you don’t tell that kid to come back later. Their needs can’t wait: clean clothes, a decent meal, a bed to sleep in… and someone who cares. Zach’s Place is specifically designed to rescue kids from the streets and to help them build new lives.

Zach’s Place, our emergency shelter for runaway and homeless youth provides for the immediate needs of homeless and runaway children and youth up to age 17 in Glynn County, Georgia. At Zach’s Place, children and youth receive safe, temporary housing, food, clothing, healthcare, counseling, and the encouragement to fulfill their potential and successfully contribute to society.

The primary purpose of the Basic Center Program is to provide temporary shelter and counseling services to youth who have left home without permission of their parents or guardians, have been forced to leave home, or other homeless youth who might end up in contact with law enforcement or the child welfare, mental health, or juvenile justice systems.

Services are provided in our two-story home that includes eight beds (4 boys, 4 girls), two-and-a-half baths, a large living room, study room, dining room, kitchen, laundry area, family visitation area and activity center, as well as administrative offices for staff. Our continuum of counseling services includes aftercare counseling for families.

Runaway and Homeless

Children and Youth, ages 2 days old – 17 years of age, were served at Zach’s Place

Zach’s Place 99

Male Female

YOLANDA'S STORY

Did you know that the best public bathrooms to get ready in are in the grocery stores? I doubt you need to know that, but my mom taught me that when I was thirteen and we were living out of her car. An hour after they open, and an hour before they close are the best times. All you need are a backpack and baby wipes. When it was too hot for us to spend the day outside, my mom would let me sit inside the car with the AC on for short periods of time to keep cool. We lived like that for nearly a year.

My mom eventually got a job at the Dollar General and she started working the night shift. She would leave me in the car to sleep while she worked. I did not mind because we had sheets covering the back windows so no one could see in. She would lock me in the car when she went into work and by the time, I woke up she was back.

My mom met a friend through work named Tara. Tara invited us to attend church with her on Sundays and I loved it because they had free food after the service. After learning about our situation, the church helped set my mom up with a case worker who then referred me to Zach’s Place.

Zach’s Place is an emergency shelter that provides immediate needs to runaway and homeless children. I did not think of myself as homeless, and I was not a runaway. I did not want to be there and be separated from my mom, and I let everyone know, including the staff at Zach’s Place.

After three days, my mom showed up to see me. I had been so scared I was never going to see her again. She let me know I was only going to be there for a few weeks while she worked to secure flexible hours at work, enroll me in school, afterschool solutions and a place for us to permanently live. She sat with me and my counselor to give an update on what she was working

on and I started to understand that living away from my mom was not going to be forever.

The residential home was cozy. We had hot showers, comfortable beds, and access to lots of movies and games. I was required to go to school and even though that was not my favorite thing, I liked getting out of the house for a few hours a day. I worked with tutors to make sure I was getting good grades. I had not been enrolled in school in two years so my tutor made sure that I was staying on track to catch-up with all my schoolwork.

I liked the counselor they assigned me. She was nice and listened to me when I talked about missing my mom. She asked me questions about my future and I had no idea at first how to answer them. No one had really asked me questions like that before. She let me know my mom loved me and was working hard to take me to a new home.

After 21 days, my mom came to Zach’s Place for the last time. This time it was to pick me up and take us to our new home. When she arrived, I was so shocked to see that the car had none of our stuff in it! She had worked with Safe Harbor’s Rapid Rehousing Program and the Division of Family and Children’s Services to secure us an apartment that we could call home.

I did not want to go to Zach’s Place at first, but I am so glad I did. Being there gave my mom the time she needed to get back on her feet. This experience was over three years ago, and I am happy to report that I am still in school and living with my mom. We attend church every Sunday and I still look forward to the free food. My mom and I always talk about our highs and lows of the day, and I am so happy that our days now have way more highs than lows.

STRIVE Transitional Living Program

When young people are homeless or age out of foster care at 18 or 21 years of age, they are often ill-equipped to navigate a successful path to a self-sufficient and independent adulthood. That is precisely when they become most vulnerable — to homelessness, human trafficking, and a host of other threats and obstacles to their well-being and future happiness.

Imagine being an 18-year-old with little to no family support, who barely finished high school, struggling to find a decent-paying job, and feeling hopeless about the future. Then you are hit with a global pandemic, which is just one more thing you have no control over. The youth in Safe Harbor’s STRIVE Transitional Living Program face circumstances beyond their control and,

unlike many of their peers, are forced to grow up far too quicky. They strive to overcome trauma that can impact their ability to thrive in life. The issues they face when entering adulthood alone do not occur in isolation, but rather compound upon each other—often putting them on a path to poverty and hopelessness.

Young adults in our program, however, find the support they need to weather the storms of life and build the skills needed for a successful adulthood. Our journey with youth focuses on emotional health, educational services, job training and other life skills needed to reach their full potential and to become productive members of their community.

The STRIVE Transitional Living Services Program leverages three integrated programs: STRIVE Transitional Living Program (TLP), STRIVE Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF), and STRIVE Rapid Re-housing (RRH).

STRIVE Transitional Living Program

Our STRIVE Transitional Living Program provides services to young women ages 17-22 who are intellectually disabled and in the care of the Division of Family and Children Services, or who have become homeless. TLP assists residents for 18 months to develop skills leading to self-sufficiency and independence, while providing a safe living environment. Youth reside in our group home, Hamer House, where all basic needs are met including transportation for work, school, and health purposes. Our welcoming group home has seven beds and provides real-life experiences in education, employment, roommate and household management, and other personal growth experiences that teens need to successfully transition to adulthood.

Our traditional TLP model operates in individual unit apartments leased by Safe Harbor just blocks from our group home. Homeless youth ages 17-22 are provided with appropriate housing for 18 months and all basic needs unless provided for through other benefits, such as food stamps, etc. Helping youth to establish themselves in the community with health care, education, and employment are key to success. Youth are required to participate in services and work toward goals they set on their individual service plan. As a preparation for discharge, the Housing Specialist assists youth to explore available housing options aligning with their permanency goals.

Promoting Safe and Stable Families

Our Promoting Safe and Stable Families services, contracted by the Division of Family and Children Services, are intended to support youth ages 17-21 in their transition out of foster care to live independently. This is a non-residential program targeting those at considerable risk of homelessness without supportive intervention. Participating youth may reside with a foster family, a group home, or any other placement type within the region or may be already living on their own.

Rapid Re-housing

Established in 2021, the Rapid Re-housing program is a primary solution for ending homelessness. It has been demonstrated to be effective in getting people experiencing homelessness into permanent housing and keeping them there. By connecting people with a home, they are in a better position to address other challenges that may have led to their homelessness. We offer housing support in the form of advisement, short-term rental assistance, and one-time utility deposit to 18 to 24-year-old individuals.

the right support can make a world of difference

MIRANDA'S STORY

Miranda didn’t have access to a support network when she aged out of foster care. After enrolling in STRIVE, she began learning how to budget and create a healthy household for herself. Even though her opportunities seemed limited, she worked with her Life Coach to develop a three-year plan that included earning a college degree and securing her own home. When she lost her job because of the COVID-19 pandemic, her dreams seemed impossible. But what life and the pandemic seemed to have taken from Miranda, it also returned in blessings. With the help of her Life Coach, she was able to find a nice apartment in a safer

community, and a job with a large healthcare provider that pays more than twice as much as her previous minimum wage job.

She is preparing to begin classes to earn a degree in nursing and is saving for a down payment on her own home. “I spent most of my childhood in foster care and residential homes, so the odds that I would be where I am today were not in my favor,” she says. “STRIVE helped me see what my life could look like then gave me a plan for making it happen.”

14 young women were provided a safe and loving home at Safe Harbor’s transitional living group home, Hamer House.

32 individuals went from homeless to hopeful as Safe Harbor was able to provide short-term housing to those once living unsheltered in areas not meant for human habitation.

70 young adults, ages 17-21, received vocational training, academic support, life skills training, case management services, and counseling services to successfully transition into independent, productive adults.

Family Preservation YOU BECAUSE

children can thrive within their own homes when parents are provided with services and support

We all know a struggling family. Maybe we have been part of one. Crisis can hit suddenly, or it can emerge from problems that have built up over generations. Safe Harbor’s Family Preservation Program comes alongside children and families going through a crisis, surrounding them with care, community, and encouragement. We reassure them they are not alone. We work with each child and family to get to the source of their crisis, address struggles, and teach new tools to foster communication and build relationships. Families thrive when relationships are restored, working together to forge a pathway home.

Safe Harbor’s Family Preservation Program serves families in Glynn, Camden, and McIntosh counties for whom allegations of child abuse, neglect, and/or the need for additional assistance has been identified by the Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS) for being in crisis, at imminent risk of having a child removed from their home, or could simply benefit from additional family support. Family Preservation services are designed to help parents and caregivers acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the needs of their children in a safe, positive, and healthy manner.

Family Preservation services grew out of the recognition that children need a safe and stable family and that separating children from their families is traumatic for them, often leaving lasting negative effects. These services build upon the conviction that children can be safely protected and treated within their own homes when parents are provided with services and support that empower them to change their lives. The program works to educate and connect parents to resources available to them within and outside the community to promote independence and resilience within the family. Parents gain knowledge and skills that help them gain self-sufficiency, keep themselves and their children safe, and decrease factors leading to additional reports to DFCS. Family support workers serve families by implementing holistic, person-centered, and trauma-informed approaches to prepare families for selfsufficiency after the completion of services.

The primary goals and objectives of Safe Harbor’s Family Preservation program include:

• Assure children’s stability, safety, and well-being within the home and preserve intact families in which children have been maltreated, when the family’s problems can be addressed.

• Effectively improve parenting skills by reinforcing parents’ confidence in their parenting abilities.

• Help parents and families identify where improvement is needed and to obtain assistance in improving skills with respect to matters such as child development, family budgeting, coping with stress, health, and nutrition.

78 families and caregivers acquired the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the needs of their children in a safe, positive, and healthy manner.

181 children now reside safely in their home without being displaced from their parent(s) or caregiver.

22 families received financial support to cover costs for childcare, groceries, rent and utility assistance, purchase utility appliances, and moving costs.

80% of families served did not experience a second referral for services after completing the program.

94% of children were not removed from their homes and placed in foster care.

EMMA'S STORY

Emma, a young mother of three children, was referred to Safe Harbor’s Family Preservation Program in April of 2022. Little information was given regarding Emma’s situation, but our staff had been advised that she needed supportive care to keep her family safe and intact.

She showed up to meet the staff of Family Preservation with her children and a close friend from her community church. She was visibly nervous and reluctantly sat down to share. She was a 22-year-old woman who was a single parent to two toddlers and a newborn. She expressed that her home was not currently suitable for safe living, and she had been struggling lately to provide food and clothing for her children.

Although the Family Support Worker (FSW) was concerned about the issues Emma raised about her housing, she did not fully understand how dire of a situation it truly was until they visited Emma’s home to perform an inspection. It was immediately apparent that the lack of environmental safety had to be urgently and immediately addressed.

Emma had been awarded a Section 8 Housing Voucher, however the time to redeem the voucher is limited and Emma had run out of time. What remained available within her timeframe was the residence that she was currently in, which, after inspection, should have been condemned. She had made a choice between returning to homelessness and sleeping on the street with her children or accepting her only Section 8 option to keep a roof over their heads.

The home had no front door, there were holes in the walls and baseboards, and there was a broken window that had been boarded over when someone previously had broken into the residence. The kitchen stove had a large hole in it preventing it from functioning and the kitchen lacked proper storage for what little food supplies they did have. The smell of rotten wood permeated the residence and the one functioning bathroom was visibly speckled with black mold all the way from the ceiling to the floor.

“I do not feel safe. The rats are eating my baby’s food and clothes, and I don’t know what to do. My children sleep with me in the bed to keep them safe from being bitten by the rats,” Emma explained. “I do not let my babies go outside to play because I don’t want them to get shot. I heard someone in my house the other night and found them in my kitchen stealing food. I do not let the kids in any part of the house alone and keep all the doors closed because it is not safe for them. There is black mold in my bathroom and no matter how many times I bleach it away, it comes back.”

After walking through her home, the FSW immediately began planning with Emma to improve her living conditions. Emma had been stuck in her situation for several months without feeling as though there was a solution. Emma and the FSW agreed that improving her housing circumstances would be the number one priority, followed by parenting education, applying for proper childcare, and gaining employment.

Emma had a history of employment, but when COVID-19 shut down daycares, she was unable to pay for childcare and made the difficult decision to stay home with her children. She acknowledged that their current situation had led to parenting challenges, and she was interested and willing to complete the parent education courses offered to her.

During the next three months, our Family Preservation team, in collaboration with her case manager and the Brunswick Housing Authority, worked closely with Emma to secure her a new home. The FSW utilized COVID Supplemental Aid to pay for Emma’s deposit on her new home, and the Brunswick Housing Authority expedited the process to have her Section 8 Housing voucher transferred.

Within three days of completing her paperwork, Emma and her children moved into their new home. She began to work with FSW on parenting and employment and has successfully enrolled her children in childcare. Although her battle to secure her future is ongoing, she has managed to ensure a better future for herself and her children.

With locations in Glynn, Camden and Wayne Counties, Safe Harbor’s Children’s Advocacy Centers serve an important role throughout the Brunswick Judicial Circuit in identifying and prosecuting child abuse, and helping victims heal from their traumatic experiences. Safe Harbor Children’s Advocacy Centers are safe, child-focused environments for children who disclose sexual assault, physical abuse, neglect, or have observed violence and/or abuse of another person. To reduce the trauma of victims and their families, the centers utilize a multidisciplinary team approach for the identification, investigation, prosecution, treatment, and prevention of child abuse.

We are accredited by the National Children’s Alliance which means our centers adhere to the highest standards of practice for child advocacy centers in the nation. Our team members are highly trained professionals who oversee every case with respect, care, and compassionate support.

Children's Advocacy Centers

When child abuse is reported, Safe Harbor’s multidisciplinary team is called into action. The team consists of representatives from law enforcement agencies, the Division of Family and Children Services, medical and mental Health professionals, victim advocates, and staff members of the Children’s Advocacy Center.

The Children’s Advocacy Center’s role is to provide an interagency coordinated response center. We help facilitate the sharing of information between agencies and help keep non-offending parents or caregivers updated on the status of the case. The multidisciplinary team approach provides the organizations involved with access to more information and streamlines evidence gathering. Victims benefit from reduced stress and anxiety with a process that involves fewer interviews and more timely referrals for needed services.

JENNIFER'S STORY

We often hear about crimes of violence against women and children but we rarely hear the stories from the victims' point of view. What happens to them? What is involved in recovery? Is it even possible to live a full life?

The shame that comes with being in an abusive situation in childhood is indescribable. For years, I walked around feeling worthless and hopeless. I wanted to disappear. I thought anything bad that happened was my fault. I did not trust friends, adults, or authority figures. I survived by dancing, writing, and attaching to mother figures who would boost my self-worth. I developed an eating disorder to numb the pain and distract from my reality.

When I entered my early 20s I was diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. I began therapy having no idea of all the layers of shame, guilt, and fear I would uncover.

So many victims of abuse stay silent. The fear of being disbelieved or the shame that comes with admitting to being a victim keeps many people from even acknowledging their abuse. It is so important for people to understand that speaking out is not the problem; the abuse is the problem.

Survivors are protective of their perpetrators or anyone else linked to their abuse. Other people are put ahead of the abuse, and then the cycle of self-destruction (eating disorders, alcoholism, sexual promiscuity) takes hold and continues throughout a lifetime. I could not maintain relationships with friends, bosses, or partners because of the impact of my abuse.

I spent years in therapy telling my story, followed by

years of allowing myself to grieve all that was lost. Around the age of 30, my life began coming together, and the shame that came with my abuse finally dissipated. I began to accept and understand my experience and the impact my abuse had on me. Finding loving relationships is all I ever needed and wanted.

Allowing myself to become a mom has been a lifesaver. It was not until I became a parent that I fully understood how vulnerable I had been as a child. I could finally let go of the shame and feelings of fault about my abuse. I could finally value my body and my life, and my fear of repeating the cycle of abuse lessened once my baby arrived.

Abuse is awful and should never happen. However, when survivors allow themselves to break the silence and own their experience, there is so much hope for them.

When child abuse or sexual assault scandals fade from the headlines, there is little thought given to the aftermath of trauma or the hope that comes from being in recovery. More people stepping forward and breaking their silence would be proof that recovery is possible and that survivors can live full lives. Even someone who has experienced trauma can be a good parent and be in a safe and healthy partnership.

I mourn for my childhood, but despair no longer consumes me. The abuse I experienced was not my fault. I tell myself every day that if my son knows he is loved, he will be OK. I am healed by watching him feel safe and happy.

I am a survivor of childhood physical and emotional abuse.

The Connie Smith Rape Crisis Centers provide valuable services to support the physical and emotional healing of sexual assault victims and their families. With locations in Glynn, Appling, Camden, and Wayne counties, services include forensic medical examinations, follow up medical services, 24hour crisis line, crisis intervention, advocacy services, and therapeutic counseling.

Safe Harbor’s Connie Smith Rape Crisis Centers serves anyone impacted by sexual violence, including men, women and children, and their non-offending friends and family members. We support and empower survivors and educate the community to end sexual violence. We help to ensure a responsive medical community, sensitive law enforcement and an active prosecution system.

It’s been over three years since the night that I was sexually assaulted by a co-worker. The day after it happened, I told two people in the world about what I had been through. The night before had been fuzzy and fuzzy means it’s easy for people to doubt if it happened at all. But I knew what had happened, my body knew what had happened and the staff at The Connie Smith Rape Crisis Center helped me make sense of what had happened.

I am so thankful that in my moment of desperation, The Connie Smith Rape Crisis Center was able to provide me with the right resources. The counseling team helped me process my trauma and my emotional healing while working tirelessly with the law enforcement to provide evidence of my assault. I was able to have access to a forensic medical exam, a follow-up medical exam and a therapeutic treatment team all within one building.

JASON'S STORY

It was hard to start writing about what happened to me. It was even harder reading to my family. My counselor called it my “trauma narrative.” She said it is a way for me to make sense of what happened to me and make it less painful.

When I was fourteen years old, I was sexually assaulted by my basketball coach. I had been playing competitively with a traveling team since I was eleven, and my coach said I had enough talent to make the varsity team in high school. I spent my free time hanging out with the team and working out at practice with my coach. I loved it.

One day after practice I ended up chatting with my coach and he said he could see how stressed I was about tryouts. He said he could stay later in the evenings with me for extra one-on-one practice. I was super grateful that coach thought I was good enough to even have a chance at the team.

Over the next few weeks coach and I spent a lot of time together. I felt like I could really open up to him. One evening he asked me if I wanted to grab some food after practice. I called my parents for permission, and they did not mind. Coach said he had forgotten his wallet at home and that we needed to swing by his apartment to grab it. He asked me if I would like to come inside for a glass of water.

Once we were inside his apartment, he started asking me questions like, “are you grateful for me? Do you like spending your evenings with me? Aren’t you happy I believe in you?” I was uncomfortable but did not know how to respond except to say “yes.” Then he leaned over and kissed me. I did not push him away. I felt frozen. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. Then he took me into his bedroom.

This is the part my therapist and I talk about. All the details.

He made me promise not to tell anyone. He said basketball would be over for me and all my friends would be mad at me. I thought I could deal with the shame, guilt, and confusion on my own. I kept it inside and just

began to try to convince myself to believe that nothing ever happened.

I stopped attending basketball practice and started sneaking out on weekends. My parents were confused but did not know what to do with me.

One night after sneaking back into the house, I found my parents sitting at the kitchen table waiting for me. After a lot of yelling, I found myself telling the whole story of what had happened with my coach.

I ended up at Safe Harbor’s sexual assault center a couple of days later to meet with a forensic interviewer. I remember sitting in the waiting room wondering what I had done to deserve to be going through this. A staff member came out and introduced herself as the forensic interviewer. She took me back to a small room and asked me about what I had told my parents. I did not want to repeat the details, but she was patient with me. She made me feel safe and gave me the space to tell the details as I wanted to. I was so scared she was going to judge me. But she didn’t. For the first time in this experience, I was not scared.

After the interview, I was taken into a medical room for an exam. It was a little uncomfortable, but the nurse made me as comfortable as possible and let me ask every question I had. She reassured me I was ok. That had been my biggest fear.

I met with a counselor after that. She is the one who encouraged me write about my experience. I did not talk much at first, but she let me pass the time by drawing pictures. She asked questions about my drawings, and soon began making suggestions of things for me to draw. She calls it “art therapy.” It was a safe way for me talk to her about what had happened to me.

At trial, my coach was found guilty and sentenced.

While that part of my story is over, I still feel like I have a long way to go to deal with the trauma I experienced. I am glad I told my parents, and I am grateful that Safe Harbor gave me the strength to fight for myself.

YOU BECAUSE

every young person should have an opportunity to achieve their dreams

Each year, an estimated 4.2 million youth and young adults experience homelessness, of which 700,000 are unaccompanied minors, meaning they are not part of a family or accompanied by a parent or guardian. On any given night, approximately 41,000 unaccompanied youth ages 13-25 experience homelessness.

Much like communities throughout the state of Georgia, Glynn County and surrounding counties are struggling with high levels of poverty and homelessness, especially among children and youth. In fact, it is estimated that 40% of our homeless population is under the age of 18. They are our community’s invisible homeless population, unsheltered — sleeping outdoors, in parks, on the street, in vehicles, abandoned buildings, under bridges, and other places not meant for human habitation. The longer young individuals remain homeless, the greater the risk that they will be trapped on the streets where they are vulnerable to crime, hunger, illness, mental health issues and dying prematurely.

Street Beat, Safe Harbor’s Street Outreach Program, addresses the needs of runaway, homeless and street youth and their families by providing services that promote safety, well-being, self-sufficiency and permanent connections with caring adults. Street Beat not only helps youth leave the streets, but also assists them in moving and adjusting to a safe and appropriate living arrangement.

Many of the young people we encountered have been hurt or abandoned by the important adults in their lives. Our engagement efforts are the crucial first step in building trust between young people and our program staff, who are a supportive and visible presence on the streets, in our shelters and drop-in centers.

Our street outreach team offers food, clothing and hygiene supplies, as well as information connecting youth directly to community resources, including our medical clinics, HIV prevention and testing, emergency shelters, housing programs and counseling.

Drop-in centers, located in local neighborhoods, provide a safe refuge from the streets, and for some young people, are the only indoor spaces they can access. We make it welcoming with events and activities in addition to hot meals, showers, laundry, computer access, and behavioral health services.

These entry-level services give young people the support they need to formulate a plan to permanently leave street life behind.

Street Beat

Our Coastal Coordinated Entry System served 824 children and 285 families in need of crisis support services in Coastal Georgia.

Our Street Outreach team identified and engaged 908 individuals and families, 564 children and youth under the age of 18, who were living unsheltered in cars, tents, parks, under bridges, and other locations not meant for human habitation.

We provided hotel/motel accommodations to 193 children and 83 families experiencing homelessness.

More than 2,490 hotel/motel bed nights were provided to children and their families due to job loss or inability to maintain stable home environment.

6,238 nutrition and wellness bags were distributed to children and youth to meet basic nutritional and hygiene needs.

TERRANCE'S STORY

Standing in his graduation robe and smiling from ear to ear, Terrance looks every bit the successful graduate. However, graduating high school wasn’t a simple matter of getting credits, school was impacted by Terrance’s home life. The house where Terrance lived with his family was not a loving home. It provided shelter but because of his father’s verbal abuse, fear and shame filled the environment. No effort was enough and unable to bear the abuse, Terrance dropped out of school and left home.

“I thought I was the problem. I wasn’t good enough and wouldn’t amount to anything.”

Terrance found his way to Safe Harbor’s Street Beat program and with food, academic support, and stable housing, was able to focus on his direction again. “The staff at Street Beat pulled me aside and told me I was an excellent kid and I had a bright future ahead of me.”

Their caring words made an impact. Terrance persisted and in May 2021, surrounded by supportive staff and peers, Terrance celebrated his graduation. With newfound confidence, he shared his plans to continue his education and, expressing his thanks to his supportive workers, he stated with a smile, “I’d like to become a youth worker.”

following outcomes:

• 100% of the youth exited the program with safe and stable housing

• 95% of the youth are attending school

• 100% of youth report having adult support

• 99% of youth received health treatment while in the program

• 100% of youth received emergency shelter, food, clothing, counseling, and referrals for healthcare

• 100% of eligible youth received job training and life skills training

• 100% of youth received academic tutoring support

• 100% of youth received therapeutic counseling and case management

Of the youth served this fiscal year, the program achieved the

Coastal Coordinated Entry System

The Coastal Coordinated Entry System is an important process through which people experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness can access the crisis response system in a streamlined way, have their strengths and needs quickly assessed, and connect to appropriate, tailored housing and mainstream services within the community or designated region.

As the lead coordinating agency for the Coastal Coordinated Entry System, we partner with Coastal Georgia Area Community Action Authority, FaithWorks Ministry, Gateway Community Service Board, Salvation Army, Saved by Grace, and others to ensure children and families in our community have a defined way of accessing crisis response services. The coordinated entry system is a proven method of identifying how many people are experiencing homelessness, determining what supports those people may need, and then assigning appropriate supports to those to end their experience of homelessness.

no one deserves to be homeless

Safe Harbor Center gratefully acknowledges our generous supporters

Harbor

The

Annette Bacola and Robert Cummings

Alison and Larry Bouts

Mila and Troy Bouts

Melanie and R. Byron Brown

Suzanne Buckley and John Rodman Avis Carline

Lori and Alex Crispo

Timme and Peter Feininger

Jan and Kevin Fenton Celia and Jim Ferman Glenn and Scott Ferrell

Kathleen and Kevin Flynn Alice Glenn Cindy and Litt Glover

Donna and Patrick Godbey

Debbie and Richard Goldsmith

Mary Frances and Brad Harmon Charles Herman Susan and Dan Hogan

John G. Alston Jr.

Robyn and Teddy Barnhardt

Jacques Battiste

June and James Baumoel

Mr. and Mrs. William Beninccosa III

Judy Benjamin Reynolds Bickerstaff

Mike and Patti Birdsong

Lynda Bisher

Jim and Mary Bishop

Jimmie and Roy Boyd

Celia and James Boykin

Hilary and Robert Brandt

Bentley

Society

Jeanne Kaufmann and Roger Ryan Tina and Bill Kirby

Mary and Mark Langlais Gail and Scott Ledbetter Deb and Dan Luginbuhl

Patrick Malone

Martha Martin

Dianne and Robert Matthews Gayle and Albert McAlister David Miller

Gregory H. Nau and Ms. Martha R. Miller

Nancy and Jeff Molitor Susan and Don Myers

Vicky Myers Brenda Nash Ron Parks

Members Individual Donors

Minette

Mary and Carl Schellhorn

Dr.

Catherine and Howard Seymour Diana and Stephen Shelton

Janet Singleton Chuck Smith

Ron Stock

Emmy Temples

Chris Templeton Robin Tondra

Dean and Kimberly Wardlaw Cary and Herron Weems

James Wethern Joel Willis

R.B. Wilson

Muriel and Jack Windolf

Carol and William Brockway

Christine and Robert Broomell

Amy and Terry Brown Melanie and Byron Brown

Sandra and William Brunson Jr. Dr. Michael Butcher

Mary Lou Forsyth and Joseph C. Byrd

Sue and Chuck Cansler

Wendy and Dr. Jeffrey Capes

Wiiliam Carmichael

Dana Carpenter

Jan Carriker

Amy and Earl Carter

Beverly

Peter

Michael and Joy Cook

Susie Cooley

Laverne Cooper

Anita and Harold Crockett

Paul and Dale Cronin

Madison Daniel Katherine Darby

Mr. and Mrs. Donald Dart

Toni Davies

Safe Harbor Giving Society represents those whose vision and leadership in giving ensures the long-term sustainability and transformational impact of Safe Harbor’s future growth and development.

Margaret Hutchinson Patrick Jones

and Michael Kaufman

Page Pate Jane and Joe Prendergast

and Buzz Raborn

Angela Scott Alice Selman

Mary Cason

Ann Brosky and Giordano Chiaruttini

Christakis

SAFE HARBOR CENTER I ANNUAL REPORT

Leigh and Dr. Melvin Deese

Marie and Tom Dennard

Barbara and Fred DeRatto

Maria Dodson

Odet Douglass

Laura and Bill Edenfield

Wells Ellenberg

Keith Fenton and Anthony Kontaxis

Mary and David Folts

Claudia and Peter Forbes

Joey Garber

Tim Gay Lewis Glenn

Emily and Martin Glickstein

Faye and Dr. Jim Gowen

Steven and Lawanda Graham

Devon Grovner

Charlotte and Robert Guido

Kate and David Hamer

Patricia Hamilton

Kim and Dr. Mark Hanly Kelly and Brian Harman

Thomas Harrison Susan and Jack Hartman

Peggy Hatcher

Jennifer and Greg Hauck

Edward Hawie

Linda and Tom Heagy

Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Helms Kelly and Brad Hnatt

Phoebe and R.E. Hoaster

Linda Hodges

Terry Hughes

Debora Johnson

Hillary and Craig Johnston Elizabeth and Donnie Jordan

David and Linda Kaugher

Nardis and Mike Kellar

Gail Kellis

Maryalice Kimel

Kari and Patton Kizzire

Karen and Robert Kushner

Cathy and Stan Kyker

Heath Lambert

Karen and John Laws

Whitney and Vic Long

Kathy Lowe

Jeffrey Lutz

Elsie H. Mackethan

James Mackey

Lila and James Magbee

Claudia Malone

J. Preston Martin

Nancy and John Matthews

Riley and Dexter Mattox

Baba and Albert McCaffrey

Frances and Dennie McCrary

Ann and Tim McGlaughlin

Gretchen and Andrew McGregor

Claudia and Tom McIlvain

Frances and Dave McLean

Dr. Michele and Keith McMahon

Deborah Melnikoff

M.E. Miller and Mrs. G. Clifton Miller

Nicole and Thompson Mitchell

Tim Mitchell

Lisa and John Montgomery

Patricia Montgomery

Matt Moreira Nerine and John Murphy

Deborah and Dr. Peter Murphy

Robert Myles

Christi and Frank Neill

Linda Newberry

Brent Nichols Kent Noltes

William and Cynthia Oliver, III Linda Olsen

Richard Ordeman

Nancy C. and Carl Orr Lindy Ott

Joseph and Teresa Peeples

Trisha and Bobby Perry Elizabeth and Brad Piazza

Marion Powers

Teresa Proctor Grace Putnam

Kyle Rapp

Carolyn Rayburn

Vicki Ream

Willie Richardson

Lois Richter

John H. Riehl IV

Will Ris

Susan Roberts

Rick and Nicole Rodgers

Mary Ropes

Theresa and Steven Royster Sara Rupnik

Valerie Ryals

Roger Sanders

Woodrow and Diane Sapp

Michael

Alison

Ashley

Nicole Shingler

Susan Shipman

Sarah Simpson

Ernest and Mary Smith

Judy

Linda

Charlene and Merrill Smith

Marion and Robin Snyder

Sandi Spier

Ann Steadman

Anne and William Stembler

Rev. Deanie and Joey Strength

Rosemary and Dr. Wade Strickland

Sally and Tommy Stroud

Katherine and Hudson Swafford

Katherine Thurber

Catina and Wayne Tindall

Katherine and Lucas Tindol

Bill Townsend

Joe Tracy

Nancy and Dale Trenda

Carolyn and Jim Trueblood

Andrea Vacheron

William and Elizabeth Varn, Jr.

Alicia Villela-Minnis

Sarah and Nicholas Vrolijk

Chip Wann

Ricky Ann Weaer

Glenda Welborn

Jacqueline Wheeler

Joanna and David Wilkins

Amanda F. and Jim Williams

Faye and Thomas P. Williamsen

Barbara Wilsher

Dr. Shirley and Charles Wilson Molly and Timothy Wolfe

Michael Wommack

Ellen and Woody Woodside

SAFE HARBOR CENTER I ANNUAL REPORT

Misty Schales

Scherneck

Schueneman

and Oliver Seabolt

and Thomas Smith

Wallace Smith

Corporate and Foundation Donors

25:40 Beta

Advance Rehabilitation

Amazon Smile America's Home Place, Inc.

Amsler, Laborde and Bowman Ashley's Business Solutions

Ballard Real Estate, LLC. Bay Harbor Church of God Brunswick Golden Isles Chamber of Commerce BSCRE, LLC.

Carter Group Real Estate, LLC. Christ Church Frederica Ciot

Citizens of Georgia PowerBrunswick Chapter Club of Hearts, Inc. Coastal Accent Inc. dba Re/Max Accent Communities of Coastal Georgia Foundation CRD Properties, LLC. Davis Love III Foundation, Inc.

Facebook Family Health Chiropractic GA Center for Home Ownership, Inc. GA State Aux Fraternal Order of Eagles

Girls on the Run of the Golden Isles Glynn County Government Golden Isles Escapes, LLC.

Gulfstream - Brunswick Hartridge Rentals Hospice of the Golden Isles

Hunter, Maclean, Exley & Dunn, PC

IGA Woodbine

Island ACE Hardware and Garden Center

J. McLaughlin

Jekyll Island

United Methodist Church

Jekyll Realty

Johns Manville Corporation

Johnson O'Hare CO., Inc.

Joy Sunday School Class of the First Baptist Church, SSI Katz-Whittle Foundation INC. K-Bay 106.3

King and Prince Seafood Corp. Kinney & Kinney, LLC.

Law Office of Jason Clark, P.C. Maestas Advisory Group, LLC. Mary Jo Prater, Inc.

MTA Financial Services, Inc.

MTR Real Estate Services, Inc. National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC)

Obsidian Biologics, LLC. Parker's Convenience Stores

PGA Tour, Inc.

Play It Again Music Group P-nut Properties

PRS Race Timing, LLC. Rotary Club of Golden Isles Rotary Club of Jekyll Island Saltwater

Sandi Green, LLC. Saved By Grace

Selman & Company

Situs Real Estate

Skip Russell Construction Company

South Coast Bank & Trust

St. Marys United Methodist Church Foundation

St. Simons Living Today, LLC. St. Simons Presbyterian Church St. Simons United Methodist Women St. William Council of Catholic Women

Target Corporation c/o CyberGrants, LLC.

TASC CFC

Taylor House Interiors

Terry Thomas Foundation

The Benevity Community Impact Fund

The GoodCoin Foundation

The Joseph Group

The Links, Inc. Brunswick Chapter

Thrivent Financial

Tim Murphy Insurance, Inc.

Torras Foundation, Inc.

Turner & Associates Insurance, Inc.

United Methodist Women of First United Methodist Church Brunswick

United Way of Coastal Georgia Wayne County Exchange Club

Wesley United Methodist Church Whelchel & McQuigg, LLC. Windolf Family Foundation

Winn Dixie

Every effort has been to ensure the accuracy of this listing. If your name has been inadvertently omitted or listed incorrectly, please accept our apologies and contact our office at 912-267-6000.

Safe Harbor Center recognizes donations within our fiscal year, July 1, 202 to June 30, 2022. The listing recognizes gifts of $100 or more. We are deeply grateful to those who contributed gifts under $100. The constraints of printing this report did not allow us to list these important donors individually.

safe $2,589,570 Federal Grants $709,152 Contributions $1,349,436 Program Remuneration

FY2022 Financial Summary

harbor Programs & Services Total Revenue $4,648,158

Safe Harbor Center’s financial strength comes from the dedication and generosity of our loyal donors.

Where We’ve INVESTED YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS

. 90% 3.7% Administrative 6.3%

YOU BECAUSE in our future growth and development

safe Strategic Plan 2022-2026

harbor

Beginning in the fall of 2021, at the direction of the Board of Directors and management, a comprehensive strategic planning process was initiated to guide program development and operations for the period 2022–2026. Individuals and focus groups were selected from a large cadre of stakeholders, including a Strategic Planning Committee, board members, staff, volunteers, donors, community leaders, and referral sources. More than 100 stakeholders participated and identified clear trends, opportunities, and developmental needs of the organization. The data collected support an ongoing critical need for the services of Safe Harbor in light of a growing child and family welfare crisis.

The resulting Strategic Plan is organized around six strategic priorities: Programs and Services, Sustainability and Growth, Workplace Development, Governance, Awareness, and Infrastructure.

Deliver a comprehensive, centralized continuum of excellent, mission-appropriate services to at-risk children, individuals, and families

Objectives:

1. Provide excellence in programming and services necessary to meet our communities’ documented needs

2. Establish Safe Harbor as the provider of choice for comprehensive care solutions and trauma-informed training for children, families, individuals, and referral sources

3. Advocate for changes in public policies that impact the ability of Safe Harbor to serve its clients and communities

Expand the reach, readiness, and influence of the board and volunteer leadership to support critical fiduciary, advocacy, awareness, engagement, and fundraising responsibilities

Objectives:

1. Maintain an effective, diverse Board of Directors

2. Expand volunteer leadership opportunities to further support fundraising and community engagement

Establish diversified and viable funding streams for long-term organizational sustainability and growth

Objectives: 1. Expand philanthropic support from individuals, corporations, and foundations through implementation of a comprehensive fundraising plan 2. Assess state and federal government funding priorities and policies to determine their potential impact on the budget and on the viability of current and future programs and services 3. Explore opportunities to increase unrestricted funds through revenue generating services and earned income producing operations

Elevate name recognition and reputation of Safe Harbor Center to be the industry provider, employer, and charity of choice in Southeast Georgia

Objectives:

1. Increase public awareness and deepen connections with key audiences through targeted storytelling 2. Ensure a unified brand strategy, and wider dissemination of information via a range of marketing vehicles

Objectives: