The Safe Harbor Reach

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Welcome Keith Fenton • Director of Development

Executive Staff __________ Leslie Hartman, 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

Board of Directors __________ Jack Windolf Chairman

Jeff Misner

Vice Chairman & Treasurer

Alice Selman Secretary

Alison Bouts Michael Butcher Courtlyn Cook Peter Feininger Senetra Haywood, Ed. S George Jackson Michael Kaufman Carrie Lewis Rachel Nash Mary Schellhorn Nicole Spannuth Dr. Shirley Wilson, MD Carrie Wessel

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Safe Harbor Center’s quarterly newsletter, The Safe Harbor Reach.

We hope that you will find The Safe Harbor Reach to be a point of inspiration, engagement, and celebration of the work and mission of our organization.

Why The Safe Harbor Reach? The word “Reach” expresses the aspiration of everyone associated with Safe Harbor Center. The individuals we serve reach for a future defined by quality, self-worth, happiness, and achievement. Our professional staff reaches to attain every milestone involved in being an organization of excellence in serving abused, neglected, and homeless children and families.

Our volunteers and board of directors reach to provide the resources that will elevate Safe Harbor to higher levels of performance and community impact.

Being a nationally recognized leader among nonprofit organizations requires vision, outstanding professional talent, and exceptional volunteer leadership.

We are very fortunate to have all these resources in place. Each day, we work to achieve our mission to break the cycle of poverty, abuse, and homelessness among our community’s most vulnerable.

We are a remarkable organization in so many ways, but one of our most enduring qualities is that we got involved because we saw a need – we saw an opportunity to make a difference, and we went into service.

The “essence” of what lies at the crux of Safe Harbor Center is what we call “The Five Ps.” The first P, of course, is Passion.

Any team that is successful must have passion for the game and the passion to

win. And we have passion here at Safe Harbor.

The second P is for Persistence. We demonstrate this quality of persistence as we continually evolve our organization into something better and stronger – something that always seeks new ways to serve with the utmost care and compassionate support.

Along this path, we are bringing new programs and services to increase the quality of service delivery and impact throughout Coastal Georgia.

The third P is for Perseverance because we are not satisfied with the status quo.

We have both new staff at Safe Harbor, and some that have served for a long time, and we persevere. We have what we believe are the deepest committed and most hard-working professionals in the industry.

The fourth P is for Perfection. In Dr. Steven Covey’s book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, you will discover that highly effective people do not strive for perfection; they strive for excellence.

We are not perfect, but we are committed, and we are working very hard, as we strive for excellence in all that we do.

And, to do that, the final P is critical to our organization: Partnership. It is a partnership of our staff, our clients, collaborative partners, and generous donors working together to leave no stone unturned in helping those in which are so blessed to be able to serve.

As a friend, donor, volunteer, or community partner, we thank you for being part of our continued success.

Stewards of Children The statistics are staggering.

one in ten children will be the victim of sexual abuse before the age of 18.

Of those, three in ten are under the age of eleven. Think about it. Every day of the school year, nearly 2,900 schoolaged children in Glynn County and surrounding school districts walk into a classroom weighted down by their backpack full of books and the trauma of their own abuse. Yet, all too often, it is a topic few want to discuss or even acknowledge.

In its continuing efforts to elevate child abuse awareness and prevention, Safe Harbor offers Stewards of Children, a FREE, two-hour training proven to increase knowledge, improve attitudes and change child protective behaviors. Appropriate for any adult, the training teaches individuals how to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse.

Andrea Belton, Program Director of Safe Harbor’s Child Advocacy Centers and Connie R. Smith Rape Crisis Centers says, “although teaching children about their bodies and boundaries is important, protecting children is an adult responsibility, and one that calls for prevention education.”

As a result, Safe Harbor is aiming to train 5 percent of the adult population in Glynn County and surrounding communities with the Stewards of Children child sexual abuse prevention program. “This is a very bold undertaking,” says Kizzi Knight, Program Manager for Safe Harbor’s Child Advocacy Center in Camden County. “We’ve done the math, and we are confident that we can do this.” Knight explained. “When know that when our community meets the threshold of trained adults, the entire conversation around child sexual abuse is elevated. And when we have those conversations, that’s when we begin to make change.”

As social distancing for COVID-19 remains necessary, and out of care for the health and safety of all, Safe Harbor is offering Stewards of Children trainings to the community virtually and in-person. These trainings will be LIVE, led by Safe Harbor’s Authorized Stewards of Children Facilitator, and will provide

an interactive opportunity to share, learn, and practice implementing strategies to protect children from child sexual abuse. For groups of 10 or more adults, Safe Harbor can facilitate a private Stewards of Children training for your group or organization.

Knowledge You’ll Learn • New skills to help prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse • Increased awareness of the prevalence, consequences, and circumstances of child sexual abuse • Positive change to organizational policies and procedures • Individual empowerment through a personal prevention plan

Why Attend?

Child sexual abuse has devastating consequences for child victims and their non-offending family members. Research has shown that child victims suffer from trauma that often stays with them into adulthood with debilitating personal and social consequences.

Who Should Attend?

The training is appropriate for parents, schools, churches, social work and healthcare professionals, and employees/ volunteers in youth-serving organizations.

For more information or to schedule a training, please contact the Safe Harbor Children’s Advocacy Center in Glynn County by calling 912-554-0609.

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“The Safe Place program is committed to protecting the youth of Brunswick” - City of Brunswick Mayor, Cornell Harvey In celebration of National Safe Place Week, March 21-27, the mayors of the cities of Brunswick and Woodbine, Cornell Harvey and Kizzi Knight, joined Safe Harbor to shine a spotlight on Safe Place, our outreach and prevention program for young people under the age of 18 in need of immediate help and safety.

Youth often experience difficult challenges during their young lives. These may lead young people to make difficult, and sometimes dangerous decisions to escape what it is they are going through. Sometimes, youth feel they do not belong, and leaving home is often not a choice they want to make.

“It is often scary and overwhelming to be a young teenager and feel like you have nowhere safe to turn to,” said Rashida Bridges, Safe Harbor’s Safe Place Coordinator. “When a youth sees the distinctive yellow diamond sign with black lettering saying ‘safe place’ and walks in to ask for help, trained staff at the Safe Place site are able to connect each youth to our resources here at Safe Harbor for further support.”

Safe Harbor Celebrates National Safe Place Week How Safe Place Works

Since the program began in 2011, neighborhood partners and businesses have banded together to ensure that runway and homeless youth in our community get the help they need when in crisis. “It takes a village” as the saying goes—and the program’s success depends on active participation from people in our community. We are honored to have expanded to more than 147 Safe Place locations throughout Coastal Georgia. This means that young people can get connected to help immediately—be it on a school bus, at the library, a city park, a coffee shop, and local churches. This network of Safe Place sites is an extension of Safe Harbor Center’s Runaway and Homeless Youth Emergency shelter, Zach’s Place.

“The Safe Place program is committed to protecting the youth of Brunswick by offering short-term shelter and trained professionals ready to help in locations around the community,” Brunswick mayor Harvey said. “I’m so glad it’s here, glad it’s in our neighborhood, glad it’s in our city.”

Step One – A young person enters a Safe Place and asks for help.

Step Two – The site employee finds a comfortable place for the youth to wait while they call Safe Harbor.

Step Three – Within 30 minutes, a Safe Harbor staff member will arrive to talk with the youth and, if necessary, provide transportation to the agency.

Step Four – Once at Safe Harbor, counselors meet with the youth and provide support. Our staff makes sure the youth and their families receive the help and professional services they need.

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We’re Moving Children and Families from

Homeless to Hopeful Safe Harbor’s Rapid Re-housing program, powered by STRIVE Transitional Living Services was launched in 2021, has proven to be an effective solution in getting those experiencing homelessness into permanent housing and increasing self-sufficiency.

Rapid re-housing is a housing first intervention that empowers young people with a lease in their own name and its corresponding responsibilities. By connecting individuals and youth with a home, they are in a better position to address other challenges that may have led to their homelessness.

Safe Harbor’s Rapid re-housing program has also been effective for people traditionally perceived to be more difficult to serve, including individuals with limited or no income and survivors of child abuse and neglect.

In addition to providing a safe and stable home, individuals served through the rapid re-housing program have a variety of services available to them, including employment readiness & career exploration, job coaching, life skills classes, individual life coaching, peer support groups, counseling services, and educational support planning.

We are currently collecting new and “gently used”, donated home goods to get those items into the hands of those who need them most, at no cost to the recipient.

vidual or a family in need. Research shows that making a new house or apartment a new “home” for someone in need cuts the chance of their slipping back into poverty and depression to below 10%. The items we need most are: clean queen-size bed frames and mattresses, dressers, nightstands, kitchen tables & chairs, couches, side tables, coffee tables, stuffed chairs, and other home items like, pots & pans, dishes, silverware and clean towels and sheets.

If you would like to make a donation to support this effort, please contact Dr. Laura Ridings, Program Director, at 912-275-8480.

“Rapid re-housing is a housing first intervention that empowers young people with a lease in their own name and its corresponding responsibilities.”

Most people have basic home items they no longer need. We want those items to become part of the solution for an indiTHE

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One Year Later This past year saw our community come together in ways we could have never imagined. The COVID-19 pandemic affected every facet of life at Safe Harbor. From the children and youth served who proved to be resilient and flexible in the face of uncertainty, to the dedicated staff who showed up every day, with a smile behind their masks. From our donors, who showed incredible generosity by selflessly giving of their resources, to our volunteers who looked for every opportunity to have a meaningful impact. It is in these extraordinary moments that we are reminded that our community can stand strong in the midst of fear and uncertainty.

As she eyes her 10th anniversary at the helm of Safe Harbor Center, we sat down with Executive Director, Leslie Hartman, to discuss how she has led Safe Harbor Center throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Q. What has leading through the COVID-19 pandemic been like for you as Safe Harbor Center’s Executive Director?

A. It has been unique and unlike anything I have experienced before. You cannot prepare or practice for moments like this.

It brings into perspective what is most important and what you need to pay attention to. I never thought 75% of my week would be navigating a pandemic, but I would never take back what I have learned from COVID-19.

The first few weeks of the pandemic were extraordinarily intense. The days were long and required a heightened focus to keep up with everything moving and changing so quickly.

Now, it is more of a rhythm where I can think more about the future while also needing to keep people positive and focused on being successful.

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Q. How did you keep your residents and staff safe in those early days of the pandemic?

A. COVID-19 brought tremendous uncertainty in those early months when we did not know what was around the corner.

I know for me personally, I felt the weight of responsibility in keeping our clients and employees safe while dedicating efforts to keeping our doors open.

We put numerous measures in place to keep our clients and staff safe in all of our seven programs: increased cleaning measures, social distancing, and closely monitoring our staff and clients if and when they presented symptoms. We implemented staggered staff schedules to minimize risk, while continuing to provide the same high-quality services.

Most importantly, we had the discipline to not let fear and panic change the way we make critical decisions.

Q. How did the COVID-19 pandemic require Safe Harbor to operate differently?

A. The COVID-19 crisis required us to operate in ways that were new and unfamiliar, changing methods of service delivery, adapting to managing staff remotely, all while dealing with the underlying health challenges an event of this magnitude presents.

Like many nonprofit organizations, Safe Harbor faced multiple challenges in addressing the COVID-19 crisis, including: 1) increased demand for services, 2) decreased contributed revenue, 3) decreased volunteer engagement and capacity, and 4) an insufficient technology infrastructure.

As we temporarily adjusted to virtual operations and program service delivery, enhancing our technology capacity was critical both for data-informed decision-making, and as a method of delivering services more effectively, efficiently, and with greater scale.

While many organizations in the community made the difficult decision to temporarily suspend or limit their operations, we remained committed to operating at full capacity and keeping our doors open 24 hours a day. We feel fortunate and grateful there has been no stoppage of our work and that we have been able to maintain 100% of our professional staff during this time.

Q. Across the United States, nonprofits are feeling the financial impact. What has been the case for Safe Harbor?

A. I think because we have been able to maintain, and in some cases, increase operations, it gives a public perception that we have all that we need – and this just is not the case.

We have lost revenue through canceled or postponed fundraising efforts. Though CARES Act funding has been quite beneficial, we are not using CARES money to fill our reserve, we are using it to cover salaries in order to keep our doors open 24/7. But we also understand that our community of private donors may be struggling. I have no doubt that those that have been privately investing in Safe Harbor will come back when the dollars are available. Our donors believe in our mission, and we will do what we can to hold them up until they have the resources to come back.

Q. What are your concerns about child abuse now, specifically, during this ongoing coronavirus crisis?

A. While the coronavirus crisis continues to capture the headlines of the day, one concerning trend that can get forgotten is how the COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated child abuse. The onset of the pandemic was a particularly concerning time for several reasons. First, most disclosures of abuse happen in school or childcare programs. But children were isolated at home and away from the eyes of school professionals, and so abuse was not noticed or reported. Secondly, for many children, home is not a safe or nurturing place. So, for families with challenges such as mental illness, substance abuse, children with special needs, domestic violence, or extreme poverty, the coronavirus crisis only exacerbated the risk of child abuse.

Leslie Hartman, LPC Executive Director

as school, religious organizations, sports, or recreational activities. Since most abuse occurs at home, there is the added factor of children living in what can be an unsafe environment with caretakers who are more stressed due to fear, loss of income, and lack of support from extended family and community agencies. Lastly, we also know that under stress, people are more likely to turn to unhealthy coping behaviors such as substance use, gambling, risk-taking, and withdrawal, all of which will have a negative impact on the children in their care.

Now that children and youth are somewhat returning to school and “normal” day to day activities, we have experienced a tremendous upswing in the number of reported cases of child abuse, specifically in our children’s Advocacy Centers.

Q. If you could tell the community one thing, what would it be?

A. I would want everyone to know that heroes work at Safe Harbor Center. There has never been a time in our 30-year history when our employees have been stronger, braver, or more committed to carrying out Safe Harbor’s mission in the most fundamental ways. Honestly, I am humbled when I think about our employees coming to work every day, without fail, even when the world around us was unstable and uncertain.

Placing their personal fears aside, they held our children and youth in such high regard and provided comfort and stability. Courageous young people continue to walk through our doors, and the heroes that work at Safe Harbor know that those experiencing abuse and homelessness are worthy of giving their best every single day.

Q. Do you have anything you would like to add?

A. I just want to say thank you. Thank you to our partners and supporters who immediately offered services of guidance and support. This year is unlike anything any of us have experienced, and at Safe Harbor we could not have done it alone.

From no-questions-asked grants to donated PPE for our staff and youth, our partners leaned in and propped us up. Myself, my team, and the more than 1,300 individuals we protected and served during the pandemic are so thankful.

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Moving The Needle on Homelessness Through Collaboration In 2018, the Homeless Coalition of Glynn County was formed to address and improve the lives of those impacted by homelessness in our community. What started out as a small group of service providers and concerned citizens has since grown into a coalition of more than 30 agencies and 80 plus individual members and supporters.

The Homeless Coalition of Glynn County has proven to be an excellent opportunity for a diverse group of service providers, and representatives from the public and private sectors to come together to share different perspectives, experiences, and expertise resulting in new and creative solutions to meet the needs of homeless individuals, children, and families in our community.

As the lead convening organization of the Homeless Coalition, Safe Harbor continues to be awed and inspired how our respective efforts are collectively transforming how we serve our community’s most vulnerable. Highlights from some of our collaborative include:

Hand in Hand of Glynn’s vision is to build 60 one-bedroom “tiny homes” for homeless individuals on a property that formerly housed Altama Presbyterian Church on Altama Avenue. The tiny homes will form a gated village surrounding the community building on the 4.25-acre parcel. Founders Anne Stembler and Linda Haegy informed the coalition that they anticipate the first 15 homes will be ready for tenants by summer 2021.

Rebuilding Together of Glynn County is working with Golden Isles College and Career Academy students to transform shipping containers into 8-foot x 40-foot homes to for low-income and homeless veterans in Glynn County.

To learn how you, your company, or organization can support the work of the coalition, contact Jeff Clark at 912- 275-7202.

Safe Harbor Invites You to

Sponsor a Day of Service Recognize someone special, commemorate a milestone or honor a lost loved one by sponsoring a day of service in their honor.

By sponsoring a day of service, your gift will provide necessary funding to support our efforts to break the cycle of poverty, abuse, and homelessness among children and youth throughout Coastal Georgia.

To announce your thoughtful gesture, Safe Harbor will send a handsome card personalized with your feelings of this special person or occasion to the individual or family you designate.

We will also announce your special day of service on our website and through our social media outlets.

Tributes

A tribute gift is a special way to recognize, honor, and celebrate people that are important to you by giving back to others. Tribute gifts can be made in memory or in honor of a loved one, family member, friend, employee, or colleague and serves as a thoughtful tribute to endure for years to come.

Birthdays

The birthday of a child, grandchild, friend, or co-worker is a moment to celebrate. With a gift to Safe Harbor, you can send your best wishes while helping children and youth impacted by abuse, neglect, and homelessness.

Anniversaries Are a Time of Joy

Whether the date is a golden wedding anniversary or an anniversary of another special date in the life of a friend or family member, a remembrance gift to Safe Harbor can make this day a poignant way to help others.

Every Occasion is One to Remember

No matter what the occasion may be, you can express your caring thoughts by sponsoring a day of service.

Your generosity offers a meaningful living gift as an indicator of respect and/or love and offers a thoughtful way to enhance the quality of life of those served by Safe Harbor.

To sponsor a day of service, use the enclosed envelope or call 912-267-6000.

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Safe Harbor Children’s Advocacy Centers…

An Effective Response to Child Abuse It is a devastating occurrence that never seems to stay out of the headlines for long.

From an 8-year-old boy repeatedly sexually assaulted by a babysitter to a former homecoming queen convicted of physically abusing and locking her daughter in a basement for nearly two years as punishment, these stories all have something in common…Children in Georgia are suffering from an often-hidden epidemic of child abuse and neglect.

When the news breaks, we are all stunned to learn that a monster was able to deceive and hurt so many.

“How could this happen?”

“Were there any signs?”

“Why wasn’t he or she arrested after the first report?”

As complicated as it may appear, the reality is quite simple. It wasn’t long ago when investigations of child abuse in Coastal Georgia was typical of many communities across Georgia.

Prior to the development of the Children’s Advocacy Center model, a child disclosing child abuse or neglect would be subjected to numerous interviews. Social service and the criminal justice systems, at that time, were not working together in an effective manner which added to children’s emotional distress, and created a segmented, repetitious, and often frightening experience for child victims.

In response, Safe Harbor Center and other community leaders throughout the Brunswick Judicial Circuit recognized if they were to effectively tackle child abuse, like any criminal justice issue, collaboration across disciplines was a critical component of the solution. As a result, Safe Harbor has established the Children’s Advocacy Centers in Glynn, Camden, and Wayne counties to provide a safe, child-focused environment for children who disclose sexual assault, physical abuse, neglect, or have observed violence and/or abuse of another person.

proach has proven effective in breaking the cycle of abuse in the Brunswick Judicial Circuit not only by seeking justice for child victims, but also by putting families and child victims on a sustainable path to healing.

On a recent afternoon, an 11-year-old girl came to the Children’s Advocacy Center after she had found the courage to tell someone about something bad a male relative did to her.

The girl walked into the welcoming waiting room. She sat with a specially trained forensic interviewer who spoke to her in a comfortable room where she could sit in a chair just her size and talk about what had happened. The interview was recorded so she would not be forced to repeat the harrowing events again. Professionals from other disciplines watched via closed circuit TV so they could work together to conduct the best, most effective, thorough investigation. Once the interview was over, the girl’s mom was given information about mental health care that would help her daughter heal.

When the pair left the building, the girl was walking taller.

She grabbed her mom’s hand and said, with a smile “Today it starts”. Her mom asked, “What starts?” “My new life,” she replied with a spring in her step she had not seen in months.

Unburdening herself of this terrible secret and knowing she was believed, this young lady was able to take the first steps of her new life, steps toward healing.

She did not need to know about all the work the professionals continued to do after she left. There was an investigation to complete, a potential arrest to be made and many more official actions to undertake. What she knew was that she had her fresh start.

In the context of a child’s life, the best argument for a child advocacy center is simply that it clears the path for a child victim to leave his or her victimization behind and have the hope to start again.

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. The Children’s Advocacy Centers create a child-friendly setting, which puts victims at ease and allows professionals to do their work. A child forensic interviewer is trained to elicit all information in an unbiased and sensitive manner. Prosecutors, law enforcement, child protective service workers, medical personnel, mental health counselors, and others coordinate to ensure that all the necessary information is elicited from the child at one time. This multidisciplinary apTHE

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A special thanks to our players and generous sponsors for making such a difference in our community.

PRESENTING SPONSOR

LEGACY SPONSORS

COMMUNITY C A T A LY S T S P O N S O R S

92 GOLFERS

22 SPONSORS

84,000

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1 PURPOSE TO PREVENT CHILD ABUSE IN THE GOLDEN ISLES

On April 27, 2021 golf enthusiasts and community business leaders joined together for The Pinwheel Cup, a world-class golf experience at the prestigious Frederica Golf Club. Collectively, more than $84,000 was raised to support the work and mission of Safe Harbor Center and Coastal Coalition of Georgia.

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CEDAR LODGE ON HONEY CREEK COASTAL COMPUTER CONSULTING, LLC D&D DECORATORS FIRST COAST BENEFITS SOLUTIONS, INC. FREDERICA HOUSE GOLDEN ISLES ESCAPES, LLC KENNEDY KAUFMAN LEE HAVERSTOCK – ALEX.BROWN,

A DIVISION OF RAYMOND JAMES

MORGAN STANLEY PRIMESOUTH BANK SELMAN & COMPANY THE BOUTS FAMILY THE WINDOLF FAMILY UNCLE DON'S LOCAL MARKET WHELCHEL & MCQUIGG, LLC

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The Safe Harbor Thrift Shop and Donation Center is everything you want in a shopping experience – a clean space, friendly service, and a wide selection of high-quality, gently used, merchandise for women, children and men of all ages and sizes. The store is filled with familiar brands such as Ralph Lauren, J. Crew, Peter Millar and Vineyard Vines, and nearly everything is priced $5 or less.

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All donations and proceeds from sales help provide necessary support and clothing needs for all Safe Harbor clients and those of its community partners. Safe Harbor works with Communities in Schools, a nonprofit that helps at-risk students in Glynn County Schools, and with the Glynn Community Crisis Center, which runs a shelter for victims of domestic violence. Youth and adults in these programs are able to shop for free in the store through a voucher program.

We Are Open To The Public!

Shop or donate items during our store hours

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 11am – 2pm The Safe Harbor Thrift Shop and Donation Center is located at: 1600 Norwich Street Brunswick, Georgia 31520.

Donate Items

The Safe Harbor Thrift Shop & Donation Center accepts donations of gently used clothing, shoes, handbags, and jewelry for women, children and men of all ages and sizes.

Donations are tax-deductible, and all proceeds support the work and mission of Safe Harbor Center.

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Stories of Impact:

Two Different Lives – Only One Person An inspirational story from one of our former residents, Christina, who now attends College of Coastal Georgia and is part of our aftercare program.

“It was my destiny, as cliché as that sounds, to be a part of such a change so I can help others to go through it as well.”

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When being taken out of a situation known for so long, it gets difficult to adjust. Sleeping in a seemingly cold bed, sharing a room with three other girls with no quiet dinner table awkwardness… Life is different now; better than I ever dreamed it would be. There are very few things that I know about; however, I know that my life has not only significantly changed, but it has improved since I entered the world of the foster care system.

Rewinding back to the days when I was in a normal home, I found myself counting down the days until I was 18.

Countless hours were spent isolated away from society, not knowing the songs everyone knew on the radio. I found myself bored to death, reading (and finishing) 500 page books daily, and sleeping more than anything else as life was much more interesting in my dreams. I did not seek out dreams for my future. I was just there. I saw myself as just another human being with no purpose. After all, that is what my socalled “parents” told me I was — I had no other choice but to believe it.

When I looked at myself in the mirror I saw what everyone else did not see, a sad heart, and someone who was looking for love. I always presented myself as a happy person and, to this day, I will never let anyone see what I saw in the mirror. In my “family,” I was not considered a family member. I was not allowed to talk to my siblings or to come out of my room. The things that my parents told me, and the things they never let me do, tore me apart day-by-day. Only God knew that those

things would one day make me the person I am today.

Needless to say, everything my parents said about me was wrong, but I didn’t find that out until I entered Safe Harbor Children’s Center. Safe Harbor shined a whole new light for me. It was my light at the end of a seemingly never-ending dark tunnel, it was the hammer to my glass walls, and the chocolate in the middle of a big tootsie-pop. Although it was everything I needed, the transition was the hardest and scariest part, but the aftermath was phenomenal.

In just one year of foster care, I found out more about myself than I ever knew in the 17 years I was at home. I found out how social I was; I was like a butterfly with new wings! I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives, to talk to people just like me and encourage them to do great things and make the best out of every situation. My story could have easily taken a wrong turn, but I did not want to end up like my parents. I wanted so badly to look back on my life one day and have no regrets.

Somehow, that very first night, that seemingly cold bed I slept on, was where I knew my heart and soul belonged. It was my destiny, as cliché as that sounds, to be a part of such a change so I can help others to go through it as well. The consistent chattering and not-so-awkward dinner table talk and the rush of each morning was the change I needed — that is what changed ME. My not-so-typical family at Safe Harbor was the best thing I could have asked for. I could not be more thankful that God gave me them to have and cherish for the rest of my life.

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EmployeeSpotlight

Bethany Browning

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner As the SANE Coordinator for Safe Harbor’s Connie Smith Rape Crisis Center in Glynn County, I provide forensic medical exams to patients of all ages and backgrounds who report sexual assault. As a Registered Nurse, I have gone through additional training to ensure my clients receive quality, professional, competent, and compassionate care. The field of forensics is constantly evolving, so remaining up to date on the latest research is important to me.

A forensic medical exam consists of obtaining consent in order to examine patient from head to toe, document narrative history, photograph any injuries, collect evidence, screen for sexually transmitted infections, administer medications as needed, and provide follow up instructions. These services are free of charge, regardless if the client chooses to report to law enforcement. Safe Harbor is one of the few centers in Georgia that offer a full range of services, including: forensic exams, counseling, victim advocates, a shower facility, and clothing if needed.

I love that I can care for my patients in a private setting, prioritizing the individual, as this can be difficult in the nursing field.

In the future, I look forward to serving my community through education as well.

“I love that I can care for my patients in a private setting.”

Chelsea Parker

Ryan Ennis

Assistant Director and Aftercare Case Manager

Hotel-Motel Case Manager, Street Beat

“I hope that when they leave my office they feel safe, stronger, empowered, & happier.”

As the Hotel-Motel Case Manager for Safe Harbor’s Street Beat program, my role is to provide services to the homeless and street youth in Glynn county. As a graduate of Valdosta State University with a degree in psychology, I am able to provide aid to clients by giving them resources and assessing their immediate needs. In our community, there is an overwhelming amount of homeless youth and families. Working for Safe Harbor has given me the opportunity to assist and provide connections for these essential people in our community, while moving them into a safe living environment.

As the Assistant Director and Aftercare Case Manager for Safe Harbor’s runaway and homeless shelter, Zach’s Place, my role is to assist children and their families after they leave our shelter with services, including applying for benefits, obtaining educational needs, creating service plans, and ensuring they are in a safe and stable home environment.

My position is the most rewarding job I can imagine. When I am driving home after work, I often reflect upon the individuals I met with during the day. I think about the challenges they have faced, the progress they have made, and how I can further help them. I hope that when they leave my office they feel safe, stronger, empowered, and happier.

The best part of working at Safe Harbor is knowing that each day I have the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of those we serve. Working with children and youth is my passion. Nothing excites me more than witnessing those we help transition into productive adults and great citizens of the world.

I am extremely proud and grateful to be a part of this organization and community.

One of my main focus points in the Street Beat program is working as the coordinated entry coordinator, which allows me to partner with different organizations by sending them referrals. Street Beat is able to partner with other organizations to assist our clients in meeting their greatest potential.

This could be assistance in finding permanent housing, furthering their education, providing therapy, recovery services, and transitional living. Different from many other programs of our kind, we are able to, not only, meet our client’s needs, but help them to become self-sufficient people with caring adults in their corner.

The reason why I love working for Safe Harbor is because they have given me the opportunity to help families get through their toughest times and provide them with hope.

Whether I am able to give them shelter or a sense of purpose through new resources, Safe Harbor has shown me that I can make a difference in our community.

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Safe Harbor Center… powered by

seven dynamic programs

Established in 1991, Safe Harbor Center, Inc. is a nationally recognized leader among nonprofit organizations dedicated to serving children, families, and individuals who have been abused, abandoned or neglected; who are homeless or have run away from home, and who are otherwise at risk or feel threatened.

Safe Harbor’s mission is to provide services that promote security and stability for at-risk families, children, and individuals. That mission is powered by seven dynamic programs:

coordination, advocacy, transportation, individual and family counseling, home and center-based parent education, and life skills training.

Safe Harbor Children’s Center 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 support, and therapeutic counseling in a loving home-like environment.

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.

Safe Harbor’s STRIVE Transitional Living Services makes available the needed supports for youth who are most at-risk to experience violence, trafficking, unemployment, homelessness, incomplete education, drug addiction, pregnancy, and poverty. Services are designed to help young people make a successful transition to self-sufficient living while providing a safe living environment.

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, center services include forensic interviews, forensic medical examinations, follow up medical services, 24-hour crisis line, crisis intervention, advocacy services, and therapeutic counseling.

Zach’s Place is an emergency shelter providing for the immediate needs of homeless and runaway children and youth up to age 18 in Glynn County, Georgia. At Zach’s Place, children and youth receive safe, temporary housing, food, clothing, medical care, counseling, and the encouragement to fulfill their potential and successfully contribute to society.

Street Beat, addresses the needs of runaway, homeless and street youth and their families by providing services that promote safety, well-being, selfsufficiency 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.

The Family Preservation Program is designed to help parents and caregivers in crisis to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the needs of their children in a safe, positive, and healthy manner. Services include case management, service 13

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Safe Harbor Center 1526 Norwich Street Brunswick, GA 31520

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912-267-6000 www.safeharborcenterinc.org

Every child deserves to grow up feeling safe and loved.

Together, we can end child abuse and neglect.

NONPROFIT ORG. US POSTAGE PAID Brunswick, GA Permit No. 865