Built on a Foundation of Partnerships, Safe Haven Continues to Evolve
This year marks 41 years of serving families experiencing homelessness. It is amazing to think about where Safe Haven began and where it is today.
In 1983, representatives from churches across the city met to discuss the growing need to serve families experiencing homelessness. St. Patrick’s Church offered vacant space in the upstairs of their building to shelter families, and, with a lot of volunteer effort, St. Patrick’s Shelter opened its doors to serve five families in 1984.
Volunteers stayed overnight and provided meals for families—there were limited program offerings because families were only able to stay from 6pm to 6am. At the time, Safe Haven executive director Winnie McKenzie envisioned a 24-hour facility where staff could provide more services for parents and children in need. Winnie and the board knew that the church was a temporary solution, and they needed a standalone shelter.
Henry Bedford, a longtime Safe Haven supporter and board member, knew Winnie was determined to find a solution. They sat down together at Shoney’s restaurant
and sketched out on a napkin what a shelter would look like, and Henry quickly got to work to begin a capital campaign. Henry was able to secure land right behind St. Patrick’s to build a facility and worked with other board members to garner funding to bring the vision to life.
In 1990, the new shelter facility was completed, and there is a plaque that hangs on the outside of Safe Haven’s building today commemorating that accomplishment with the words, “A realization of a dream.” In 2003, Safe Haven merged with Nashville Family Shelter, a like-minded organization, to become Safe Haven Family Shelter.
Many dreams have been realized since the opening of the facility on 1234 Third Avenue South, as Safe Haven completed another capital campaign in 2013 and over the past decade has grown exponentially, serving around 300 families annually through our shelter-to-housing program.
WINNIE MCKENZIE
SAFE HAVEN’T ORIGINAL HOME AT ST. PATRICK’S CHURCH
We continue to evolve to meet the changing and growing needs of families experiencing homelessness. And, of course, we don’t do this work alone. Just as our foundation is rooted in partnerships, Safe Haven works to build on those partnerships by fostering relationships with corporations, individuals, organizations and the community. We are building a future where every family has a safe place to call home.
Creating Ripples: Expanding Partnerships and Awareness
Drew Freeman, CEO
It is an interesting time for nonprofits. There is uncertainty about government funding, and the needs of the most vulnerable in our community continue to grow. There are challenges, to be sure. However, with challenges comes a lot of opportunity. At Safe Haven, we are taking the opportunity of this time to create more awareness about family homelessness and how Safe Haven works within the community to make sure families have a safe place to call home. We are assessing our programs and making tweaks to better meet the needs of the families we serve. And we are stewarding existing relationships and building new ones with corporations, individuals and faith organizations to ask them to invest in our mission and our work.
This issue of our newsletter has important information about our work, ways to support us, and how to get involved. I hope you will pay special attention to the information about our new initiative, Welcome Home, read about how The Breakfast for Safe Haven helped open new doors, and learn how you can host a lunch and learn at your company or organization. I encourage you all to not only read all of the articles, but also to pass it along to others to help us increase awareness about our work.
When you support us through donations, sharing information on social media, attending events and inviting others to learn more about Safe Haven, you are helping create ripples that will expand to foster increased awareness and change. Thank you for all you do to help us make families experiencing homelessness have a safe place to call home.
What Does It Mean to End Family Homelessness?
Safe Haven’s vision is to eliminate family homelessness in Middle Tennessee. That is a big goal, but we believe that family homelessness is solvable, and that the Nashville community can be a place where family homelessness is rare, brief, and nonrecurring. This concept is known as ‘functional zero.’
We have a lot of work to do, of course, as family homelessness is pervasive in our community. There are around 400 families currently experiencing homelessness on the Nashville Coordinated Entry (By Name) list. And the cost of housing for families is up 20% over the last two years and is still on the rise.
Reaching this goal of functional zero will take a coordinated effort by our community, one that involves nonprofits, government agencies, legislators, donors, supporters, and more. Safe Haven is committed to being a lead agency in the community’s efforts to work towards reaching functional zero for families. Our staff serves on councils, leads essential committee work, collaborates with other agencies, meets with city and state legislators and increases awareness about family homelessness in our community.
You can join our efforts by making a donation, connecting us to a housing partner or landlord, hosting a donation drive for essential household items and by being an advocate in the work to reach functional zero. Together, we will do all in our power to continue this important work and make family homelessness a rare occurrence in our community.
A COMMUNITY HAS ENDED FAMILY HOMELESSNESS
WHEN IT BECOMES:
RARE
The number of families experiencing homelessness must consistently remain below a level known as the functional zero threshold.
BRIEF
When family homelessness does occur, it must be an experience that quickly passes.
NONRECURRING
No more than 5% of families experiencing homelessness should result in a return to homelessness within two years of receiving service or support.
Childhood and Family Literacy Are Essential
Research shows that having 25 books in the home can have a significant impact on a child’s literacy and may even lead to them completing an extra two years of school. Books can help children improve their vocabulary, introduce them to new topics and perspectives and expose them to words they might not hear often in everyday speech.
That is why Safe Haven’s youth department makes sure that when a family moves into their own housing, every child from age 0-18 receives a basket of books to begin their own home library. Last year, we distributed 171 book baskets to families. In January and February of this year, we hosted the MLK Black Book Drive to collect new books by Black and Brown authors or that center Black and Brown characters.
Over 575 books for children and teens were donated! Thank you to everyone who donated and helped spread the word.
“Books are a form of political action. Books are knowledge. Books are reflection. Books change your mind.”
- TONI MORRISON
Welcome Home! Be Part of a Family’s Next Step on their Journey
The best days at Safe Haven are the days when we walk with a family into their own housing, their safe place to call home. When a family walks through the door, they are taking a step toward stability, toward a new beginning. We know how meaningful these move-in days are, and we began our Welcome Home initiative this year as a way to celebrate these new beginnings and provide support through these families’ transitions.
Safe Haven’s Volunteer and Community Engagement Manager Ashton Mays explained, “This initiative is intentional about welcoming families home—not just welcoming them to a house.” As part of the initiative, volunteers help stage apartments, setting up the families’ beds, kitchen and cleaning items, toys for the kids, and more so that when families walk into their new place, they already feel at home. Ashton said that her favorite part of a “Welcome Home Day” is making the families feel special. “It’s a joy to watch the kids see their own room with their own toys for the first time!”
The Welcome Home initiative wouldn’t be possible without dedicated supporters and volunteers who give their time and resources to ensure that a family’s first day in their new home feels special. Tomeka Foster has volunteered almost every week since the initiative started. When asked why she has given so much of her time and energy to volunteering in this way, she said, “I enjoy giving back and was trying to find a new way to be involved with Safe Haven. Being part of these families’ and kids’ next steps is amazing!”
Volunteer opportunities for Welcome Home are available most Thursdays. Find out how you can get involved at safehaven.org/volunteer. If you have any questions, reach out to volunteermanager@safehaven.org
In addition to volunteering, community members can get involved by donating supplies for families moving in. From night lights to shower curtains to bedding to dishware, every supply donation goes a long way in making a family feel more at home in their new place.
You can find our supply wish list at bit.ly/shfswelcomehome .
Let’s Have Lunch! (and Learn More about Safe Haven)
Have you heard that Safe Haven’s Lunch and Learns have hit the road? We would love to join you and your coworkers for lunch at your office to discuss Safe Haven’s work and how you can be involved.
These sessions are about an hour long and include an overview of family homelessness in Middle Tennessee as well as updates on our work from key members of our team. It is a great opportunity for your company or organization to learn about how to get involved and partner with Safe Haven.
If you are interested in learning more or are ready to schedule at your company or organization, email Ashton at amays@safehaven.org
Get Ready to Hit the Dance Floor! Dancing for Safe Haven is September 28
The 16th Annual Dancing for Safe Haven will take place on September 28, 2025, at the Omni Nashville Hotel. We can’t wait to share this amazing evening with you! Make sure to follow our social media for updates and to get to know this year’s dancers. Visit dancingforsafehaven.org learn more, get tickets, vote, and donate.
Thank you for making the inaugural Breakfast for Safe Haven a success!
On May 22, we held the first ever Breakfast for Safe Haven in the Maddox Grand Artium at the Curb Center on the campus of Belmont University. Over 200 community members, passionate about ending family homelessness, gathered to spend time in community and learn more about our work over coffee and bacon. In addition to engaging with attendees in meaningful conversations around breakfast tables, staff and board members led a panel discussion providing insight into the realities of family homelessness and what Safe Haven’s programs look like in action.
We were thrilled to introduce the Henry Bedford SOAR Award for Volunteer Excellence as well.
We are proud to honor the unwavering dedication and contributions of one of our most cherished longtime supporters. The Henry Bedford Soar Award recognizes Safe Haven volunteers who embody the same spirit of generosity, passion, and commitment that Henry consistently demonstrated throughout Safe Haven’s history. His legacy has left an indelible mark on our community, and through this honor, we aim to celebrate those who continue to inspire positive change and uphold the values Henry holds dear. While accepting the inaugural award, Henry reminded us of the diligence, tenacity, and generosity that birthed Safe Haven Family Shelter over 40 years ago. “There is just no limit to the generosity of people that come around the table to help
people in need,” Henry said as he accepted the Award.
Those that attended that day proved how very true Henry’s words are as they surpassed the event’s fundraising goal, raising $80,000 to further Safe Haven’s mission of leading our community’s efforts to house, support, empower, and advocate for families experiencing homelessness. We are so grateful to everyone who attended, sponsored, or donated to make this inaugural event a success!
15thAnnualHike forHomeless BreaksRecord Support our work with a donation
Our hearts and spirits were warmed by the generosity and support of everyone involved with the 15th Annual Hike for the Homeless presented by Curb Records, First Farmers Bank and Hippie Radio. Special thanks to our Hike Co-Chairs Richard Courtney and Kerry Brock. More than 1,000 people joined us at the Hike, and together, we raised over $155,000, more than we have ever before. What an incredible way to mark this special 15th anniversary of the event! Visit hike4homeless.org to learn more about the 15th Annual Hike for the Homeless. Thank you to our 2019 Hike for the Homeless sponsors: Presenting Sponsors: Curb Records
First Farmers
Hippie Radio
PathwaySponsors:
Dayspring Farm
Joni Werthan of Warioto Farm
Trailhead Sponsors:
Bone McAllester Norton
Cerner
Chris Young
Community Health Systems
Save the Date: Saturday, November 1
Data Blue- Dell EMC
Dickinson Wright
Fridrich & Clark
Ingram Express Services
Messer
Look for more details about the event and how to volunteer at safehaven.org
MP& F Strategic Communications
Richard Courtney, Realtor
SunTrust
Swiftwick
Staffing as a Mission