In May, we welcomed Drew Freeman as Safe Haven’s next CEO following a nationwide search. Freeman brings more than 20 years of nonprofit leadership experience to the role, having previously served as executive director of the Franklin Family YMCA in Franklin, TN, Hogan Family YMCA in Madison, AL, and the Downtown Birmingham YMCA in Birmingham, AL. During his eight-year tenure at the Franklin Family YMCA, he was known for his commitment to service, furthering the organization’s mission and driving positive workplace culture. Most recently, Freeman served as shelter manager and case manager at Safe Haven.
“It is an honor and privilege to join an organization with Safe Haven’s rich history as we prepare to mark 40 years of serving families experiencing homelessness in our community,” Freeman said. “Together with our talented team, I am committed to working toward our vision of eliminating family homelessness.”
In addition to his vast nonprofit experience, Freeman brings deep community ties to Safe Haven. Freeman’s recent community involvement includes Rotary of Williamson County, Franklin Tomorrow and the Williamson County Black Business Coalition.
We would like to welcome new board members elected for a three-year term starting in 2023:
Officers and executive committee members were also elected to serve a two-year term: Edmundo Cepeda, President; Tarek El Gammal, Vice President; Thomas Lasley, Treasurer; Aileen Katcher, Secretary; Leigh Lindsey, At-Large Member; Lisa Estrada, At-Large Member; Ken Williamson, Immediate Past President.
Thank you to all of our board members for their leadership and service.
We believe family homelessness is solvable. Safe Haven’s vision is a Nashville community where family homelessness is rare, brief, and nonrecurring, a concept known as ‘functional zero.’ We believe we can bring this vision to reality with a coordinated collaboration throughout our community. While it is true that there will likely always be isolated instances of family homelessness in Nashville, our vision is that when this does happen, our community will be able to respond decisively and quickly so that every family facing homelessness will immediately be connected with resources and housing. The duration of experiencing homelessness for families should be brief and include the resources necessary to maintain housing so they do not face homelessness again.
Zero will be working with our Nashville community on their first effort to reach functional zero for family homelessness.
We have a lot of work to do of course, as the problem of family homelessness is pervasive in our community. There are over 400 families currently experiencing homelessness on the Nashville Coordinated Entry list. While some of those families have been connected to community partners to begin working on identifying housing and links to services, many others have not because the demand for services currently far exceeds the resources available to serve all of these families.
The number of families experiencing homelessness must consistently remain below a level known as the functional zero threshold.
To help move this vision forward, Safe Haven, and our partner United Way of Greater Nashville, have entered into a strategic partnership with Built for Zero, a movement of the Community Solutions organization. Built for Zero works with communities across the country to make long-term strategic plans to work towards functional zero. The movement and methodology are built on national homelessness best practices and provide proof of what is possible when communities work together towards a common goal. In the Built for Zero movement, over 100 cities and counties have committed to measurably ending homelessness for entire populations. Using data, these communities have changed how local homeless response systems work and the impact they can achieve. We are excited and honored that Built for
When family homelessness does occur, it must be an experience that quickly passes.
No more than 5% of families experiencing homelessness should result in a return to homelessness within two years of receiving service or support.
Yet in our community there is the will, energy, and expertise to respond to the crisis, reduce the waiting list, and move ever more quickly towards our vision of achieving functional zero. At the end of August, over 25 community partners are coming together to launch the 100 Day Challenge. Safe Haven is excited to be one of the lead agencies in this challenge, which has a goal to house 100 families in 100 days. Not only will this campaign highlight our community’s efforts to greatly lower the number of families on the waiting list for services, but it will also bring an awareness to the epidemic of family homelessness, which can often be hidden from the public eye. Be on the lookout soon for more information and ways you can get involved. You, our supporters, donors, and volunteers, are an integral part of Safe Haven’s work, and we look forward to working with you all on the 100 Days Challenge.
1 in 3 families with children entering shelter reported domestic violence as their reason for homelessness in FY 2016
More than half of crimes against persons in TN are DV related
TN ranks 10th in the nation for the rate at which men kill women
Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) respond to a DV call every 20 minutes
71% of all DV victims in TN identify as female
40% of TN women and 32.5% of TN men experience intimate partner violence, intimate partner rape or intimate partners stalking in their lifetime
Domestic violence is a common factor for families experiencing homelessness. Our program recently expanded to include specific housing and case management services for families experiencing homelessness due to domestic violence. We have always done this work, of course, with about one third of our referrals being families who were fleeing or experiencing domestic violence. With that number of referrals, we realized that there was a need for more specific case management and resources. We secured a grant from the Continuum of Care (CoC) Program, through HUD, which allows us to better serve these families.
Families experiencing domestic violence have increased barriers like financial abuse (prevented from working or access to financial accounts, etc.), isolation from family, friends or resources or have specific safety needs. The grant allows us to have four full-time case managers (plus a case manager devoting half
time to DV caseload) and a program supervisor who specializes in domestic violence so we can provide safety planning, counseling, legal fees and other resources, in addition to housing services.
Since October 1, 2022, there have been 42 families in the domestic violence rapid rehousing program, and we have housed 30 families.
The CoC grant has allowed us to also send case managers to specific training, host other domestic violence serving agencies to learn about us and what we do, and to build additional community relationships. We are members of the Safe Shelter Collaborative, a coalition of all domestic violence shelters in Tennessee, and we participate in the weekly “high risk intervention panel” call in Davidson County.
We are grateful for grant funding that allows us to make sure we have the specialized knowledge and resources to better serve these families who have experienced domestic violence.
Brittney Brown, Housing Director
Safe Haven recently hosted two ‘Ready to Rent’ classes presented by the Vanderbilt University Law School Housing Clinic with Jennifer Prusack, the Director of the Housing Clinic. The tenant readiness courses educated staff and clients on landlord tenant laws, how to be a good tenant, responsibilities of landlords and tenants, the eviction process and the Violence Against Women Act. These classes are a key component to families maintaining success and stabilization in housing. Our clients received a certificate of completion after the course and are now officially ‘Ready To Rent’ certified! To learn more about opportunities to be involved in our housing program, please email Brittney Brown at bbrown@safehaven.org.
Hope Hodnett, Youth Program Coordinator
Our youth program staff have been very active in the first six months of the year, providing enrichment activities and resources to children for continued learning, growth and development and opportunities to play and have fun. Thank you to all of the volunteers, donors and supporters who make these activities possible.
We received 390 books in total from the January MLK Black Book Drive, and we were able to hold a family book fair in April.
We hosted a Chinese New Year celebration, which included a trip to Zoolumination at the Nashville Zoo.
Families in shelter participated in the March Madness Bracket Challenge The challenge culminated in an event hosted by Brasfield & Gorrie, which included outdoor sports, concession style supper, and fabulous prizes.
Families in hotels received Spring Break Adventure Boxes.
We have celebrated multiple birthdays for children at Safe Haven thanks to birthday sponsors Piece of Mind Events, Seal Shield, Nashville Sweets, The Cupcake Collection and the Young Professionals Birthday Club.
In June, the La Vergne Police Department and Tennessee Highway Safety Office sponsored a Car Seat Check Several Safe Haven families and staff attended to make sure they have their child(ren) in the right car seat and that it is installed properly. Safe Haven staff member Rebecca Murphy recently earned the child passenger safety technician certification and was the only non-first responder assisting at the event.
This summer, families are receiving a weekly adventure box filled with fun activities thanks to your generous donations. We still need additional boxes before the summer’s end. To sponsor a box, please donate at this link: bit.ly/shfssummer2023
It is already “Back to School” time at Safe Haven. You can make a donation to help make sure over 200 children and youth at Safe Haven have the supplies and school clothes they need to start the school year. Visit safehaven.org to donate.
The dance floor was on fire at the 14th Annual Dancing for Safe Haven event! From the disco inferno opening number performed by the Ballroom of Nashville professional dancers to the heated competition of our six Nashville stars, the kicks, lifts and twirls kept everyone cheering for the dancers and for Safe Haven’s mission. This record-breaking event raised nearly $1.3 million, and the funds raised will help us serve more families experiencing homelessness in 2023. Sandi Borchetta took home the Fundraising Favorite award, setting a new record for securing six presenting sponsorships—the most ever obtained by one dancer in event history. She also set a new record for the most funds raised by a dancer--$500,000 for Safe Haven’s mission. Dancer Paul Novak received recognition as well for raising over $220,000 for families experiencing homelessness. Gerell Webb dazzled the crowd with a Miami-inspired Latin number, taking home the Audience Favorite award. Sandi Borchetta took the dance floor to close the show and secured a second title, Judges’ Favorite award, with a high-energy and creative performance with surprises at every turn.
Special thanks to Stephen Hill, Brock Slagle and Bradford VanDemark of BlueSky Filmworks for another year of sponsoring and providing outstanding production! We also want to recognize the Ballroom of Nashville professional dancers for their generosity and continued support of this event.
The 2023 Hero Award winner was Pat McDonald, PhD, a supporter who was involved in the implementation of Safe Haven as an organization. Her passion, impact and unwavering commitment are woven into the fabric of Safe Haven’s organizational history. Pat has made it her life’s work to invest in Safe Haven’s mission deeply and wholeheartedly. She has been a dear friend to Safe Haven’s staff, a loving supporter for our families, and a steadfast donor and volunteer for 40 years.
STAR DANCERS: Sandi Borchetta, Big Machine Label Group (Judges’ Favorite and Fundraising Favorite); Hal Cato, The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee; Tonya Mitchem Grindon, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC; Shannan Hatch, SESAC; Paul Novak, Community Health Systems; and Gerell Webb, itrain365 Fitness (Audience Favorite)
CO-CHAIRS: Harry L. Allen, Kearstin Patterson, Candice Reed and Shane Tarleton
JUDGES: Heather Byrd, Joshua Mundy and Shabaz Ujima
EMCEES: Danielle Breezy and Shawn Parr
PRESENTING SPONSORS:
TANGO SPONSORS:
HCA|TRISTAR HEALTH
KNOWBIZ
LAND SERVICES USA
PINNACLE FINANCIAL PARTNERS
REBA MCENTIRE
TURNER FAMILY FOUNDATION
Rachael Wilkins, Chief Development Officer
Your donations to Safe Haven help us provide more families with a place to call home. Did you know there are a variety of ways to make a donation? Below are a couple of options for supporting our mission and our work.
The Hike for Safe Haven is November 4 at Percy Warner Park. It provides several ways to participate. Sponsorships are available as well as team options to raise funds. We also need a number of volunteers to help. Learn more at hikeforsafehaven.org
The Birthday Club is a recurring donation program that supports the children and youth program at Safe Haven. Monthly donations provide birthday supplies and gifts for a child in the Safe Haven program. Learn more at bit.ly/shfsbdayclub
Sponsor a family for the holidays. Each year, we have 150 to 200 families in various programs at Safe Haven. We need donors to sponsor one or more families to provide gifts for the holidays. Sponsoring a family costs around $75 to $100 per person in the family plus two to three family gifts. Learn more and sign up at bit.ly/2023shfsholidayform
Matching donations from your employer may be an option as many companies offer matches for donations that employees make to nonprofits. Inquire through your company payroll, accounting or human resources department to find out if your employer provides matching dollars. Follow your company’s guidelines to start matching the donations you make to Safe Haven.
If you would like more information about these opportunities, please contact me at rwilkins@safehaven.org or 615.256.8195, ext. 101.
We recently refreshed our brand and logos to better reflect the full scope of our work and mission. This fresh look is designed to enable continued growth, enhance consistency, and help expand the reach and reputation of our organization. We are in the process of updating all of our digital and printed materials and plan to launch a new website in September 2023.
‘Step Up with Safe Haven’ is our adult education program that provides HiSET classes in addition to job training opportunities and career exploration. Our weekly programs also include dinner and childcare. Since the program launch in October 2022, eight families are enrolled with students on track to take the official HiSET exam.
In addition to educational opportunities, the Step Up program also provides ways for the families to bond and have fun through dinners and holiday celebrations. In May, the families enrolled in Step Up hosted a summer kick-off cookout and invited families in shelter as well as staff (and their families) to attend. It was a great way for families and staff to build community!
For more info and to register for the event, visit hikeforsafehaven.org
The Birthday Club is a recurring donation campaign created by Safe Haven’s Young Professionals Council to help make birthdays special for children experiencing homelessness. The monthly donations support the children’s program and provide birthday gifts and supplies to families. Birthday boxes are delivered to the family so that the parent(s) can wrap the gifts and decorate for the child.
For the cost of one lunch out a month, you can set up a monthly donation to join the Birthday Club and help make birthdays special for children experiencing homelessness at Safe Haven.
Save the date for the 19th Annual Hike for Safe Haven on Saturday, November 4, 2023, at Percy Warner Park. This pet and family-friendly event includes hiking the paved trails, live music, children’s activities and more! The event is FREE and open to the public, with no entry fee or minimum donation to participate. Hikers who donate $40 or more will receive a t-shirt, and we encourage hikers to team up and fundraise to increase their impact.
If you are interested in volunteering for the Hike, please email Alexandra at afurr@safehaven.org.
Thank you to our Birthday Club Founding Partners for helping us give children special birthday celebrations.
The first half of the year was filled with wonderful volunteers lifting up Safe Haven with so many projects we could not possibly list them all. Here are a just a few highlights:
The first of our summer family movie nights took place with great snacks and games too!
Over 70 volunteers helped at the Dancing for Safe Haven event on April 28. Your time and efforts helped us have an incredibly successful event that raised almost $1.3 million!
Many volunteers have been helping us tackle inventory and storage organization in our basement supply area!
Two volunteer groups, Be the Neighbor and Youth Works, revived our staff garden, built two food garden beds for our families, de-littered our grounds and neighborhood park, cleaned our Safe Haven vehicle fleet and hosted a taco and ice cream social for our shelter, HiSET and hotel families. Special thanks to board member Dominique and her partner Ray, who was our garden expert for the week!
There are great opportunities to volunteer as we enter the second half of the year including helping with our 19th Annual Hike for Safe Haven on November 4 and more. Eager to get involved or have a skill to share? Email Alexandra at afurr@safehaven.org
Already in July we have hosted our first pampering event with Nashville Street Barbers and a family portrait evening with Mirari Photography.
for the latest volunteer opps, announcements and fun!
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:
safehaven.org
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
Data Blue- Dell EMC
Save the date for the 19th Annual Hike for Safe Haven on Saturday, November 4, 2023, at Percy Warner Park. This pet and family-friendly event includes hiking the paved trails, live music, children’s activities and more! The event is FREE and open to the public, with no entry fee or minimum donation to participate. Hikers who donate $40 or more will receive a t-shirt, and we encourage hikers to team up and fundraise to increase their impact.
Dickinson Wright
Fridrich & Clark
Ingram Express Services
Learn more and sign up at hikeforsafehaven.org
Messer
If you are interested in volunteering for the Hike, please email Alexandra at afurr@safehaven.org
MP& F Strategic Communications
Richard Courtney, Realtor
SunTrust
Swiftwick
Staffing as a Mission
