LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Safe Passage readies multimillion-dollar fundraising campaign for new domestic violence shelter

By: D.M. Herra

When Nancy Prosel joined the Safe Passage board of directors about three years ago, one of the first things she wanted to do was tour the safe house for survivors of domestic violence.

She saw survivors and families who were safe, who were beginning to heal –and who were sharing five bedrooms and two bathrooms among 25 people. “The shelter is more than 100 years old,” Safe Passage Executive Director Mary Ellen Schaid said. “It was clear from the beginning of my time, around five years ago, that it was overcrowded. It was not the ideal environment you need for people that are in crisis.” This summer, the board is preparing to launch a multimillion-dollar capital campaign to relocate Safe Passage to the former site of the DeKalb Clinic, in the 200 block of Franklin Street in DeKalb. The clinic building will be torn down and replaced with a contemporary

resource center to address the issues of sexual and domestic violence.

“The lower level will be dedicated to counseling,” said Prosel, who is cochairing the campaign. “The second floor will be administrative, and the third floor will be the safe house.”

Plans for the new shelter include private and adjoining rooms, more bathrooms, and more common spaces. There will be play areas for the many children who often reside at Safe Passage, Prosel said, and quiet spaces like a library. “Research has led to this understanding that survivors need more than just a physically safe environment. They need an emotionally safe and mentally safe environment where people can really heal and start addressing their trauma,” said Lynnae Laskowski, Safe Passage’s director of prevention. “Our shelter [today] is a physically safe environment. But it’s not a space where people can easily relax and heal. It’s a small space with a lot of people.” Besides being a more comfortable space for survivors, Schaid said, the new shelter will be able to accommodate more people. Safe Passage frequently has to turn away people seeking help because it is out of room.

“People call us in crisis, and we don’t have enough space to shelter everyone who needs shelter,” she said. “That’s not acceptable.” The current shelter is located inside a century-old house and can accommodate up to 25 people, who share five bedrooms, two bathrooms, one kitchen and one washing machine, residential director Renee Wester said. The shelter serves people of all genders, and usually has a mix of single adults and families with children.

“Clients share that coming to Safe Passage –even though it is full, even though it is busy –is life changing,” Wester said. “It’s the first time they’ve been believed. The first time they’ve felt safe with someone. The first time they can share their story. We want to take all of that and make it even better.”

When Safe Passage moves, the six buildings it currently occupies will be put up for sale, Prosel said. All but one of the buildings are converted singlefamily homes with vintage charm that will be ready to house families once again. In a boon to local government, Prosel added, that means that six residential lots currently designated nonprofit will return to the tax rolls.

At press time, the board had not established the final amount it will seek from its capital campaign. It was in the process of selecting the architect to work on the project; the amount funds needed to complete the building will come after the architect’s preliminary study. That hasn’t stopped at least one major donor from making a commitment to give, Prosel said. Even with the financial uncertainty that has arisen from the COVID-19 crisis, staff and board members are certain the community will support the new shelter. Schaid pointed out that Safe Passage raised $52,937 in the Give DeKalb County day of giving, the third highest earner of any nonprofit. “I’m really grateful for all the support we have, because we’re really going to need the support of every single person in DeKalb County to grow into this new and dynamic building,” she said. The safe house is not the only place Safe Passage is feeling growing pains. Staff meetings and training sessions are held off site, because there is no place on the campus big enough to hold all 34 staff members. A lack of counseling space sometimes means the children’s counseling groups include all ages, from infants up to teenagers.

Laskowski sees the new administrative space as supporting Safe Passage’s educational mission as well. With enough space, she said, Safe Passage could host training sessions for professionals like doctors, police officers, and teachers on how to work with survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

Safe Passage was founded in 1981 to provide safe shelter to survivors of domestic violence. It has since grown to address the issues of domestic and sexual violence from 360 degrees, Laskowski said. It provides counseling to survivors and educates the community on recognizing and addressing signs of abuse. It helps survivors apply for orders of protection and offers legal advocacy to survivors who have cases in the court system. In the 1990s, Safe Passage added a partner abuse intervention program, working with abusers to address and change their behavior. “People don’t realize how much of a need there is for this in our community and how much Safe Passage really does,” Laskowski said. “The 24-hour crisis line is there for someone who is having a really rough day and just needs to talk. Or for someone in crisis. Or for someone who has a question –maybe they’re worried about someone else and want to know how they can help them. We’re here for kids who have been sexually abused. For kids who have witnessed violence in their family. For the person who was abused as a child and never told anyone for 40 years and now they are ready to talk about it.” Former Safe Passage client and domestic abuse survivor Kowana recorded a video interview to share how the organization changed her life. “Safe Passage gave me a voice,” Kowana said in the video. “They took away the shame that I felt. …I’ve got self-respect now. Thank God there’s a Safe Passage.”

 SAFE PASSAGE TELEPHONE HOTLINE: 815-756-5228

 TEXT LINE: 815-393-1995