Safe Night Ministries (SNM), a 501-c-3 organization who serves victims of domestic violence recently held a grand opening ceremony for their new facility.
According to Karen Bagwell, CEO and Founder of SNM, the faicility is a four bedroom, two bathroom home that is used as a domestic violence shelter.
“We got the house through funds given by the Sharp County Quorum Court. We have remodled it into a safehouse. It is a four bedroom, two bathroom house,” Bagwell said.
In the months leading up to the opening of the shelter, Bagwell said the board sought the expertiese of local law enforcement to ensure the home would be secure.
“We asked Sheriff Shane Russell to come and do a walk through. He told us about his concerns and so we implemented the changes he recommended. We have a great security system through Alarm Plus,” Bagwell said.
Although the grand opening was held more recently, Bagwell said the shelter has been in use since mid September and so far, 10 women have found safety, support and friendship through their time in the shelter.
Bagwell said there is no set timeframe for how long a victim of domestic violence may stay at the shelter.
“It is so individual. It is based on that person’s needs. Some people will come and they just need a safe place for a couple of night’s because they’re going to live with their parents or family member somewhere else, but for others, they may have no support system at all,” Bagwell said.
The help those who stay at the shelter receive extends far beyond a safe space to sleep.
Bagwell said for those who have no family, nor support system, SNM and the volunteers work with the victims to help them overcome their trauma.
“ There is one lady who has been with us for a couple of months because she has no family and no support and so we are her family and we are her support,” Bagwell said. “She will stay there until she makes enough money that she can move out independently and when she does she will still have our support. We will help her furnish her home, we have a utility assistance where we will help with one utility and try to get help from the community.”
SNM also has a licensed social worker who will meet with victims at the shelter, or at the outreach office located in Highland next to the movie theater.
“At the outreach, we average 13 visits a weeek from victims who need different services. They may come in to eat lunch and pick up personal care items, they may come in for food and clothes, for counseling or to get help with an order of protection. They may come in for support group meetings. It is a mix,” Bagwell said.
Bagwell said fundraising is a never ending endevour as SNM does not receive government funding.
“We run solely on the donations people give us and the fundraising we do. People will sometimes seem surprised we’re having another fudnraiser, but we have no choice. It’s what we have to do to survive. Everyting is donations or money we make by fundraising,” Bagwell said.
Although it can be a challenge, Bagwell said it isn’t all bad. She said there is freedom to operate the faith-based organiztion.
“It gives us a wonderful freedom. We’re trying to do things we need to to get a grant later, but right now, the fundraising we do gives us freedom. We can talk to them about God if they want to. Some don’t, and we don’t force the issue. We had one client that didn’t want to discuss God and so we did a separate support group for her where she could talk abou tthings without the faith based materials brought in.”
Bagwell said it is a priority for both the organization and those who stay or utilize SNM and their services to be treated with dignity.
“When I first began touring shelters, I saw things that just really stuck with me. Some things we wanted to implement, and some things we wanted to avoid,” Bagwell said. When these ladies come to us, usually they have been in abusive relationships and have been controlled relentlessly. We don’t want to add to that in negative ways, we want a disipleship. To have meaningful relationships with them and to help them.”
Another service offered to those in the home is a ride to chruch if they would like to go. Bagwell said it is not a requirement, but for those who want to go, they have the option and may also choose which church they go to.
“We have had some who wanted to go, and so we took them. They made the decision to get saved and baptized,” Bagwell said.
For more information, to receive help or to make a donation, contact Safe Night Ministries at 870-955-5000.
Lauren is a an award-winning journalist who decided after 10 years of newspaper experience to venture out. Hallmark Times was born.
