Support for Safe Harbor grows

During the past few years, the community has increased donations to the Safe Harbor women’s shelter.

“Over the last four years since the Annual Safe Harbor Auction we’ve been able to pay debts down and have a reserve to fall back on,” Safe Harbor board president Judy Preston said.

More than $45,000  was raised at the annual auction in the Ronan Community Center last year - a 1,000 percent increase from when the auction began four years ago. Six vehicles were donated to victims last year. Pajamas, sheets and bath robes were also donated. And, the facility recently received a new security system from a local security company as well.

“The community support has been really fantastic because it’s an easy cause to sell,” Preston said. “Everybody knows someone (a victim of abuse).”

Last year, Boy Scout John Romero, a sophomore at Ronan High School, organized a 24-hour quilt-a-thon during June, for his Eagle Scout project when 30 quilts were finished. During the remainder of the year, 26 unfinished quilts from the event were finished.

“Whoever went down there enjoyed themselves,” Romero’s grandmother Janet Gardner said of the event held in the Ronan Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints building.

On Jan. 26, the 56 quilts were donated to the Dove’s Foundation,  more than of the quilts were given to the Safe Harbor Shelter.

Safe Harbor started nearly 15 years ago by a group of women who met in the homes of others. Today, the facility has room for 12, serving mainly women and children.

Eighty percent of the organization’s funding is from the state and federal levels, and a large portion of funding comes from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Grant Family Violence Prevention.

Safe Harbor provides housing, crisis counseling, life skills classes and personal advocacy support for victims of abuse. The shelter gives battered people links to mental health organizations, referrals for legal assistance, temporary assistance for food and help with job placement through a local job service. Victims are immediately educated about abuse and given a safety plan, should they find themselves in another abusive incident.

“Within the last six months, 100 percent of clients had mental health issues,” said Safe Harbor director Melissa King, who also talked about several other issues facing battered people.

“Housing is the biggest concern because it’s so few and far between,” King said. She said that childcare is also difficult to get.

Last year, Safe Harbor provided more than 19,000 services to more than 500 victims in Lake County.

“More and more we’ve been getting calls from men,” King said. “If they see the shelter and realize it’s not a scary place they’ll come back,” King said of victims who are referred to the shelter by Lake County Sheriff Lucky Larson.

She said local law enforcement agencies and hospitals often direct victims to the shelter.

Former shelter resident Dino Spotted Elk came to the shelter with his 1-year-old daughter, Irene, after he left his abusive girlfriend in Billings.

“They were really supportive in a time when I really needed somebody,” he said. “They made me feel like I wanted to go on and succeed, and made me feel really good.”

Spotted Elk was referred to the shelter through Salish and Kootenai College, where he is currently studying to receive his certificate of completion in highway construction.

“I’m making a better life for myself and my daughter,” he said. “My daughter doesn’t have violence around her anymore. I just try to do the best I can.”

People who come to the shelter spend 30 days addressing issues and barriers that keep them from independence. After which time, victims should be ready to take control of their lives, King said.

“They have been under manipulation and terroristic threats for their whole relationship,” King said. “If they’re making efforts and we can keep them fro going back to their perpetrator we’ll extend the time (at the shelter) … sometimes they’re not going to be safe in the county, so we’ll give them a bus ticket or take them to safety,” King said.

Follow-up calls are made to the victims 30 days after they leave the shelter.

“At least 60 percent don’t go back to their perpetrators when they leave,” King said.

Dino has kept distance from his ex girlfriend, and said he doesn’t answer the phone when she calls.

“She tries to call me up, but I just hang up,” he said. “I told her it’s not about us, it’s about Irene.”

Safe Harbor encourages victims to get a protection order against their perpetrators - as most of the resources for the battered require a restraining order.

King said although it is vital that a victim prosecute his or her offender, the judge also plays an important role in preventing abuse.

“If we’re just gonna slap them on the wrist and let them go home it does nothing,” King said. She said domestic abuse is fueled by a need for control, and is not a result of anger alone.