24 Hour Crisis Lines
(936) 291-3369
(936) 327-2513
(936) 291-3369
(936) 327-2513
Our History
History of the SAAFE House
SAAFE House was originally the Walker County Family Violence Council. The stated purpose of Walker County Family Violence Counsel was to provide services for residential (shelter) or non-residential victims of family violence. The program began providing basic services in October of 1984 through the Good Shepherd Mission. The WCFVC was awarded a state grant in September 1985 and hired an executive director in October 1985. Using local hotels and the mission for emergency shelter, the council began providing other services such as legal advocacy, police assistance, child care, emergency and medical care, counseling, provisions to assist victims in obtaining secure, independent lifestyles, and referrals to appropriate social service agencies.
In April 1986, both office space and a shelter facility were donated by business members of the community. Through the efforts of volunteers, the office became functional and the shelter habitable by the following June.
The sexual assault program was added to the list of available services in 1988. In order to reflect the expanded services the organization’s name was changed the following year to Sexual Assault and Abuse Free Environment, or SAAFE House. In its first year of operation, SAAFE House served 27 shelter clients, 33 non-shelter clients and took 141 Crisis Line calls.
The SAAFE House’s successful growth is due to hundreds of volunteer hours. In 2006 alone, the hours donated by volunteers would have required an additional two and one-half employees to accomplish the same amount of work. There were ten regular volunteers in the beginning; there are now more than 60 volunteers (as of April 2009). As our client’s needs continue to grow and as the need for services becomes more evident, our need for volunteers also becomes more pressing. Volunteers fill an essential role in the organization’s assistance to women and children in our community who are victimized.
In 1992, we expanded services to reach victims in Polk County. Community members began networking and we were able to utilize an office in the lower regions of the courthouse building. The Polk County office started providing services one afternoon a week and over time was able to increase availability to one and half day’s a week. The community once again rallied support for this organization and office space was donated in the Community Action Building in Livingston. The additional space allowed an expansion of services and service delivery in Polk County. The office was open 4 days a week. In 1994, with the donation of a house, the community mobilized enough cash and material donations to refurbish the house for use as a shelter. In the spring of 2002, SAAFE House found the continued growth in Polk County had created a need of additional space to provide services. The county allowed us to move from the Community Action Building to the old hospital which fulfilled that need. The old hospital provided plenty of room to have donations available for client needs and to have space for individual and group services.
The resale shop “Elite Repeat” made its debut in May 2004 on the Huntsville Courthouse Square. In additional to the increased local revenue, the shop will provide a job training site for clients entering the workforce in the future. In summer of 2006, the Huntsville SAAFE House moved into the current location, a former church, which doubled the space available for client services. This year also allowed for an office in Trinity to be established.
In the fiscal year 2005-2006, SAAFE House served 429 shelter clients (a total of 9,640 service days since the SAAFE House opened), and 805 non-shelter clients (a total of 5,407 service days since the SAAFE House opened). In Walker County there were 126 adults and 131 children served through the residential program (shelter) in fiscal year 2007-2008. That same year 506 adults and 300 children were served through the non-residential program and the hotline received 3,121 calls.
The SAAFE House currently has 2 shelters and 4 outreach locations. In Walker, Polk, San Jacinto and Trinity Counties the offices are open five days a week to provide a full range of services. The San Jacinto receives services as needed. The Trinity County office has one full time staff member offering outreach clients services to the victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse five days a week.
SAAFE House was originally the Walker County Family Violence Council. The stated purpose of Walker County Family Violence Counsel was to provide services for residential (shelter) or non-residential victims of family violence. The program began providing basic services in October of 1984 through the Good Shepherd Mission. The WCFVC was awarded a state grant in September 1985 and hired an executive director in October 1985. Using local hotels and the mission for emergency shelter, the council began providing other services such as legal advocacy, police assistance, child care, emergency and medical care, counseling, provisions to assist victims in obtaining secure, independent lifestyles, and referrals to appropriate social service agencies.
In April 1986, both office space and a shelter facility were donated by business members of the community. Through the efforts of volunteers, the office became functional and the shelter habitable by the following June.
The sexual assault program was added to the list of available services in 1988. In order to reflect the expanded services the organization’s name was changed the following year to Sexual Assault and Abuse Free Environment, or SAAFE House. In its first year of operation, SAAFE House served 27 shelter clients, 33 non-shelter clients and took 141 Crisis Line calls.
The SAAFE House’s successful growth is due to hundreds of volunteer hours. In 2006 alone, the hours donated by volunteers would have required an additional two and one-half employees to accomplish the same amount of work. There were ten regular volunteers in the beginning; there are now more than 60 volunteers (as of April 2009). As our client’s needs continue to grow and as the need for services becomes more evident, our need for volunteers also becomes more pressing. Volunteers fill an essential role in the organization’s assistance to women and children in our community who are victimized.
In 1992, we expanded services to reach victims in Polk County. Community members began networking and we were able to utilize an office in the lower regions of the courthouse building. The Polk County office started providing services one afternoon a week and over time was able to increase availability to one and half day’s a week. The community once again rallied support for this organization and office space was donated in the Community Action Building in Livingston. The additional space allowed an expansion of services and service delivery in Polk County. The office was open 4 days a week. In 1994, with the donation of a house, the community mobilized enough cash and material donations to refurbish the house for use as a shelter. In the spring of 2002, SAAFE House found the continued growth in Polk County had created a need of additional space to provide services. The county allowed us to move from the Community Action Building to the old hospital which fulfilled that need. The old hospital provided plenty of room to have donations available for client needs and to have space for individual and group services.
The resale shop “Elite Repeat” made its debut in May 2004 on the Huntsville Courthouse Square. In additional to the increased local revenue, the shop will provide a job training site for clients entering the workforce in the future. In summer of 2006, the Huntsville SAAFE House moved into the current location, a former church, which doubled the space available for client services. This year also allowed for an office in Trinity to be established.
In the fiscal year 2005-2006, SAAFE House served 429 shelter clients (a total of 9,640 service days since the SAAFE House opened), and 805 non-shelter clients (a total of 5,407 service days since the SAAFE House opened). In Walker County there were 126 adults and 131 children served through the residential program (shelter) in fiscal year 2007-2008. That same year 506 adults and 300 children were served through the non-residential program and the hotline received 3,121 calls.
The SAAFE House currently has 2 shelters and 4 outreach locations. In Walker, Polk, San Jacinto and Trinity Counties the offices are open five days a week to provide a full range of services. The San Jacinto receives services as needed. The Trinity County office has one full time staff member offering outreach clients services to the victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse five days a week.