The SAAFE House in Huntsville, Texas is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides crisis intervention, advocacy, and support services empowering abuse survivors to seek new beginnings and rebuild lives free from the effects of violence. They provide services to all victims of family and sexual violence. They also provide a program called Violence Intervention Program, developed to help abusive individuals, believing that there will continue to be victims unless the issues of an abuser are addressed. We sat down with Jolene Miller, Executive Director since 1988, to find out more about services offered and how the community can get involved in ending abuse in Walker County.
“We started in July 1984, and we started with a group of community members who knew there was a need for services in Walker County. It was originally called Walker County Family Violence Council, but changed to SAAFE House (Sexual Assault & Abuse Free Environment) in 1988 when we added services for sexual assault. There was a mining company from Duluth that had a house here for their workers to live in when they came to town to save on hotel costs. They let us use their house as a shelter in lieu of repair costs to the house – which, we had no money for repairs – but we had a house! That was a good thing. We were able to extend our services to the shelter. In 1989, we did our first capital campaign to raise half the value of the house, which is what the mining company sold it to us for. It wasn’t used that much at the time, but right now the house is never empty. Because of that, the house is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”
SAAFE House has since extended their service area from the office and shelter in Huntsville to include an office in Trinity open four days a week, an office in Livingston open five days a week, and a second shelter house in Polk County. They offer services in New Waverly one day a week and in San Jacinto County as needed. As with any emergency situation, things don’t always happen between 9 and 5. The 24 hour a day hotline is available to provide crisis intervention and safety planning, give referrals to needed resources, or to simply answer questions in a confidential and non-judgmental setting.
Given the nature of your services what is one thing you would like the people in the community to know?
“You really have to help the individuals meet their basic needs. A lot of people in the community think ‘Well, just get out. Just move away.’ It just seems right or left, a do or don’t kind of thing, and that is such a gross misrepresentation of what our clients go through. They are not with people just because they are roommates; that’s not the way it is. And it’s a very complex issue to try to get out. ‘Okay, so I get out, where am I going to work?’ What are the options for our clients? What does housing look like? Average rent is $800-1,000 in this community. How do you get that working a part-time or even full-time job at minimum wage? It’s very easy to see a child that’s been abused, and that child had no choice in that and they have no responsibility in that, so let’s go in and do everything we can. We are right on target—we need to be there for that child. But it is very hard for society to see adults as children that have often been abused.
So what are some ways that people can get involved?
“We are not an 8-5 like most programs; SAAFE House is going 24 hours a day, every weekend, every holiday. This past weekend, I was on call and was getting calls at 1:30 am.
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. To find out more about how you can get involved, donate, or volunteer you can call (936) 291-3529 or visit the website at www.saafehouse.org. If you ever find yourself in need of services, you can call the 24 hour hotlines for Family Violence and Sexual Assault at (936) 291-3369 and (936) 327-2513.
Contact Info:
www.saafehouse.org
24-hour hotlines for Family Violence and Sexual Assault: (936) 291-3369 and (936) 327-2513