SafeHouse of Shelby County awarded Mary Kay Foundation grant

Executive Director Dotti Bailey of SafeHouse of Shelby County said each year, the winter season tends to be a busy time for them, with more families than usual displaced due to domestic violence.

“That’s always something that’s difficult enough, being displaced and in a shelter and living with people that you don’t know,” Bailey said. “It’s just not an ideal situation for anyone, so we just try to work really hard, especially for the children, to provide an environment and atmosphere that is as normal as normal can be.”

This year, SafeHouse will have more help financially because it was  named a 2018 Shelter Grant recipient of a $20,000 gift from the Mary Kay Foundation. Bailey said this is the only foundation grant they know of specifically designed for the needs of shelters for domestic violence survivors.

The grant was given during Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October. Though Bailey applied for the grant in 2017, she was recently hired at SafeHouse and had less than a month to spend on the detailed application that year.

“Not being one to give up, I was able to get an earlier start this year and also connect with Lisa Phillips, the Mary Kay rep, and she also provided a letter of support for us for the foundation grant,” Bailey said. 

All year, SafeHouse of Shelby County provides shelter and assistance through professionals and licensed clinicians on staff to support domestic violence survivors who are escaping bad situations. Each year, Bailey said, they average serving about 600 families. 

One of the great parts of the grant, Bailey said, is that it can be used for operating expenses or other various expenses that may not necessarily be covered by some federal and state grants, which often have limitations on their uses or require a money match component that the shelter can’t always afford.

“A lot of the times when victims are fleeing a domestic violence situation, often no matter how much they came prepared, they’re really not prepared,” Bailey said.

The grant, Bailey said, will be used in 2019 to maintain critical services and programs, as well as to purchase basic needs items that include food, clothing, hygiene items, baby items and medications.

Bailey said they help survivors as they are trying to “transition out of the shelter and looking for long-term options.” Services include case management; individual, family and group counseling support; legal advocacy; child advocacy services such as childcare; recreational activities; and age-appropriate interventions designed to help children recover from the effects of domestic violence. 

Bailey said they also work with a wide variety of community partners by providing referrals and information for other identified needs such as long-term housing options, education and employment.

“Once they leave the shelter, they can still receive the same services they had in the shelter,” she said. 

SafeHouse of Shelby County, one of the largest shelters in the state, was built in 2007, Bailey said, and is due for some “wear and tear” improvements since they are over the 10-year mark, which she hopes the grant can also help with.

SafeHouse has a staffed 24-hour crisis line and a 56-bed emergency shelter for individuals and families. Each room at the shelter comes standard with private bathrooms and showers, and free meals are prepared and served family-style.

Learn more at safehouse.org. Call the crisis line at 669-7233.