Members and supporters of Safe Haven gathered recently in the Quality Inn and Suites to celebrate the culmination of the group’s first annual “Freedom” fundraising campaign. 
    Safe Haven officials announced the group raised $54,720 of its $85,000 goal to keep the program on its feet and continue the fight against domestic abuse.
    Safe Haven, a nonprofit 501(c) (3) corporation, is a program of Citizens Against Violence Inc., which provides emergency and supportive services for victims of domestic violence in Bulloch, Candler, Effingham, Jenkins, Screven and Washington counties and is open every day, 24 hours a day.
    “It is a place where [people] who are abused can come in, be protected, and get away from their abusive relationship and start to rebuild their lives,” said Rick Robins, the campaign consultant for the fundraiser. “Many of the women come in completely at a loss and they stay in those [abusive] relationships because they don’t think they have an option, Safe Haven gives them that option … The shelter is such a wonderful thing because of what it offers and what it does with helping people and getting their lives back and that’s why we call it the Freedom campaign. It is one person’s freedom from abuse and somebody else’s control over them.” 
    With a change in state legislature this year restricting state funding of domestic violence shelters across Georgia for the 2011-2012 fiscal year, Safe Haven began its “Freedom” fundraising campaign in order to replenish the $85,000 lost from the restrictions placed on state funding.
    More than 100 people in the Statesboro area volunteered to hit the pavement visiting local businesses and going to members of the community looking for financial and other support for Safe Haven.
    “People donate all kinds of things other than money such as food and clothes because these people come in most of the time with just the clothes on their back because they are running away,” Robins said. “There was a family that came in one time in the winter time that didn’t have any shoes because the father figured that if he hid their shoes then they wouldn’t leave. It’s amazing what happens and how many different ways that people can help however now we need the financial support as well due to the change in state funding.”
    Of the donations, the Nordson Corporation in Swainsboro made the largest contribution of $25,000 to Safe Haven. 
    Nordson representative Scott Rosenau said Nordson tries to remain active in all of its communities in Rhode Island, Ohio and Georgia and that the corporation appreciated all the efforts made by Safe Haven and its supporters.
    Sarah Hines, the Bulloch chair of fundraising and previously a 10-year member of the board for Safe Haven, said: “We depended on a lot of grants, but the funding has changed. Everybody is in a crunch right now. Profit, not for profit it doesn’t matter everyone is in a tight spot and due to the changing of the funding we needed cash flow to continue our services for people who are fleeing from violence.”
    “I have always supported this group and will always support this group so when they asked me to come out of retirement to head this fundraiser up I didn’t hesitate … If people want to get a hold of me and want to know how they can help, or if they need help they can call me and call us anytime they need want … There are women who are suffering from emotional abuse, physical abuse, financial abuse and they simply don’t have a safe place to live … These families are in danger and they have to have somewhere to go.  We give them the option and a place to come. We don’t want to just put a band aid on it, we want to cure the evil, ” Hines said.
    Last year, Safe Haven helped 504 individuals who dealt with abuse last year while providing shelter to 116 women with 148 children who were fleeing from violence. The program offers homes, therapy, clothing and safety among other things for victims of abuse.
    For more information on Safe Haven, contact Sarah Hines at (912) 681-3150 or on their website www.safehavenstatesboro.org.