- Staff Writer
Help Eva's Place Receive $25,000!
Did You Know? Eva’s Place is Sanilac County’s only emergency shelter program to assist men, women and children fleeing domestic violence, sexual assault or homelessness. Your Gift Today Can Secure Our Future. The SAVE Council and Eva’s Place shelter is a key link and community partner is assisting our vulnerable citizens. However, much like the people we serve, the SAVE Council and Eva’s Place is also somewhat vulnerable. If the Sanilac Count citizens elect to no longer support the SAVE PARTNERSHIP millage funding that helps to support the program, funding to continue services would disappear. The assistance of the $25,000.00 endowment grant would be a huge step in working towards continued future funding support for this essential program and services.
We need your help. Our reason for participating in the 25k for 25 Challenge is to ensure that programing like this is always available for the citizens in Sanilac County. Bad things do happen to good people, and anyone can make a mistake. However, everyone should be able to have hope, opportunities, and promise for a better future. The endowment will be a great step to ensure that funding investments will be there to allow us to provide these good services forever.
Please partner with us during the month of May, help us by make a donation to Eva’s Place, and assist us in spreading the word. A month can make a world of difference for a victim, and this month could make a world of difference to ensure the continued services of the SAVE Council and Eva’s Place.
The Numbers Don’t Lie. Current reports show that in Michigan there are 100 domestic violence homicides each year. Unfortunately, it was because of a local domestic violence homicide, the murder of a mother and her two children that our shelter first opened nearly 20 years ago! Additional statistics reveal that 1 in every 3 women will be impacted by domestic violence. Further, 1 in 5 women and 1 in every 33 males will be sexually assaulted. Nationally, Domestic violence is attributed to 50% of homeless cases for women and children. Eva’s Place shelter is Sanilac’s safe haven to house, support and assist county residents seeking help until they can get back on their feet. Helping our community families by providing a temporary safe home and assisting to identify a specific plan to regain their self-sufficiency and independence is Eva’s Place primary focus. The financial support of Eva’s Place is completely funded by our Sanilac County citizens. Some assistance with shared SAVE PARTNERSHIP millage funding, annual fundraisers and donations comprise the yearly operating budget for the Eva’s Place shelter program and all SAVE Council events.
What We Are Doing In Our Community. The Sanilac Area Violence Eliminations Council has a long history of partnership with several agencies and efforts. The level of success for our clients as they recover is completely dependent on the partnerships, we can develop for them. As an example, our council provides free Self Defense classes for women and children and partnership with educational programming on human trafficking and sexual assault. We financially support the annual Project Connect and this year a community food distribution to help our homeless and struggling families. The SAVE Council has assisted the Sanilac Area Child Abuse Prevention Council with financial support for violence prevention programming and community training as well. The SAVE Council purchased necessary medical equipment to help open the Sanilac Child Advocacy Center, and currently are helping to financially support the new Men’s Rescue Mission by paying their utility bills.
It shouldn’t happen, but it does. Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Homelessness just should not happen, but it does. Even in Sanilac County! The Sanilac Area Violence Elimination Council operates Eva’s Place, Sanilac County’s only emergency shelter for citizens fleeing domestic violence, sexual assault or homelessness. Last fiscal year our local shelter housed 100 Sanilac County citizens for a total of 1,322 nights. Additionally, during the same time frame, shelter staff assisted in over 300 crisis calls form citizens in our county that were seeking emergency help! Additional programming provided free self-defense classes to 68 women and 70 children. Education and information presentations were delivered to hundreds of our citizens during local trainings, presentations and support groups. Our SAVE Council strives to provided emergency services and prevention programming to help stop violence.
Good outcomes happen because we are here. Bad things do happen to good people. Some of our recent success stories include the wife that was trying to leave her abusive husband. When she shared with him that she was leaving, he locked her in the basement, beat her severely until he knocked several teeth out. He kept her captive for several days, long enough to cause her to lose her job because she did not show up for work. When she was finally tossed out of her house by her husband, she walked to a neighbor and called a friend to come get her. She arrived at Eva’s Place the same day, bruised, broken and terrified that he was going to find her and kill her. Eva’s Place was able to provide her safe shelter, connect her with medical and dental care and helped her find new employment in a different town. She was able to qualify for a housing program, and legal services helped her complete a divorce, and protection order. This lady was a hard-working gal that simply go involved with a monster. Today, she has relocated again, but is free, alive and has regained her independence. She has come a long way but is still recovering from her years of abuse.