A helping hand for the battered and homeless A helping hand for the battered and homeless (December 17, 2004)

Tri-Valley Haven helps people turn their lives around
by Teresa C. Brown

During this past year, 73,018 food pantry meals were served, 3,438 crisis calls were answered, and more than 300 people took refuge at one of the Tri-Valley Haven's shelters.

Those are some hard numbers to demonstrate the need for the nonprofit organization. But the numbers represent something more disconcerting: They represent people.

The need in the Tri-Valley to help individuals and families who are in difficult situations is real, as are the rewards. The Haven's Associate Director Vicki Thompson recalled a recent case in which a woman sought help in the Haven's domestic violence shelter.

Through the shelter, the woman was able to enter a program that assisted her with housing plus provided case management, Thompson said. The woman successfully went through the program, was hired at a bank, and recently bought a condominium.

The Tri-Valley Haven has been more than a shoulder to lean on for individuals and families since it opened it doors 27 years ago, and it has come a long way.

It had a modest beginning, operating a crisis line by rotary telephone in a garage. From there the organization has grown to include among its programs: the Sojourner House, a shelter for entire families; a domestic violence shelter; community violence prevention and education services; a sexual assault response team; and a community food pantry.

This past Thanksgiving, more than 620 families were fed through the Haven's food pantry, Thompson said.

"The need continues to grow," she said. The Haven assumed responsibility for the pantry in February 2002, and the number of people fed through the food distribution center has increased from 600 to 2,000 every month.

Likewise, the shelters are vital refuges. This year at the Sojourner House, 72 residents were able to sleep on beds, instead of on the streets. Haven statistics translate those residents into 4,945 "bednights."

"We're really lucky," said Christine Dillman, director of Homeless Services. Citing the Haven's comprehensive program, she said people seeking a bed at the Sojourner House also participate in a program that includes case management, counseling and life skills development.

One hundred percent of the people who have completed the program have succeeded in getting into housing, she said.

The Sojourner House opened in 2002 and is the only shelter in the Tri-Valley area that accepts two-parent families, single men with children, and families with teenage boys.

The domestic violence shelter safeguarded 232 Tri-Valley residents this year, with 317 people seeking help at the Rape Crisis Center and 141 people at the Haven's restraining order clinics.

The help for these individuals and families was made possible through the Haven's 878 volunteers, who dedicated 14,600 cumulative hours.

The volunteers are indispensable, but financial support is just as critical. The Haven depends on the community to help it to help the less fortunate.

"The community is extremely generous," Thompson said, but a tight economy is taking a toll. "The amount of gifts are smaller."

Without financial support, many of these people may not have been helped. Through the community's continued support, the Haven will carry on its mission to serve.

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