Safe Harbor Offers Shelter

Safe Harbor is a domestic violence shelter for seven counties near Aberdeen in northeastern South Dakota. It began in 1977 as a volunteer phone service providing information to women and people in crisis. They soon realized that they had to do more than just offer information; they wanted to offer hope.

Today, Safe Harbor serves adults and children by providing food and shelter, but they also empower people in abusive situations to change their lives. They offer resources for learning to make positive life choices, provide advocacy and supportive services, and educate and motivate the local community to be proactive in eliminating abuse.

South Dakota Community Foundation’s (SDCF) Community Development Coordinator Pat Gallagher sat down with Gina Karst, Executive Director of Safe Harbor, and Danielle Oliver, President of the Safe Harbor Foundation. They discussed the vital work of Safe Harbor and the organization’s partnership with SDCF. The Safe Harbor Foundation established an endowment fund through SDCF’s nonprofit savings account challenge.

Gina believes their partnership is a key to Safe Harbor’s future: “What really intrigued us about partnering with [SDCF] was the ability to ensure the longevity of Safe Harbor, so we always knew there would be funds coming in to support us in providing services.”

“The board recently enacted a budget strategy that fifty percent of our fundraising proceeds will be put into our endowment fund each year, so we can really ensure that Safe Harbor succeeds in its efforts,” Danielle added. “This is life–people go through hard times so we want to ensure that Safe Harbor is here for future generations.”

Safe Harbor helps sexual and domestic assault victims navigate traumatic experiences by offering a number of services and resources, including a 24/7/365 emergency shelter located in Aberdeen. But their resources go beyond just physical shelter, including trained advocates to assist through a number of supportive services, support groups, and safety planning. They also help children have positive interactions with adults in their lives through the Kids Konnection program.

Partnerships are vital to any human service nonprofit, and Safe Harbor is no different. When a local mother was in need, Safe Harbor partnered with other community resources to assist her.

“We had a mother at the shelter with four kids, and the only way she was going to really be able to help herself in moving out of the shelter successfully was to have a vehicle,” Gina says. She put out a call to the board to spread the word, and the very next morning she received a phone call from someone wanting to donate a car.

“We give a lot to people every day, between our time and our services…but to be able to give a vehicle, and surprise this mother [with it], was super exciting. We were crying, she was crying, it was amazing,” Gina says.

“All of the stories Gina shares really stick with me and remind all of us at the Safe Harbor Foundation that the work we put in is helping people currently but is also ensuring that Safe Harbor is around for generations to come. It really reminds us why we do what we do every day,” Danielle says.

Statistics show that victims will return to their abusers 7-10 times, but Safe Harbor is dedicated to supporting victims on a timeline that is right for the individual in need.

“We will continue to provide victims services. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, we will be there to help until that person is ready to be done and to move on with their life,” Gina says.

When looking to the future, Gina and Danielle hope that with the support from the endowment fund, Safe Harbor will be able to expand its facilities, long-term housing plan, and services. Their goal is to reduce that 7-10 return statistic and see victims come through the storm to the other side as fast as possible.