Cape Girardeau Safe House for Women celebrates 25 years of service to community

The Safe House for Women, with offices located at 230 N. Spring St. in Cape Girardeau, has served the community for the last 25 years.

"Our mission is to provide safe refuge and support services for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence or stalking," says Jessica Hill, executive director of the Safe House. "Also, we want to share information with the community [during our 25th anniversary activities] about all of the services that we provide as well as the people that we help."

Hill points out that while 90 to 95 percent of the people the Safe House helps are women, they do offer services to men in crisis as well.

"We do help men, too," Hill says. "And, we are seeing a growing number of men. We just recently started a support group for men that [one of our counselors] Maryann Robertson facilitates.

Children are also helped by the Safe House, according to Hill.

Jessica Hill, executive director of Safe House for Women, poses for a photo at the thrift store Thursday, March 30, 2017 in Cape Girardeau. They are celebrating their 25th anniversary this year.Andrew J. Whitaker

"We also serve children of adults who experience domestic violence ...," Hill says.

In addition to providing safe, confidential shelter for survivors of domestic violence, the Safe House for Women offers many other support services, including case management (goal setting), court advocacy, counseling and various support groups.

"For example, we will accompany a client to court to get an ex parte order of protection (restraining order)," Hill says.

The Safe House for Women also is working in area schools to prevent violence in the community.

"Molly Wilhelm, our education and community impact coordinator, goes into a dozen local schools, both junior highs and high schools, and she educates students on preventing violence from occurring when kids are starting to date ...," Hill says. "She also works with the Office of Campus Violence Prevention at [Southeast Missouri State University]."

Major growth has occurred at the agency over the past 25 years, according to Hill.

"[When we started out] we only had the confidential shelter location and the offices, and both were housed in the same place," Hill says. "It was challenging to get the word out to the community and it was even difficult to make donations back then."

Ten years ago, the Safe House for Women established the thrift store and outreach office, which was located on Plaza Way, according to Hill. Then five years ago, the operation moved to Spring Street.

"The thrift store makes it possible to offer our outreach services as it provides funding," Hill says.

The store works on a voucher system where survivors of domestic violence are given a voucher every 30 days that they can use to purchase items in the thrift store. Then, they also receive a voucher when they exit the program to purchase household goods, Hill says.

"The thrift store also provides a nice service to the community," she says. "You can, for example, go in and buy a shirt for around 50 cents."

Another great source of funding for the Safe House for Women is the VintageNOW Fashion Show, which was the brain child of local businesswoman Deb Maevers.

"[The fashion show] is now in its eighth year, and it not only provides funding, but it's also a great way to get the word out about our agency," Hill says.

Hill says that the two things she is most proud of at the Safe House for Women are the relationships the agency has with other area social service organizations and the prevention program they now have in place.

"We have amazing relationships with many other social services in the community," Hill says. "And, very few agencies have a prevention program ..."

Hill appreciates all of the support the community has given the Safe House over the last 25 years.

"This community has been so supportive," she says. "We have come to rely on those donations for the things that our clients need. When you see them move on to the next phase of their lives, and you see how much they've changed and grown, and how they now carry themselves, it's really rewarding."

The Safe House for Women will host a 25th anniversary celebratory luncheon at the Isle Casino Event Center on June 9. For information about the luncheon, call (573) 335-7745.