Safe Harbor, Inc. :: A Safe Home, When Home Isn't Safe

Current Programs at Safe Harbor:

The Megan Project
The Megan Project is a proactive relationship violence prevention curriculum developed and administered by Safe Harbor, Inc. Created in memory of 18-year-old Megan Ridgeway who was murdered by her boyfriend, The Megan Project works to end abuse among teens. The curriculum focuses not only on the issues of dating violence, but also on healthy relationships, self-esteem, communication and other subjects crucial to young people. It works to instill an understanding of the difference between controlling behavior and love. And it uses the education system - and other youth educational organizations like youth groups and girl scouts - as a forum to deliver this anti-abuse message.

Harbor Run
The Harbor Run is Safe Harbor's certified 8K road race and 2 mile fun run/walk/pooch parade, and is taglined "The Upstate's Race Against Domestic Violence." The race course begins at County Square before weaving through scenic downtown Greenville, the zoo area and finally Cleveland park. The 5th annual Harbor Run was held in May, 2006 and drew about 400 participants. The event is not only Safe Harbor's largest fundraiser, but also serves as a great outreach tool for the agency. The event is family friendly and includes a children's play area, flowers and t-shirts for all participants, food & drinks, and lots of fun door prizes. The event is also a reminder of the cause participants are supporting; we set up Safe Harbor's Clothesline Project, which is a visual display of shirts with graphic messages and illustrations designed by survivors of violence or by someone close to a woman killed as a result of violence. The purpose of the Project is to increase awareness of the impact of violence against women, to celebrate a woman's strength to survive and to provide an avenue for her to courageously break the silence that often surrounds her experience. The Harbor Run's combination of awareness and awareness always make for an exciting event. Please join us Mother's Day weekend 2007 for the 6th annual Harbor Run!

Christmas Adopt-a-Family
Safe Harbor's Adopt-a-Family program provides Christmas gifts for the women and children who have received services from our agency within the previous year. Community participants adopt a family from Safe Harbor, while each client creates a wish list of three items as a guide for the community adopter. Once the gifts are collected by the "adopter" and dropped off at Safe Harbor, we distribute the presents to their repspective recipients so they will have packages to open on Christmas morning. In 2004, we provided gifts for a record 420 people, thanks to the overwhelming support of our community Adopt-a-Family participants.

Cut It Out: Salons Against Domestic Abuse
Cut It Out is a program of the Salons Against Domestic Abuse Fund dedicated to mobilizing salon professionals and others to fight the epidemic of domestic abuse in communities across the United States.The program builds awareness of domestic abuse through posters and brochures to be displayed in salons and trains salon professionals to recognize warning signs and safely refer clients to resources. Cut It Out was initially created for the State of Alabama by The Women's Fund of Greater Birmingham. It was taken to the national level by the Salons Against Domestic Abuse Fund, a partnership between Clairol Professional, the National Cosmetology Association, and Southern Living At Home.

Minister's Cook-Off
Sponsored by the Coalition for the Understanding and Reduction of Relationship Violence, the Minister's Cook-Off is a tasty way to raise money for Safe Harbor II in Anderson. Ministers from area churches cook up their favorite dishes and sell "tastes" to attendees to raise money. The judging panel traditionally includes Renee Middleton, Executive Director of Safe Harbor.

Holiday Fair
The Holiday Fair is an extravagent annual craft show held at Greenville's Palmetto Expo Center. Safe Harbor's booth traditionally features various crafts made by shelter clients, volunteers and staff. The event is an annual fundraiser for Safe Harbor but also a tremendous outreach opportunity. In each person's shopping bag we include Safe Harbor brochures and coupons for the Hope Chest. The craftmaking is a therapeutic and enjoyable experience for the women, as well as a festive way of raising money for the shelters.

The Clothesline Project
The Clothesline Project is a program started on Cape Cod, MA, in 1990 to address the issue of violence against women. It is a vehicle for women affected by violence to express their emotions by decorating a shirt. They then hang the shirt on a clothesline to be viewed by others as testimony to the problem of violence against women. Safe Harbor's Clothesline Project is a display of shirts designed by the agency's clients or by individuals close to a woman in the upstate killed as a result of violence. It is displayed at many of Safe Harbor's fundraising events, such as the Harbor Run and the Vagina Monologues at Clemson and Furman Universities each February.

Safe Cell
Ever wonder what to do with an old cell phone you no longer use? Why not donate it to a good cause? To date, Safe Harbor has collected 1,300 cell phones through our 911 SAFE CELL program to distribute to Safe Harbor clients exiting the shelter. Any cell phone, as long it will hold a charge, is capable of calling and connecting to 911. As a client moves on from the shelter, she is provided with a cell phone from which she can call 911 in the case of an emergency. Safe Harbor continues to collect phones, chargers and batteries at the Hope Chest, Safe Harbor's resale store, located at 2111-J North Pleasantburg Drive in Greenville, SC.

Safe Harbor II Cycle Tour
The Safe Harbor II Cycle Tour is a 65 mile or 25 mile ride along the beautiful country roads of Iva, SC in southern Anderson county. Last year the Cycle Tour was voted “Best Cycle Ride, 2006” by the Spartanburg Freewheelers Club. Participating cyclists not only receive an event t-shirt, but are also invited to enjoy a wonderful post-ride lunch at the Iva fire station. The Safe Harbor II Cycle Tour is a fundraiser specifically for the prevention of family violence in Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties. To register now for the Safe Harbor II Cycle Tour on Saturday, June 2, 2007, please visit www.safeharboriicycletour.org. We look forward to seeing you there!

Volunteer Needs:
We continue to need new H.E.A.R.T. (Hospital Emergency Aid Response Team) volunteers. H.E.A.R.T. volunteers are available from 5pm until 8:30am to assist victims of domestic violence in the emergency room. Anyone interested in this program is encouraged to contact Samantha at samantha.tucker@safeharborsc.org or 467-1177.