Mission and History

MISSION STATEMENT:

 

The mission of The Haven is to reduce
the incidence and the impact of
domestic violence and/or sexual assault
in McCulloch, Mason, and Menard
Counties, Texas and the surrounding
areas by providing services that
empower victims to rebuild their
lives and regain their dignity
within a safe and caring community.

 

HISTORY:


The beginnings of The Haven Family Violence and Sexual Assault Shelter are rooted in a Community Futures Forum conducted by the McCulloch County Cooperative Extension Office in 1999. It was determined by participants of this meeting that one of the most critical issues facing the county was the need for a family violence shelter. Within a few weeks, under the leadership of County Extension Agent Jane Holubec, an Action Planning Group was formed to begin plans for the shelter’s establishment. Eight of the 78 participants of the Community Futures Forum participated in the group. The members mirrored diversity within the community and represented clergy, medical care, local commerce, social services, and education.
 
Within four months, the Action Planning Group had completed the following tasks:
  • visited established family violence shelters in the area to gather ideas and information on how to organize a shelter.
  • gained support of the County Commissioners Court and the Concho Valley Council of Governments (COG).
  • had an accountant provide his assistance to help establish a nonprofit organization.
  • researched various facilities that could be used to house the shelter.
  • worked with a local business family who donated what was formerly a nursing home and which became the shelter itself.
 
By January 2000, the Action Planning Group was organized into a Family Shelter Board. Members established a name for the shelter, wrote by-laws, and submitted grant applications for funding. In April of 2000, the board was notified that they had been awarded an initial Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant of $89,648 through the Concho Valley Council of Governments. The funds for the grant provided operating costs for one year for the shelter. Due to the family shelter not having received its legal status to operate as a nonprofit organization, The McCulloch County Commissioners Court agreed to run the family shelter for the first year under the auspices of the county’s nonprofit status.
 
With the donated building having not been used for some time, much work was required to get it ready for operation. Under the leadership of the board, many volunteers donated time and resources to the building’s renovation. 4-H members and leaders spent many hours cleaning, painting and securing the building to meet shelter security codes. Community residents and church groups adopted rooms and completely furnished them. A local pastor donated his time to building a new kitchen and utility room for the facility. A Senior 4-H member donated time to weld gates and to help build a security fence around the shelter. A church youth group from Houston replaced the roof. The result was a spacious, safe, comfortable, and attractive shelter for clients in need.
 
Since aiding its first client in 2001, The Haven has served more than 1,800 victims of domestic violence and/or sexual assault.
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