Summary
Organization name
Advocate Safehouse Project
other names
ASP
1987
Tax id (EIN)
84-1047611
Category
Human Services, Housing & Shelter
Organization Size
Medium Organization
Address
PO Box 2036Glenwood Springs, CO 81602
Garfield County, CO, US
At ASP each person deserves a healthy relationship free from violence. Every day we support the healing of domestic and/or sexual violence survivors as they transition from a life of fear to one filled with peace, confidence, and hope.
Testimonials
Opal had been in an abusive relationship for several years. She had endured emotional and physical abuse at the hands of her abuser for most of those years. She has three children, two with her abuser who were entering their teenage years and who had also endured this abuse – both directly and by witness. The children started to display challenging behaviors – the eldest started to become angry and would have emotional outbursts.
The children had first been receiving supportive services from ASP’s Youth Advocate, but regardless of that, the police had started to become involved because of the behavior of the eldest child. Ultimately, after the police intervened it became apparent for Opal that she needed to leave the relationship. Opal began meeting with and receiving support from one of ASP’s Bilingual Client Advocates. The knowledge and support that Opal and her children were receiving from ASP not only was helpful but became necessary to leave her abusive relationship.
The decision for Opal and her children to leave was the easy part. In 2022, the housing market, especially in the Garfield County area was a difficult one. Opal was not sure where she and her children were going to go when they left. Opal and her abusive husband owned their home – as much as this was great, it was also unfortunate and became a barrier for Opal and her children to stay in the home. ASP’s resources (and many other agencies) did not allow housing funds and financial support for mortgages.
At this point, Opal had a well-established relationship with ASP’s Bilingual Client Advocate and they did not let this housing barrier discourage them. ASP’s Bilingual Client Advocate connected Opal with an attorney through the local legal aid office and with a lot of advocacy and legal support Opal and her children were able to stay in the family home without the abuser. And they did not just get to stay in the home – the phenomenal collaborative advocacy that Opal and her children received from ASP and legal aid allowed for Opal to transfer the house into her name only so that she and her children could have a stable, sustainable home, free from violence.
Mission
Advocate Safehouse Project's mission is to promote healthy relationships free from violence as we strive to overcome imbalances through advocacy, collaboration, education, and shelter..
Background Statement
HISTORY:
2024 marks Advocate Safehouse Project 37th year of providing assistance for survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence. We have so much to be thankful for as we look back over the past 37 years ….
• Trained over 525 volunteer advocates who cover ASP’s Help Line;
• Facilitated women's support groups since 1987;
• Purchased a Safehouse;
• Provided over 47,526 nights of safe shelter for over 1,212 adult survivors and their 1,210 children
• Outreached to the Latinx community since 1996
• Provided 2,441 educational presentations
• Started new program in 2023, Sexual Violence Program
We look forward to what the next decade has in store for us at Advocate Safehouse Project as we continue our mission to promote healthy relationships free from violence as we strive to overcome imbalances through advocacy, collaboration, education, and shelter.
It all started for ASP in 1986 when a group of concerned citizens in Garfield County joined together to respond to both a growing awareness of domestic violence and the need for comprehensive services for domestic violence survivors and their children. In the spring of 1987, ASP was incorporated, volunteer advocates were recruited, a 24-Hour Help Line and volunteer safehomes were established, and two weekly women's support groups with child care were made available in the county. In 1991, the agency expanded services to include survivors of sexual assault.
In 1993, ASP acquired and rehabilitated a facility to be used for a Safehouse Program. In 1999 & 2000, ASP completed a capital expansion project which doubled the space for the organization. In 2008, after 14 years of use (598 families with 618 children for 17,821 nights of shelter) the Safehouse was in dire need of a "Facelift". This work was necessary in order to correct major structural problems in the building, providing easier maintenance of the facility and to "freshen up" the interior.
Advocate Safehouse Project provides the following comprehensive and confidential services:
• 24-hour Help Line - crisis intervention, survivor education, emotional support, advocacy, and information/referrals offered in both English and Spanish staffed by an incredible group of Help Line Volunteer Advocates.
• Safehouse Program - emergency shelter for survivors in danger with crisis intervention, survivor education, safety planning, emotional support, advocacy, case management, and information/referrals.
• Community Outreach Program – crisis intervention, survivor education, safety planning, emotional support, advocacy, case management, and information/referrals for non-residential survivors.
• Housing First Program - connect individual and/or family survivors experiencing homelessness via domestic and/or sexual violence to permanent housing without preconditions and barriers to housing.
• Youth Program –supportive and advocacy services in the schools, community and the Safehouse Program targeting youth/children survivors of family and/or dating violence, and/or sexual violence.
• Sexual Violence Program - crisis intervention, case management, survivor education, outreach prevention emotional support, emergency shelter, advocacy, information/referrals to survivors of non-intimate sexual assault within the context of domestic violence, dating violence and stalking.
• Latinx Outreach Program - all of the above services to Latinx survivors.
• Community Engagement Program - opportunities to inform and educate members of the community on the development of healthy relationships to prevent domestic and sexual violence.
• Help Line Volunteer Advocate Program – community members are recruited and trained (30+ hours of training) to become Help Line Volunteer Advocates for ASP's 24-hour Help Line.
Recently during 2022 and 2023:
• During 2022, ASP handled over 2,957 contacts with survivors, worked with 661 survivors and provided 32 adult survivors with 26 children (58 survivors) with 2,092 nights of shelter.
• Already in January thru September 2023, ASP has handled over 2,877 contacts with survivors, worked with 446 survivors and provided 22 adult survivors with 17 children (39 survivors) with 1,769 nights of emergency shelter.
Media gallery
Organization Data
Glenwood Springs, CO 81602