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
Lucy contacted Advocate Safehouse Project through the 24-hour Help Line at an all-time low for her. She had been arrested and recently released for Domestic Violence. She couldn’t go back home, and she only had one of her children in her custody; the others were with her abusive and violent husband who had successfully managed to play victim to get her arrested.
To many people, on the surface this case looked like a woman who had been arrested for a violent episode with her husband ending in serious bodily injury where he was the victim. When what had really happened with this case was self-defense, but it would take the judicial system months before they figured that out.
In the meantime, Lucy needed support. She had little friends and family that she identified as her support system because of the domestic violence. She had been isolated in many ways. Lucy and her child transitioned into a safe environment at Advocate Safehouse Project’s Safehouse Program. At this time her other children continued to be with the abusive partner (who by this point, was also being investigated for child sexual abuse).
One of ASP’s Client Advocates provided endless hours of emotional support to Lucy while she navigated the hardships of being a defendant of a crime that she is a victim of and while she fought to get her children back. With time, Lucy was able to transition from ASP’s Safehouse Program with her child and into an apartment through ASP’s Housing First Program. ASP provided financial support for her housing and through the DVP Flex Funds at the time, she was also able to receive financial help with her civil legal fees.
With the support of Advocate Safehouse Project Lucy was successful. She is still in her apartment today with all of her children and living a peaceful and safe life.
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 48,821 nights of safe shelter for over 1,241 adult survivors and their 1,235 children
• Outreached to the Latinx community since 1996
• Provided 2,458 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 2023 and 2024:
• During 2023, ASP handled over 6890 contacts with survivors, worked with 572 survivors and provided 31 adult survivors with 22 children (53 survivors) with 2,605 nights of shelter.
• Already in January thru September 2024, ASP has handled over 4,068 contacts with survivors, worked with 526 survivors and provided 29 adult survivors with 25 children (24 survivors) with 1295 nights of emergency shelter.
Media gallery
Organization Data
Glenwood Springs, CO 81602