Safe Harbor to cut ribbon on OC Shelter

The staff and board of Safe Harbor welcome all community members to attend an off-site ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the opening of Safe Harbor’s Oconee County Shelter on July 8 at 10am at the Shaver Recreational Complex, located at 698 West South 4th Street in Seneca. Community and civic leaders, including State Senator Thomas Alexander of Oconee County, will share remarks at this event. On March 1, 2013, Safe Harbor launched a capital campaign to raise $990,000 to open a 24-hour emergency shelter for victims of domestic violence and their children in Oconee County. On January 10, 2014, Safe Harbor announced that the campaign goal had been met and exceeded with a total of $1,176,980 raised. Safe Harbor has been working throughout the first half of 2014 to complete necessary renovations, plans and staff training to prepare for the opening of the Oconee Shelter in July of 2014. Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw said, “The campaign to have a shelter in Oconee County began several years ago as a grassroots effort. It really took off in March 2013 and now that goal has been reached. We still have a lot of work to do, but over the last nine months, I have observed a significant change. Our county now is starting to see domestic violence as a community problem instead of just a law enforcement issue. This will allow us to be successful as we move forward.” All community members are invited to attend Safe Harbor’s July 8 ribbon-cutting ceremony. Safe Harbor is a non-profit organization providing safe shelter, counseling, advocacy, and other services for victims of domestic violence and their children, and domestic violence prevention, outreach and education for the Upstate of South Carolina. Safe Harbor operates a domestic violence crisis line and three secure safe homes, serving Greenville, Pickens, Oconee and Anderson counties. For more information on available services or volunteer opportunities, visit Safe Harbor at www.safeharborsc.org.