Domestic violence shelter expands

The Haven's new building nearly triples its living space, allowing more women to stay and making it possible to stay longer.

By MONIQUE FIELDS
© St. Petersburg Times,
published December 7, 2001

CLEARWATER -- He berated her, bit her and slapped her for four months before she got away.

Sharon Lawson called the domestic abuse hotline two years ago and went to the Haven of Religious Community Services Domestic Violence Shelter.

"I could have been one of the statistics, one of the bad ones," said Lawson, 42, now working and going to college part time.

Next week, RCS will open a new domestic violence shelter to help more women like Lawson.

The new $800,000 building in Clearwater can house up to 34 women and their children for up to six weeks. The additional space is needed, RCS administrators said.

In 2000, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office received reports of 5,747 domestic batteries. Most of them involved women. The old Haven only had 20 beds, only allowed women to stay for 30 days and was often full.

"We've been elbow to elbow," said Haven director Linda Amidei. "It was too close for comfort."

RCS has extended the time women may stay to allow them more time to get a job, find housing and heal emotionally. The change is also in keeping with guidelines set by the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, a professional advocacy organization that represents Florida's 38 certified domestic violence centers.

The new shelter has more space and is more secure. Along with a state-of-the-art security system, the new building features living space for women with and without children, a kitchen equipped with two stoves and two dishwashers, a laundry room, a dining room and bedrooms with shared bathrooms. The old building had about 2,500 square feet of living space compared with 7,000 in the new Haven.

The additional space was needed because the shelter turned away more women last year than it served. It provided safe shelter to 356 women and their children but referred 358 to other programs, Amidei said.

Administrators hope the new Haven, complete with furnishings and artwork, will help change those figures and give women a much-needed lift in a safe environment.

"Our goal was this would be a place people would feel good about coming to," Amidei said.

The project is the result of city, county, state and private grants.

Clearwater provided $200,000 for the project, which was matched by the county. Another $223,000 was provided by the state as well as $50,000 from Largo.

Lawson, who was helped by the Haven two years ago, said the money is a good investment.

"I'm so glad they are building a new building. There's not enough room there for all the people that need it," she said. "Hopefully the new shelter will help more people seek a safe place."

-- Information from Times files was used in this report.

Need help?

Call the Haven of Religious Community Services Domestic Violence Center hotline at 442-4128.

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