History

In 1979, a coalition of women in Augusta formed to seek ways to assist other women who were victims of domestic violence. Although the size of the problem was unclear at the time, many of the women involved understood the need based on experiences as volunteers or professional workers in churches and social service agencies. At the time, there were no local organizations offering assistance to victims of domestic violence.

Then, in 1983, the SafeHomes shelter opened. That year, 80 women were helped and in just 2 years, more than 500 women had been helped.

In February 2014, we embarked on a $3 Million capital campaign to build a new facility that would more than double our capacity to serve victims in need. And in June 2016, we opened our new 14,500-square-foot building.

Today, SafeHomes has become much more than just a shelter and impacts the lives of more than 2,000 individuals and their families each year. A program of directed and focused services for women, men and children, we can shelter up to 24 individuals at one time in our emergency shelter, but we also offer essential aid to non-residential victims of violence through outreach.

1 in 4 American women will experience domestic violence at least once in her lifetime.