By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writers
More space for healing, increased privacy for individuals and families, and ensuring confidentiality are among the highlights of the newly renovated Sitkans Against Family Violence shelter set to reopen for clients next week.
An open house to thank the community and show off the new space to the public is planned for 5-7 p.m. Monday at the SAFV shelter and offices.
“The whole community is invited to help us celebrate,” said SAFV in an announcement to the public.
The entire building will be open for public inspection at the Monday event. After clients move in, the shelter’s living spaces will be closed to the public, in line with a goal of the organization to ensure privacy while giving victims of domestic violence time to heal, said SAFV director Natalie Wojcik.
SAFV is the nonprofit organization dedicated to providing “temporary shelter and empowerment-based safety and trauma-informed advocacy services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, while promoting a community of nonviolence and respect.” SAFV serves Sitka as well as Port Alexander, Kake, and Angoon.
The newly renovated Sitka SAFV shelter. (Sentinel Photo)
In addition to working with victims of violence to help them re-build their lives, SAFV offers advocacy and prevention services to “promote healthy relationships and respect in an effort to create a strong, thriving community where violence is outside the norm.”
The $2 million renovation will increase the size of the facility from 5,500 to 6,800 square feet, increase the size of the rooms, add privacy for families and increase the number of bathrooms in the space used as a shelter.
An entrance for staff and the public, and a separate entrance for clients will provide more privacy for women and families in the shelter, Wojcik said.
“The prior shelter had small bedrooms - 9 by 12 feet rooms - shared by a family of four,” said Michelle Mahoney, deputy director, who was director when the renovation work started. “We had up to 12 or 13 people sharing a full and a half bathroom. ... six people using one bathroom upstairs.”
Most of the improvements were focused on upgrading client living spaces, but there were also other needed improvements for staff and the public. The new building has a separate space for offices, allowing the staff and volunteers to have meetings, work on prevention programs and run the business side of the nonprofit.
In the past, offices, meeting space and living quarters were all in one space, which didn’t protect clients’ privacy.
“It’s privacy, dignity and space to heal,” Mahoney said. “We won’t have people from the public walking into the shelter space anymore.”
A lift has been added that can serve clients, staff and other members of the public with disabilities.
SAFV officials say they are pleased with the improvements, which were finished three months ahead of schedule, by contractor Dawson Construction.
The impetus for the improvements came from not only the need for upgrades to the 1960s building, but the availability of funding through a statewide Domestic Violence Shelter Initiative in 2014. A code and condition survey that year identified some $500,000 in needed improvements, and put SAFV at the top of the statewide list of facilities needing renovation.
The original cost estimates for the building was $1.675 million, but actual costs came in just over $2 million.
SAFV received $538,000 through the initiative, plus $350,000 from Rasmuson Foundation, and $600,000 through the Sitka Tribe of Alaska, which received a Community Housing block grant of $600,000.
But SAFV officials said they were particularly impressed to see huge support from the community. The local campaign had a goal of $150,000, but ended up raising $280,000.
SAFV said they have many thank yous to give, since help came from so many quarters and in so many forms. Mahoney and Wojcik said the donations showed all the support there is for the work SAFV does in the community.
On top of the local and statewide grant donations, Wojcik said, Foraker Group helped in setting up the capital campaign and acting as liaison between SAFV and the contractor; Foraker’s Chris Kowalczewski volunteered hundreds – if not thousands – of hours as a consultant; Dawson Construction kept staff in the loop, took feedback and tried to get the project done quickly so clients could move back in; and Mt. Edgecumbe High School students moved furniture and equipment out, and back in, working just for pizza.
Donations large and small will be recognized in a quilt by Cheryl Vastola, which will be on display at the open house.
The location of the SAFV shelter has historically not been advertised, although staff acknowledge that many in town know of its location. Those who want to attend and don’t know the location can call 747-3370 for information.
