• Incorporated in 1984 as a non-profit organization in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
• The twelve founding members represented various faith communities in Virginia Beach.

• Provides emergency shelter and transitional housing in 50 sites.
• Serves clients from Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake and surrounding cities.
• Safe Harbor Community Center opened 9/97 offering services that include crisis intervention, 24 hour hotline, free legal advocacy, children's services, and support groups.
• Community outreach and education on domestic violence.
• Employment assistance.

• Housing provided for 100 people per night including emergency shelter and transitional housing up to 18 months.
• 1,619 persons received shelter or non-shelter services during 1997.
• 87% of families served live self sufficiently one year after shelter compared to a national rate of 50%.
• Since September, 1997, Safe Harbor has served 160 women and their children.
• Acquired 10 buildings. During 1996, Save Our Shelters Campaign enabled the purchase of 6 of the buildings.
• Safe Harbor Community Outreach Center is one of a kind in the state.

• 45% of support from Community
• 23% of support from Government Grants
• 18% of support from Thrift Store
• 8% of support from United Way
• For FY97 the budget was $1.4 million.
• The cost of housing per person per day is roughly $13.00 which covers all services, food, and shelter.
• Approximately 100 volunteers logged 6,700 hours during 1997.

Samaritan House began in 1983 to address the needs of homeless families. Emergency shelters throughout the City of Virginia Beach serve as regional havens of safety, hope, healing, and change to families victims by homelessness and domestic abuse.

The Safe Harbor Center opened in September of 1997, it has become the haven of safety, hope, healing, and change to victims who are unwiling or unable to leave a domestic abuse situation. Safe Harbor attempts to serve victims by providing support and holding abusers accountable for their behavior.

The services of the Samaritan House Safe Harbor Center include:

• Placement in emergency shelter for persons mimninent danger.
• Free legal representation in the securing of emergency, preliininaiy, and permanent protective orders by staff attorneys
• Support Groups for adults and children
• Victim Advocacy Services: Counseling, Information, and Referral, safety Planning, lethality Assessments
• Community Trauma Team Services-immediate response to domestic violence victims in times of crisis.
• Victim Advocacy within the City of Virginia Beach Police Department eChildren's Therapeutic Groups
• Community Education - Domestic Violence, Date Rape, Sexual Assault

87% of families served live self sufficiently one year after shelter compared to a national rate of 50%.

Safe Harbor offers sanctuary and a positive alternative for families fleeing domestic violence in the local area.