Haven House

Hey everybody,

Thanks for reading. I figured I should post my reactions to seeing Haven House before I go on my next visits tomorrow.

After we left the Red Cross, we visited Claudia and the domestic violence shelter Haven House, and I tell ya’ the truth - that visit left me with a heavy heart. I just can’t imagine somebody living through what those women have. Those folks that are there, they’ve been through such a traumatic event, and I’m thankful this community’s got enough of a giving heart that we’re able to have it.

But I hate that we have to have it.

I’d never been to Haven House. Sure, I knew what it was. But when you go and see the folks there, it really hits you in the face. This is real. It’s really kind of sobering to know that there are folks that are dealing with domestic violence, and it’s a terrible, terrible crime that somebody that you trust and you love is gonna’ beat you up or mentally abuse you. I just can’t relate to that, but it’s out there. I’m thankful that there are folks like Claudia that have that giving heart and giving spirit and take care of those folks and try to help them start their life over again.

I was astounded to hear that Haven House takes in about 300 women and children over a year. I can’t believe it. I feel like I’ve been living in a vacuum with my family and the folks I get to work with. It’s unbelievable to me that there are that many people that go through domestic violence in our backyard.

And the kids. It just breaks my heart about the kids. It absolutely breaks my heart that kids have to deal with that. I’m an adult, and I can deal with what I need to. It’s still tough, but some of these innocent children don’t have any way to deal with it other than through these people who can help them.

They help about 300 women and children a year, and Haven House has been here 25 years. That means they’ve helped over 7,000 people in Blount County, and they told me United Way funds almost half of their budget. If United Way couldn’t provide that dollar amount to Haven House, then what’s gonna’ happen to those folks? They’re not gonna’ have anywhere to go. And those children are gonna’ be stuck in that cycle. Then those kids get used to that and might become abusers themselves when they get older.

Claudia’s making a difference each day by trying to break that cycle, and if we don’t have those funds available, the cycle will get bigger and more people will be a part of that.

Haven House kind of got to me a little bit. I guess when you don’t see those things, you just kind of tuck ‘em away. Then when I saw those little kids, it changed everything.

Tomorrow we're going to visit the Birth to 3 Program by the Little Tennessee Valley Educational Cooperative (LTVEC, for short), SCHAS (stands for "Senior Citizens Home Assistance Service"), and Douglas Cooperative. I hope you can join me here.

Blog you later,
Dave Bennett