Haven House gala slated for Sept. 11

A few seats are left for Haven House’s 35th Anniversary Gala to be held on Saturday, Sept. 11.

The gala was initially scheduled for March 2020, but Executive Director Mary Ann Allen explained, “the pandemic hit and we made the decision to postpone the event.”

The celebration will begin at 6 p.m. at the Westwood Center with a cocktail hour, dinner and dancing. Tickets are $75 per person.

“We are closing in on the deadline but want to include as many friends that we can,” Allen said. “If you have been to one of our previous galas, you know it will be a first-class event. Our co-chairmen, Suzanne Riffle and Bradley Minton, have really outdone themselves in planning the evening.”

Allen emphasized, “the event will be a celebration of all the people in our community who have made Haven House a success for more than three and a half decades.”

“We would like to thank our Diamond sponsors, which include Sterling Bank, Missouri Foundation for Health and Southeast Holdings, as well as Platinum sponsors Aesthetic Nirvana, Dental Arts Group and Minton Environmental Consultants. We are also grateful to several community members and businesses who are generously sponsoring the event at the Gold and Silver levels, as well.”

Proceeds from the event will be used in the general operations budget.

“We can’t do this work alone,” Allen said. “We have relied on our community for the past 36 years to help us meet the need, and they have never let us down. We are excited about the opportunity to celebrate this milestone.”

To reserve tickets, call Haven House at 573-686-4873.

Haven House provides shelter and advocacy services for sexual assault or domestic violence victims and their children. All services to victims are free and confidential. The hotline is staffed 24 hours a day by trained staff members to talk with anyone who is being affected by domestic or sexual violence. The hotline number is 573-686-5064 and the hotline text number is 573-429-5730.

The shelter has 31 beds available for adults and children who are seeking shelter or have been forced from their homes due to violence. While in the shelter, adult survivors have the opportunity to make a safety plan and set goals for their families. They may join a peer support group or participate in individual counseling. Advocates will be available to help with community referrals. Shelter, meals and hygiene items are provided to all residents at no cost. Shelter beds are available on a first-come, first-served basis, but you must call or text ahead to be accepted into the shelter.

Peer support groups are facilitated by trained professionals and many participants find encouragement, strength and support from engaging in daily discussions with those who have experienced the same problems. Specialized support groups are available for those who have been affected by domestic or sexual assault, as well as for those whose victimization has been complicated by substance abuse.

Life skills, including parenting, budgeting and women’s health topics are also offered.

Meetings are at no cost to participants.

Anyone who is a survivor of domestic or sexual violence is welcome to attend.

Not everyone who utilizes Haven House is in need of shelter, according to organizers. For those who need outreach resources, advocates are available to meet with them individually and discuss the dynamics of sexual or domestic violence, its effects on the family and the most common experiences of those who have been victimized.

Assistance is available for obtaining household and hygiene items, safety planning and community referrals as survivors find ways to gain control over their lives.

Advocates are available in both the 36th Judicial Circuit civil and criminal courts. Assistance with protection orders, safety planning, notification of rights, accompaniment and applications for Crime Victims Assistance are services offered to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking. Advocates can also offer empathetic listening, community referrals and information about domestic violence and its effects on the victim and their family. Court advocates will continue providing services to crime victims until their cases are resolved in court.

Batterers’ intervention is a court-mandated program for those who have been convicted of domestic assault or a related crime, or have been ordered to attend by the probation or parole officer and emphasizes zero tolerance for new incidents of abuse. This 26-week program holds batterers accountable, educates them on the effects their actions have on the victim and underscores they must learn and decide to act differently.