It’s the eighth day of my 12 Days of Charitable Giving for 2017. Readers have suggested deserving charities over the past few weeks, and I’ll be posting one a day for – well, 12 days (I’m clever that way). Today’s charity is HAVEN.
HAVEN, which is located in Oakland County, Michigan, was founded in 1975. The organization provides shelter, counseling, advocacy, and educational programming to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The organization has, as its mission, “to eliminate sexual assault and domestic violence and to empower survivors through advocacy and social change in and around Oakland County.” All services are offered free of charge.
As part of its services, HAVEN offers Oakland County’s only 24-hour emergency shelter exclusively for domestic violence and sexual assault victims. The average stay is about 28 days.
What does HAVEN mean to survivors? In 1984, Wendy was eight-years-old and she had two little brothers. Wendy’s home life was far from ideal: her mother, Diane, had been enduring physical, emotional, and financial abuse for three years. When speaking about her Wendy’s stepfather, Diane says, “He told me how to walk, talk, stand and think. He also tried to run Wendy over with the car.”
Diane saw HAVEN’s phone number on TV and wrote it down. She called from a pay phone and soon, she and the children were on their way to the shelter. Diane said about the shelter, “The most important thing for me was that my kids were safe and happy.”
Today, Wendy is a registered nurse. She recalls being happy at HAVEN, saying, “We felt at home there. We felt safe there. My mom felt so good and empowered by all that she learned.” With the help of HAVEN, Diane took legal action and her abuser went to jail.
Children like Wendy are welcome at the shelter. Here’s what it’s like to be a child at HAVEN:
So how can you help?
To make a one-time donation by credit card, head over to the organization’s donor page on its website. A gift of any size makes a difference.
You can also mail your donation. Download a form and with your check made payable to HAVEN Foundation, mail to:
HAVEN Foundation
801 Vanguard Drive
Pontiac, MI 48341
As always, you want to make sure that your donation is going to a qualified charitable organization. A search using the IRS’ Exempt Organizations Select Check reveals that HAVEN is on the list.
To find out more about the work of the organization, check out their website, like them on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter.
I often suggest checking out third-party sites like Charity Navigator for more information about charitable organizations, including evaluations and access to tax forms and other financials. HAVEN has a three-star ranking by Charity Navigator with a 100% rating for accountability and transparency. You can see the company’s financials here.
Remember: submissions to the 12 Days of Charitable Giving are made by readers, and in most cases, I can’t personally vouch for the good work that these folks do. So be generous but be smart: Do your homework.
For more on making charitable donations, check out this prior post.
