SAFE HOUSE SERVES 93 WOMEN AND 93 CHILDREN SINCE INCEPTION

In November of 1991, a shelter opened its doors in Cape Girardeau to serve as a refuge for abused or battered women and their children.

It was designed to be a place where women could retreat from an abusive relationship, to be surrounded by friends with whom they could talk and be protected from their abuser and surrounded by a shield of confidentiality.

Nearly 14 months later, the Safe House for Women has served 93 women and 93 children, has answered 299 calls to the shelter's 24-hour hotline, has served 23 non-residential women (those who do not come to live in the shelter, but seek supportive services), logged 3496 bed nights and has proved itself a marked success.

"Has it been a success? Absolutely," said Rebecca Payne, who has served as the shelter's administrative director for the past four months.

"The board and the staff has worked so hard to do the best job they can for the women," Payne said. "They've all done a great job raising community consciousness that what this shelter addresses is a serious problem."

The Safe House for Women provides services - absolutely free of charge and strictly confidential - for battered women and victims of abusive relationships. Women who come to the shelter have access to shelter, meals, support, child care services, transportation, advocacy, legal advocacy, referrals to other social service agencies and limited counseling services.

"That's quite a bit for such a limited staff situation," Payne said. The shelter at any given time has between 15-25 volunteers who come in to talk with the women, drive them to places they need to go, provide day care services or just be there to help out when needed.

The Safe House for Women, one of 14 shelters for women in the state, operates on an annual budget of about $132,000. Half of that amount is provided by grants and funding from local, state and federal government agencies. The remainder is collected through community donations.

"The community has been so supportive," Payne said. "I wanted to get a list of businesses and individuals who have supported us together to formally thank, but the list is endless.

"We are so grateful to everyone who has donated their time, money and services; we couldn't have opened our doors without the community's support," Payne continued. "But we need them to continue their support, so that we can keep our doors open another year."

The Cape Girardeau City Council adopted a measure in July that assessed an additional $1 charge for municipal court costs that would help fund shelters for victims of domestic violence.

The Scott City Council is currently considering a similar measure.

Payne went before the Jackson City Council last week to pitch the $1 municipal court charge to council members. The council is expected to take it up at its meeting tonight.

"Every little bit helps," Payne said.

The Safe House has a hotline women can call for information or for help.

"Most of the women call because they feel we have something we can offer them," Payne said. "Sometimes they don't want any action taken, but just need someone to talk to."

Payne said that referrals are made to the center by the Cape Girardeau Police Department, through word of mouth, from flyers distributed throughout the area, from hospitals and through social service agencies.

The Safe House for Women has bed space for 16 women and children. If extra space is needed, the shelter has an arrangement with a local hotel to house the overflow.

"We've had to refer women to other shelters before, but that does not happen very often at all," Payne said.

She said the length of stay for women in the shelter ranges from one night to six months.

"It's really up to individual women and their unique situations," Payne said. "A lot of women can get their act together in a few days; other women take more time."

Staff and volunteers from Southeast Missouri State University and the community do their best to provide day care while the clients are going to court, looking for a job, going to the hospital or carrying about other daily business.

Where to women go when they leave?

"Many of the women go back," Payne said. "There are statistics that show that most women return home five or six times before leaving for good.

"But that's good in a way," Payne continued. "Because every time that women returns home from the shelter, she leaves with more information and a higher level of self-esteem, and the knowledge about how and when to leave again."

Some of the women move in with relatives, and others will move in together, if they find their needs and required living situations compatible.

"Whatever the women do, it's their choice," Payne stressed. "We don't make anyone feel like they've let anyone down if they go back home - they are always welcome to come back again."

But through all the services the shelter provides, its main focus is the betterment of the lives of the women it serves.

"We want to help women lead productive and safe lives," she said. "We believe in self empowerment and women making their own decisions. We encourage the women to take initiative to make their lives better; happier."

National statistics indicate that adult abuse is a crime that strikes one in four families. It crosses all ethnic, socio-economic and religious barriers. Six million American women are beaten each year by their husbands or boyfriends, and even more alarming, 4,000 are killed.

The Safe House for Women hotline number is 651-1614.