Safe House

Oftentimes when a woman reaches the Safe House for Women offices in Cape Girardeau, she is beyond desperate. Broke, in terms of her body. In terms of her finances. In terms of her spirit.

The people who work at the Safe House must deal with some of the worst circumstances of life, but they also can help start fostering a feeling of hope for women who don't know where to go or how to get there.

The Safe House offices and thrift store recently moved into a new 10,000-square-foot complex at 230 N. Spring St. This comes after the organization spent more than four years in its old location. The new offices will have more security and the thrift store will have more room for larger items, such as furniture.

The actual Safe House shelter, where abused women stay, is not expanding yet. It remains at a location that remains undisclosed for safety reasons. But the Safe House organization helps many more abused women who don't stay at the shelter.

We're pleased to see that the thrift store has been successful and growing, and we hope that trend will continue. The Safe House, which served 579 women in 2009 and 721 in 2010, provides a much-needed service in this community. The Safe House shelter almost always runs near full capacity, a sad reality.

If you know a woman who is struggling in an abusive situation, tell her about the Safe House. It has been helping abused women in this community since 1991. We wish the Safe House continued success in its thrift store operation.