creating hope, healing lives, changing community
our mission: creating hope, healing lives, and changing community for survivors of violence, abuse, and exploitation
• Safelight offers our community comprehensive polyvictimization programing for survivors who have witnessed or experienced any violence, abuse or exploitation (i.e., interpersonal/domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, elder abuse, child abuse/neglect and exploitation).
• Without the generosity this past year without over 600 donors, volunteers, and sponsors, we could not do what we do.
• • A non-profit serving over 46,000 individuals in Henderson County since 1984.
Organizational Summary
Safelight offers our community comprehensive Polyvictimization programing for survivors of any violence, abuse or exploitation witnessed or experienced (i.e., interpersonal/domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, elder abuse, child abuse/neglect and exploitation). We provide a multifaceted approach as an agency to create a continuum of programs and services taking someone from crisis to sustainability with onsite access to mental health, medical, legal, housing, and employment services.
All services and programs for survivors are offered free-of-charge in a secure, safe environment conducive to recovery from abuse and trauma. Our organization has evolved from a strictly crisis-driven agency to one that develops and delivers long-term sustainable safe services covering case management, counseling, housing, and employment services. Addressing community needs such as sustainable housing, financial health with onsite paid job training, accessible mental health and healthcare, and access to other community resources.
Through our continuum of programs, we help survivors begin the process of overcoming the physical and emotional trauma. By removing barriers, Safelight's services heal lives and create a safer, healthier community. Safelight since 1984 has been providing trauma informed services for over 46,000 survivors of interpersonal violence to build new, violence-free lives in a sustainable way. Safelight offers a comprehensive experience for survivors who fleeing violence or abuse with our seven programs: 24/7 emergency shelter and crisis hotline, counseling center with individual and support group services, accredited child advocacy center with onsite child medical exams and forensic interviews, family advocacy center offering legal, law enforcement and medical advocacy, community engagement focused on linkage to impact health's healthy opportunity resources DSS linkage to services and lethality assessment program, outreach for prevention and education in our community, and sustainability program working on financial independence with employment and housing services. These programs and services are available to all survivors (and their families) free of charge and regardless of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender), national origin, disability, age, and genetic information (including family medical history).
Board of Directors
2024-2025
President: Clint Holt
Vice President: Rafe Westbrook
Secretary: Joe Fishleigh
Treasurer: Anna Conner
Lauren Wilkie, Executive Director
Members:
Marilee Arnold
Mariah Cassum
Blair Myhand
Paul Purfield
Lisa Rothman
Ruth Simons
Chris Scruggs
Christy Sneller
Cheryl Stuller
Program History
SSince 1984, Safelight, Inc., have expanded organically, responding to the growing needs of our community. We offer a comprehensive package of services to meet the needs of survivors. The backbone of our services is providing support and resources for survivors of interpersonal violence, abuse, and exploitation (i.e., interpersonal/domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, elder abuse, child abuse/neglect and exploitation) to assist them in their trauma recovery. These services may include safe shelter, court accompaniment, hospital accompaniment, forensic interviews and medical exams as needed, case management, counseling, and support groups.
Mission:
Creating hope, healing lives, and changing community for survivors of violence, abuse, and exploitation.
Tagline:
creating hope, healing lives, changing community
Vision:
A community free of interpersonal violence that values dignity, respect, and safety for everyone.
Values:
Respect, Professionalism, Accountability, Innovation, Cooperation, Client Centered
- Programs will all be client-centered
- All stakeholders will respect the dignity and promote the safety of everyone—clients, staff, and the community
- All spaces will be clean, well maintained, and well managed
- Safelight will complement and integrate with partner programs in the community
- The program will be empirically evaluated, goal directed, and outcome based
Operating Principles
Safelight's Timeline
1983: Henderson County Child Abuse Task Force formed (later became FOCUS).
1984: The Women’s Crisis Ministry starts in a church basement in Hendersonville to serve women dealing with crises such as divorce and widowhood.
Mainstay is formed with the mission of helping battered women.
1985: Women’s Crisis Ministry becomes a part of Mainstay and operates from county donated space in the old Henderson County Courthouse. Started the Batterers Intervention Program, later to be called Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP).
1986: Mainstay purchases and moves shelter into a house off Haywood Road.
1986: Henderson County Rape Crisis Center (later renamed The Healing Place) opened as part of Buncombe County and provided services for adults who experienced sexual assault.
1986: First Batters Intervention Program in NC (now called Domestic Violence Intervention Program).
1987: Started financial support from Marriage license filing fees in NC (thanks to a board member).
1988: A building adjacent to the Mainstay shelter is purchased for moving administration.
1989-1997: Sawbones (Physicians) vs Jawbones (Lawyers) had four Basketball Games to raise the visibility of child abuse in our Community and fundraise for the Child Advocacy Center
1990: FOCUS “Friends of Children United Services” (later The Healing Place) began accepting children as the first accredited CAC in North Carolina.
Mainstay opens the first resale store in Henderson County located on Barnwell Street.
1995: Mainstay Shelter is destroyed by fire, and a temporary Shelter is set up downtown. A new facility at 125 South Main Street opens April 21, 1996. Administrative offices, the resale store and the Shelter are located under one roof for the first time.
1996: The Henderson County Rape Crisis Center merges with FOCUS “Friends of Children United Services” and change their name to The Healing Place, Inc.
2008: Mainstay moves into its current location at 133 Fifth Avenue West. The new location allows for the expansion of additional services.
2008: Mainstay shelter and resale store moves to 5th Avenue, current location.
2011: Mainstay rents the upper portion of 127 Fifth Avenue West.
2013: Mainstay opens the Dandelion Café at 127 Fifth Avenue West, starting the Job Training Program.
2014: Mainstay and its partnering including Pisgah Legal Services opens the Family Advocacy/Justice Center across from the courthouse.
2015: Mainstay reopens the counties Child Advocacy Center.
Mainstay’s job training program expands into the Resale Store.
2016: Safelight, Inc. formed as Mainstay and The Healing Place merge to better provide essential services to all survivors.
2017: The Child Advocacy Center regains national accreditation.
Safelight expands its job training program to include Sewing Our World Together.
2019: Safelight expands opens a separate Counseling Center to accommodate additional therapists/counselors in a rental off Asheville Highway
2021: Safelight moves Counseling Center into Outreach/Admin area upstairs at 127 5th Avenue. Full Renovation of basement 133 5th Avenue occurs adding a large meeting room, computer lab and additional office for staff.
2022: Washington Street office opened to house Admin, FAC, Counseling Center, Outreach and CAC. Rented upstairs of 127 5th Avenue offices to Pisgah Legal Services.
2023: Lethality Assessment Program Launched with Safelight and all our local law enforcement partners
This website is supported by Grant Number 1000023934 from the Family Violence Prevention and Services Program within the Council For Women and Youth Involvement, a division of the NC Department of Administration. Neither the Council for Women and Youth Involvement nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Council for Women and Youth Involvement and the Family Violence Prevention and Services Program.
This website is supported by Grant Number 1000023708 from the Family Violence Prevention and Services Program within the Council For Women and Youth Involvement, a division of the NC Department of Administration. Neither the Council for Women and Youth Involvement nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Council for Women and Youth Involvement and the Family Violence Prevention and Services Program.
This website is supported by Grant Number 1000022850 from the Family Violence Prevention and Services Program within the Council For Women and Youth Involvement, a division of the NC Department of Administration. Neither the Council for Women and Youth Involvement nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Council for Women and Youth Involvement and the Family Violence Prevention and Services Program.
This website is supported by Grant Number 2000071426 from the Governor's Crime Commission within the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. Neither the Governor's Crime Commission nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Governor's Crime Commission or the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.
This website is supported by Grant Number 2000071425 from the Governor's Crime Commission within the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. Neither the Governor's Crime Commission nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Governor's Crime Commission or the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.
This website is supported by Grant Number 2000071424 from the Governor's Crime Commission within the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. Neither the Governor's Crime Commission nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Governor's Crime Commission or the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.
This website is supported by Grant Number 2000071197 from the Governor's Crime Commission within the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. Neither the Governor's Crime Commission nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Governor's Crime Commission or the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.
This website is supported by Grant Number 2000071139 from the Governor's Crime Commission within the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. Neither the Governor's Crime Commission nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Governor's Crime Commission or the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.
This website is supported by Grant Number 16.23 DV from the North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission within the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts. Neither the North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission or the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts.
This website is supported by Grant Number 16.23 SA from the North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission within the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts. Neither the North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission or the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts.
This website is supported by Grant Number 15POVC-22-GG-01797-NONF from the Office of Justice Programs (OJJ) and the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) within the Department of Justice (DOJ). Neither the Office of Justice Programs nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Office of Justice Programs, the Office for Victims of Crime or the Department of Justice.
This website is supported by Grant Number 15PJDP-22-GG-00553-BRND from the Office of Justice Programs (OJJ), the Office of Juveniles Justice and Delinquincy Prevention (OJJDP) within the Department of Justice. Neither the Office of Justice Programs nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Office of Justice Programs, the Office of Juveniles Justice and Delinquincy Prevention or the Department of Justice.
