For more than 25 years, the Webster County Victim Assistance Program has been helping people through some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
The organization, which also does business as Safe Harbor, provides victim advocacy, emergency shelter, help with protection orders and other services from its office at 216 S. Crittenden Street in Marshfield.
For Director Cindy Claxton, the mission is pretty straightforward. When somebody needs help, the organization tries to be there.
That mission dates back to 1999.
Claxton said a community survey was conducted in Marshfield to find out what services local residents believed were missing.
The answer came through loud and clear.
“Overwhelmingly, they needed victim services,” Claxton said.
The Webster County Health Department helped establish a board, and what would eventually become the Webster County Victim Assistance Program began taking shape.
It was a much smaller operation in those early days.
“In the beginning there was one volunteer advocate, and they didn't even have an office,” Claxton said.
By the early 2000s, the organization had established an office. It moved several times over the years before settling into its current Marshfield location, where Claxton said the program has been based for about a decade.
Today, three people work in the Safe Harbor office.
Claxton is joined by advocates Tammy and Janelle.
Tammy serves as the program's full-time advocate, helping victims with protection orders and guiding them through a court system that can be confusing and intimidating, especially for someone already dealing with a crisis.
“She navigates our clients through the judicial system,” Claxton said. “She goes to court with them, answers any questions, and then follows up later to see how they're doing.”
Janelle also serves as an advocate but spends much of her time as the organization's grant specialist.
That means writing the grants that help keep the program operating. When things get busy, however, everybody pitches in.
“If we're in a pinch, she will do an order, as well as I will too,” Claxton said.
The organization handles protection orders for Webster County residents and operates two domestic violence shelters.
But the assistance doesn't necessarily stop at the Webster County line.
Claxton said Safe Harbor regularly receives calls from people across southwest Missouri, including Greene, Christian, Wright and Taney counties.
“If they call us and they need help, we're there,” she said.
Safe Harbor's work also reaches people who may not be victims of domestic violence.
The organization maintains a food pantry stocked with food, hygiene products, diapers and other necessities.
If someone walks through the door needing help, Claxton said staff members will do what they can.
“Even if they're not a victim of domestic violence, we will help them in any way possible,” she said. “We have quite a few resources that we can give them.”
Another important service is the organization's after-hours hotline.
When the office closes for the day, the regular phone number rolls over to a cell phone. Staff members rotate responsibility for answering calls at night.
That can make for some long days.
“We work all day, and then when we go home, we are on the hotline in the evenings answering calls,” Claxton said.
One volunteer currently handles about one weekend each month and generally takes Monday nights.
Safe Harbor would like to find another volunteer willing to help.
Hotline volunteers must complete a 40-hour online training course covering domestic violence and confidentiality before answering calls.
Like many small nonprofit organizations, Safe Harbor relies heavily on grants to keep its services available.
And lately, Claxton said those dollars have become harder to count on.
One of the organization's major funding sources is the federal Victims of Crime Act, commonly known as VOCA.
Claxton said the program's funding was cut by $15,000 in March.
For a small organization with only three staff members and two shelters, that's significant.
“That's a big chunk for our very small program,” she said.
Another reduction could be coming.
Safe Harbor is preparing to write a new grant in October, and Claxton said the organization has already been told to expect another 16% reduction from its remaining funding.
Those cuts have created some difficult questions about what the organization will be able to continue providing.
“We're in fear of maybe losing a shelter,” Claxton said. “We only have two, so we really need some help in that area.”
When grant money gets tighter, Claxton said Webster County residents have repeatedly stepped forward.
She doesn't take that support for granted.
“This community is awesome,” Claxton said.
When the organization posts on social media that it needs food, hygiene supplies or other items, she said the response often comes almost immediately.
“If I put a shout-out that we need something, I'm telling you, that day or the next day, people will bring in donations of things that we need,” Claxton said.
That community support is becoming even more important as grant funding declines.
“We already rely heavily on our community because the grants are dwindling,” she said.
Residents will have another opportunity to support Safe Harbor this fall.
The organization's major annual fundraiser is planned for Oct. 17 at Venue 38 in Elkland, with activities expected to begin around 6 p.m.
Safe Harbor is looking for volunteers to help with the event and is also seeking donations for its silent auction.
The fundraiser will help support an organization that started with one volunteer advocate and no office more than a quarter-century ago.
Today, Safe Harbor operates shelters, assists victims in court, answers calls after hours and helps people find food and other basic necessities.
And with funding becoming less certain, Claxton said the community's involvement could make a real difference in keeping those services available.
People interested in learning more, volunteering or helping the organization can find the Webster County Victim Assistance Program/Safe Harbor on Facebook or through the organization's website.
