Organizational Summary

Organizational Summary

Our Mission: Cultivating a safer community for survivors of violence, abuse and exploitation

Safelight’s Mission is “Cultivating a safer community for survivors of violence, abuse, and exploitation.” Safelight plays a crucial role creating safety in our community. Since 1984 we have provided trauma informed services for survivors. Safelight is unique in offering polyvictimization programing for survivors of any violence, abuse or exploitation witnessed or experienced (i.e., interpersonal/domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking/exploitation, elder abuse, child abuse or neglect). We work to break cycles of violence, abuse or exploitation as we consistently strive to be a comprehensive agency providing a range of programs and services aimed at guiding survivors from crisis to self-sustainability.

Organizational Summary

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. We offer a multifaceted approach creating a continuum of programs and services taking someone from crisis to sustainability with onsite access to mental health, medical, legal, housing, and employment services.

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 offers a comprehensive experience for survivors who fleeing violence or abuse with our 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 Safelight services with DSS linkage to services and law enforcement using the lethality assessment program
Outreach for prevention and education in our community
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

2025-2026

President: Rafe Westbrook
Vice President: Joe Fishleigh
Secretary: Mariah Cassum
Treasurer: Anna Conner
Lauren Wilkie, CEO

Members:

Marilee Arnold

Christy Sneller

Ruth Simons

Lisa Rothman

Cheryl Stuller

Sheriff Lowell Griffin

Annual Reports

Program History

Safelight Inc. Since 1984, Safelight has expanded organically, responding to the growing needs of our community. We offer comprehensive services to meet the needs of survivors of any violence, abuse and exploitation (interpersonal/domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, elder abuse, and child abuse). We provide survivors with resources to recover and manage from trauma impacting their lives.

Safelight helps survivors go from crisis to sustainability with housing, financial independence, case management, and counseling. We offer 24/7 crisis hotline & shelter services, housing resources, financial planning and safe employment, court and law enforcement accompaniment, forensic medical exams and interviewing, free counseling and support groups, resource connection, prevention, education and advocacy.

Safelight’s 7 Programs

24/7 Shelter & Crisis Hotline supports anyone fleeing violence and abuse (including their dogs and cats).

Counseling Center offering individual and group counseling zero charge to children and adult survivors in person or via telehealth.

Child Advocacy Center A nationally accredited program where children and their families are provided services and crisis intervention, resource connection, and forensic interviewing/medical. A coordinated program with other agency partners, for a one and done forensic interview/medical collection to reduce retelling the story trauma.

Family Advocacy Center A family justice center model for partners offering advocacy for legal, law enforcement and medical linkage to care. Includes our new 24/7 community-based forensics project. Children and their families are linked to Camp Hope America with monthly gatherings/pathway events.

Community Engagement Helps link community referrals to our services particularly with law enforcement through Lethality Assessment Program (LAP), DSS with staff onsite 8 hours a week and court referrals for our Domestic Violence Intervention Program and Partners Intervention Program a 26-week curriculum for behavior modification.

Community Outreach for Prevention, Education & Advocacy with our school district, law enforcement, legal providers, nonprofit organizations, stakeholders’ businesses, and tables at events in our community.

Sustainability safe and stable financial planning with groups and paid onsite job training (Dandelion Café, Resale Store), and housing resources.

Mission:

Cultivating a safer community for survivors of violence, abuse, and exploitation.

Tagline:

Cultivating Safer Community

Vision:

A community free of violence, abuse, and exploitation that values safety for all.

Values:

Building nonviolent community
Collaboration for growth
Commitment to change
Respect and dignity of all
Hope heals, love rebuilds

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.

1988: A building adjacent to the Mainstay shelter is purchased for moving administration.

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 on Barnwell Street.

1995: Mainstay Shelter is destroyed by fire, and a temporary Shelter is set up downtown.

1996: The Henderson County Rape Crisis Center merges with FOCUS “Friends of Children United Services” and change their name to The Healing Place, Inc. Mainstay moves into a new facility at 125 South Main Street and opens April 21, 1996. Administrative offices, the resale store and shelter are located under one roof.

2004: Transitional House opened for up to two years of housing support for survivors (closed 2017).

2008: Mainstay Shelter and Resale Store moves to 5^th Avenue, current location.

2013: Mainstay opens the Dandelion Café at 127 Fifth Avenue West, starting paid onsite Job Training.

2014: Mainstay opens the Family Advocacy (Justice) Center across from the courthouse in a rented space with onsite partner Pisgah Legal Services.

2015: Mainstay reopens the county’s Child Advocacy Center. Mainstay’s Job Training Program expands into the Resale Store.

2016: First United Methodist Church partnership starts for 8 apartment units for us to house. Safelight, Inc. formed as Mainstay and The Healing Place merge to better provide essential services to all survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse.

2017: The Child Advocacy Center regains national accreditation. Safelight expands its Job Training Program to include Sewing Our World Together ending in 2022.

2019: Counseling Center formalized and opens for children and adults off Asheville Highway.

2021: Outreach Program formalized. Full Renovation of shelter basement 133 5^th Avenue occurs adding a large meeting room, computer lab and additional office for staff.

2022: Washington Street office opened to house Administration, Family Advocacy Center, Counseling Center, Community Outreach and Child Advocacy Center. Formed Henderson County’s Interpersonal Violence and Abuse Taskforce, partnering with Partnership for Health.

2023: Lethality Assessment Program starts officially with our local law enforcement partners. Full Shelter renovation including the creation of the community engagement space for trainings, groups, and a computer lab space. Creation of the first onsite Animal Kennel in Shelter, a partnership with Blue Ridge Humane Society, which opens in December 2023.

2024: Camp Hope America/Pathways starts with our first week of summer camp! Housing Program begins with Rapid Rehousing offered onsite. Foley, our Canine Companion, joins the team. Formed Henderson Counties Human Trafficking taskforce.

2026: Expanded our shelter going from 13 to 20 bedrooms.

Federal Grants

Thank you to our annual sponsors: