Haven House has been a vital resource in Henry County for nearly four decades, and it is as busy as ever.

It was founded to help women going through domestic violence situations who needed support when going to court. A shelter was opened in 1999 as the organization recognized the need for more services, which now include case management, counseling services, support groups and legal assistance.

“We don’t just accompany victims to court,” said Haven House director Katie Tucker, who has been with the agency for 17 years. “We help with the whole temporary protective order process.”

Just off the square in McDonough, on Depot Street, is the Blessings Thrift Store. For years it has been a resource both for community members wanting to contribute to Haven House’s mission and people who need the items it provides.

“We take all gently used items that the community wants to donate,” said Tucker. “We always encourage people to bring clothing, linens, toys, household items, things like that, because we go through those items and give to the people that we’re providing service to – they get all those things for free. Any money that’s generated from the sales at our thrift store goes to help us buy supplies, groceries, gas for our van, things of that nature.”

About a decade ago a new shelter and a new administrative office were built for Haven House by Henry County through SPLOST funding. People who need help can make arrangements by calling, explaining their situation and scheduling an appointment.

Haven House receives 3,500 crisis calls in a year and processes about 400 temporary protective orders in that amount of time. Last year the agency helped about 700 people with shelter either in its own facility or elsewhere – adults and children who needed desperately to flee.

“We either bring them into our shelter if we have space and it’s safe, or if we’re full we find a safe shelter for them immediately,” said Tucker. “They don’t go on a waiting list. If they need to get out of an abusive situation, we’re going to get them out right then.”

About 60 percent of the funding for Haven House, which has an annual budget of just over $1 million, comes from grants. The rest is from donations made by the general public, including a significant amount from the faith-based community.

The big fundraiser for the year was in early February, a “casino night” event at the Locust Grove Event Center. It was the first such activity since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It saw a huge turnout, with 284 tickets sold and thousands of dollars raised.

“Getting through the events of the last couple of years was unreal,” said Tucker about the pandemic. “I feel like residential-based nonprofits like ours were the forgotten people. We didn’t close our doors. We didn’t get to work from home. Just being crafty through all that was was an interesting ride, to say the least.”

Staffing can be an issue. It is not the easiest environment in which to work, with stories from clients that can take an emotional toll. But Haven House will keep moving forward.

“We just continue to do what we need to do to help support survivors and support each other,” said Tucker.

For more information about Haven House, visit henryhavenhouse.org or check out the agency’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

By Monroe Roark