4.2 million youth and young adults experience homelessness in the U.S. every year - many of those are runaways. Savannah’s Park Place Outreach Youth Emergency Shelter works to address that issue every day and is hoping to raise awareness to it during National Runaway Prevention Month in November.

With an exciting new venue and a fresh approach to their signature fundraiser, Safe Shelter hosted their annual Twilight at the Thompson: A Masquerade Ball, Friday, October 13th.

SAFE Shelter Center for Domestic Violence Services – the second largest shelter of its kind in the state of Georgia – tied purple ribbons on trees in Forsyth Park to bring awareness to domestic violence in our community. This is just one of several planned by SAFE Shelter during October in recognition of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Shannon Bates remembers the absence as much as the anger.

The recently appointed executive director of Savannah’s SAFE Shelter was just 4-years-old when she realized her mother was being abused. In that moment and many ensuing ones, Bates felt powerless.

“It’s the worst feeling to see your mom in distress and not be able to help, because you’re just a kid,” she said.

Today, that feeling and those memories guide Bates’ work for the domestic violence services center, but for decades, they kept her away from it.

SAFE Shelter Center for Domestic Violence Services tied purple ribbons on trees in Forsyth Park today as a way to bring awareness to domestic violence in the community for Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Tajara Muhammad and SAFE Shelter Community Outreach Director Daisy Hernandez stretched a length of purple ribbon out from around an oak tree in Forsyth Park. The sun illuminated the purple highlights in Muhammad’s hair as she tied the ends together to form a bow. They were among the SAFE Shelter staff members and volunteers gathered in Forsyth Park early Monday morning to tie purple ribbons around oak trees, each fitted with a hang tag containing contact information for the SAFE Shelter, Center for Domestic Violence Services.

Purple is the first color of autumn in Forsyth Park, not by leaves, but by way of ribbons to bring awareness to domestic violence. Yesterday was the first day of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Safe Shelter has been a community staple for the City of Savannah for over 45 years and today they carried out an annual tradition that they hope spreads awareness and information.

Executive Director of Tharros Place Julie Wade talks about the services offered at Tharros Place and cultivating a culture of courage.

The first time I remember my step-father hitting my mother, I was 4 years old and she was pregnant with my younger brother. We were in our beat-up, vintage Cadillac, he was driving recklessly, and her blood spattered and stained the upholstery.

Shannon Bates is the new Executive Director of SAFE Shelter for Domestic Violence Services in Savannah. She joined Morning Break with Development Director, Kathryn Autry - to discuss how their organization will be spreading awareness and prevention information throughout National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October.

Human trafficking.

Unless you’ve been actively involved in anti-trafficking organizations, those two little words were probably not a part of your lexicon five or 10 years ago. Human trafficking – also known as modern slavery – is defined as the exploitation of another person for sex, labor, or services. It is one of the most misunderstood social justice issues of our time and is often misrepresented in movies, books, and yes, the news. With this widespread misunderstanding, I’d like to address a few common myths.

Tharros Place, a local nonprofit serving underage survivors of human trafficking, hosted their Fall Human Trafficking Stakeholder meeting Wednesday afternoon. The goal is to bring different organizations and community members together to learn more about human trafficking and work together to bring it to an end.

On Sept. 20, Georgia Legal Services Program Executive Director Susan Coppedge will expand on why human trafficking is so prevalent in Georgia, and nationwide, serving as the keynote speaker at the Fall Human Trafficking Stakeholder Meeting meeting for Tharros Place, a local nonprofit that will provide stable housing to underage survivors of human trafficking.

A nationwide initiative by the Federal Bureau of Investigation has led to the discovery of dozens of missing children and victims of child sex trafficking. That involves kids from Georgia.

Buoyed up by supportive family members, a plethora of girlfriends, former co-workers and fellow board members, gym buddies, local business owners, and by the colleagues in her weekly writing group, Helen Bradley has successfully published her first novel at the age of 60-plus and is doing a stellar job of promoting it!

Tharros Place will open later this year and will serve girls ages 12-17 years old. It will be open around the clock. The non-profit says Chatham County ranks fourth in Georgia for the number of sex trafficking cases of minors.

Executive Director of Tharros Place Julie Wade talks about current projects and the important role community partnerships play in their success.

Chatham County is fourth in the state for cases of child sex trafficking, and the closest facility that helps survivors is more than an hour away. That will change soon when Tharros Place opens its first home in Chatham County.

Savannah had been a popular destination for youth mission trips until the pandemic shut those down along with everything else. But this summer, we are seeing the return of faith-based youth groups traveling here to bond, grow and offer service to our non-profit organizations - including one that is still on its way to getting established.

Tharros Place, a new nonprofit that will provide services for survivors of human trafficking, announced recently that it has hired LaToya D. Scott to serve as the organization’s Residential Director. In that role, Scott will develop and run the residential program for survivors of human trafficking, girls ages 12-17, providing compassionate and client-centered services and hiring and training a team of 20 direct care staff.