ESCANABA — Tri County Safe Harbor, Inc. has received a $10,000 donation from the John and Melissa Besse Foundation. This donation will supplement federal, local and state grant funding in order to continue to operate the agency.

Tri County Safe Harbor serves victims of intimate partner domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and dating violence. The organization has been operational since 1982 and serves Delta, Menominee and Schoolcraft Counties. The 15-bed shelter is located in Escanaba. It houses women and children that have been victims of intimate partner domestic violence and sexual assault who are in an unsafe situation. The shelter provides them with a safe place to stay. In addition, Tri County Safe Harbor does assist with providing a safe place for men and their children if they are the victims although at this time they are not housed at the shelter.

Tri County Safe Harbor also provides other services if someone needs assistance but is not in need of shelter. Some of these services include a 24-hour crisis line, advocacy, court support, transportation, assistance with personal protection orders, and information and referrals to other agencies. In addition, staff can provide advocacy and support to victims at the hospital if an assault occurs. Tri County Safe Harbor also has outreach offices in Manistique, and Menominee that offer the same services that a victim could receive in shelter.

In 2021, Tri County Safe Harbor provided assistance to 117 women, 24 children and 1 man. They had 744 crisis calls and provided 1277 shelter nights to those in need.

“While we receive federal and state grants to run our program, the amount we receive doesn’t cover all of our expenses. We rely heavily on the support from our community throughout the year. The work that we do at Tri County Safe Harbor could not happen without contributions from the community. Any amount donated is appreciated and needed. We are so grateful to the John and Melissa Besse Foundation for this donation!”, says Erin Viau, executive director of Tri County Safe Harbor.

If someone is in need of services from Tri County Safe Harbor, they can call the 24/7 helpline at 906-789-1166. To make a donation to our agency, contact Erin at 906-553-7357 or visit our webpage at www.safe3c.com