Haven of Hope receives $48,291.53 in grant funding

CAMBRIDGE, Ohio – The Office of Criminal Justice Services has announced recipients of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) grants, including an organization called Haven of Hope.

The non-profit organization is a victim advocacy center that provides direct trauma-informed services to all victims of crime in Guernsey and Noble counties. The organization offers free services like law enforcement accompaniment, emergency room accompaniment, an emergency shelter, and court advocacy. Haven of Hope was awarded over $48,000 to help facilitate these services around the clock.

“Because we are on call 24/7, I have an advocate that’s available to respond Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, 2 o’clock in the morning, you know, Saturday, Sunday, when our office isn’t open. And so, what the VAWA Money does is allow me to pay a person full-time hours to be able to provide those necessary services to support victims of crime,” said Haven of Hope’s CEO, Michelle Carpenter-Wilkenson.

According to Carpenter-Wilkenson, the organization performed over 5,500 services for more than 2,300 Guernsey County residents last year and is entirely dependent on grants and donations.

“I think that it’s very important to have a support person when you’re going through a terrible situation that you’ve probably not been in before,” Carpenter-Wilkinson said. “You don’t understand the services, you don’t understand what’s next, and what we do as advocates is we provide trained advocates that understand the system, that understand that you might be going through something that is hard for family and friends to understand. And so, it’s nice to have someone that is just 100% on your side and just trying to help you get through this system. ”

You can reach out for help or donate to Haven of Hope by visiting their website at HavenOfHope.org or by calling 740-439-SAFE. The non-profit is located at 135 North 10th Street in Cambridge.