Safe Lives, Strong Voices Ep.1

 This first episode introduces Tri-Valley Haven, a nonprofit serving survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and homelessness. Learn about the organization's history, services, and what to expect in future episodes. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:04

Hi everyone, and welcome to the very first episode of Safe Lives Strong Voices, a podcast by Tri-Valley Haven. I'm your host, Sue, and I'm really glad you're here. Tri-Valley Haven is a vital nonprofit that serves adults and children who have experienced domestic violence, sexual assault, or homelessness in the Tri-Valley area of Northern California. So this is something new for us. The podcast has been on our minds for a while, and it feels good to finally say, here we are. We started this because we wanted to create a space for real grounded conversations. We wanted to find ways to connect, to share, and to learn together. Whether you're just finding out about Tri-Valley Haven today, or you've known us for years, maybe you've volunteered, donated, or just seen our names around town, I hope this podcast gives you a better sense of who we are, what we do, and why this work matters. Today's episode will be kind of like a welcome, Matt. I'll introduce Tri-Valley Haven, give a brief overview of our history, talk about the services we offer, and let you know what you can expect from future episodes. Think of it like a slow first conversation. We won't rush into everything all at once. So let's start with where it all began. Tri Valley Haven was founded back in 1977. So that's over 45 years of community care. Tri-Valley Haven was founded by a group of women who wanted to make a difference in their community. But they kept saying the same thing. Survivors of domestic violence had nowhere to go. No hotline, no shelter, no safety net. So they called a public meeting at the Livermore Recreation Center in March of 1977. People from all over came. From women's clubs, local service groups, community advocates, and together they decided to act and make a change. Volunteers started taking crisis calls from their homes. Survivors found shelter on couches or even spare bedrooms of these advocates. Community members held garage sales, passed around donation jars, and slowly they raised enough to open the very first shelter in March of 1978. It was small with just six beds, but it was safe. And from there the haven grew, because unfortunately the need kept growing. A rape crisis center was added in the early 80s. In the 90s, we added legal support services. By the 2000s, the Haven expanded again, taking on management of the local homeless shelter and community food pantry. And that shelter was named Sojourner House and later a thrift store that now helps fund our programs. Today, nearly five decades later, Tri-Valley Haven is still here. Still grounded in safety, in care, and in the belief that healing is possible. And now, you know, I could spend the next 20 minutes listing out every department and the services we offer, but I'll keep it simple for now and we'll go deeper in future episodes with some amazing guests. We provide a 24-hour crisis line for folks in need of immediate support. We operate shelters for survivors of domestic violence and homelessness. We offer counseling for both adults and children. We have legal advocates who help with things like restraining orders or navigating the court system. We run a client choice food pantry that serves thousands of local families every year. And we go into schools and community spaces to talk about things like healthy relationships, boundaries, and consent. And as someone who works in communications and outreach, I get to meet so many people all across our region, at schools, at libraries, farmers markets, health fairs or tabling events. And what I hear over and over is that people want to help. They care. Um, but they don't always know where to start or what to say, or how to talk about things like trauma or abuse or healing. And honestly, that is one reason we're doing this podcast. We want to make these conversations more accessible, not so clinical, not overwhelming, but just human. Because the truth is these topics impact more people than we often realize. And starting the conversation even quietly or even internally is a huge step. So, what can you expect from future episodes? Well, we'll be talking with some of the folks who make this work happen advocates, counselors, community partners, and volunteers. We'll walk through what happens when someone calls our crisis line. We'll also explore what trauma recovery can look like. We'll talk about grounding techniques, ways to stay connected to your body when things feel overwhelming. We'll talk about safety planning, supporting loved ones, and what it really means to show up for another. We're also planning to spotlight our prevention work with young people, our food pantry's role in creating stability, and so much more. But more than anything, we're going to keep it real. Because healing isn't a straight line, and support doesn't always look the way you expect. Sometimes it's a conversation, sometimes it's a resource, sometimes it's just knowing you're not alone. So before I wrap up, I just want to say if you or someone you know is in need of support, we are here. Our website is trivalleyhaven.org, and our 24-hour crisis line is 1-800-884-8119. And if you're listening because you want to learn more, maybe get involved, maybe share this with someone else, thank you. This is the start of something I hope grows with time. I hope this is a space that feels warm, open, and grounded. A place where we can talk about hard things, but sometimes fun things, and also talk about healing, resilience, and care. Thanks for being here with me today. Really, it means a lot. We'll be back soon with episode two, where we'll walk through what happens when someone reaches out for help and why that first step can be one of the bravest things a person can do. Until then, take care of yourself and take care of each other.