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The town and country décor gives a calming early American feel, in contrast with bunches of modern toys scattered on the floor.
Women gather in the kitchen quietly talking to each other or their children. Some are laughing, others sit quietly and listen. One woman says nothing but methodically wipes down the counter with a washcloth.
These women and children do not know each other but have all come together for the same reason – to seek refuge from a violent partner.
For the past 15 years, the Women’s Resource Center has provided shelter to abused women and children for five Northern Michigan counties. The two-story farmhouse has two full bathrooms, 24 beds and cribs and laundry facilities.
From 1991 through 1992, the Safe Home has provided a safe haven to more than 225 women and children and offered counseling to more than 200 people.
The average stay is 14 days, but women can stay up to 30 days if necessary, said Chris Krajewski, director of the Safe Home. The house is staffed by 12 people and operates a 24-hour crisis line.
The soft décor in the Safe Home is deliberate, Krajewski said.
“We’re dealing with victims, not criminals,” she said. “So it is different here. There isn’t a lot of structure. We’re trying to keep it a lot like ‘home,’ real safe, offering security and confidentiality.
“But no matter how safe we make this place, it’s never a vacation for these women.”
Most women are introduced to the Safe Home through police agencies, women’s advocacy organizations or by calling the Safe Home hotline.
“The hardest step is walking through the front door, because they don’t know what is on the other side,” Krajewski said.
When a woman arrives, she is given access to legal help, support groups and tools to learn how to start over again on her own, she said. Women share their stories with each other and often discover the strength to leave their abusive relationships.
“There’s a lot of pressure on women to make a marriage work from society and also from power and control issues,” she said. “Women believe that they are the bad person by leaving. But the batterer is the one doing the damage. He’s the one that needs to go away and get help.”
A special playroom is set up for children who come to the Safe Home. This usually provides an outlet for emotions the children have held in throughout their ordeals.
“With kids, there’s just a look of relief on their faces,” Krajewski said. “They can sing, dance, and be happy. Kids realize soon that the tension is gone and that’s beautiful.
“A lot of people say to me, ‘Chris, isn’t it tough going to work every day?’ Well, it’s tough, but there’s a beauty in seeing this tension relieved.”
The 24-hour Crisis and Information line is (231) 347-0082 or (800) 275-1995. Women’s Resource Center of Northern Michigan, Inc. (formerly named The Cheboygan Women’s Resource Center) is at 520 N. Main Street, (231) 627-2380. The Petoskey office is at 423 Porter Street, (231) 347-0067. www.wrcnm.org
The Dart Center would like to give special thanks to Joyce Krawczak, librarian at the Cheboygan Public Library, whose commitment to recovering this series of articles is second to none, and to Hrefna Milner for doing the impossible, retyping the entire series of articles from deteriorated micro-film copies of the original tearsheets.
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