Becky’s Place Haven of Hope, a nonprofit that assists those experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault, is in the process of renovating a four-bedroom safe house. The new house, roughly double the size of the current two-bedroom the nonprofit operates, was purchased with a $246,000 grant from the state’s Coronavirus Nonprofit Relief Fund.
Like a number of nonprofits, when COVID-19 hit, Becky’s Place saw revenue dwindle.
“It has hit us hard financially. Due to the lack of employment, businesses not opening, the uncertainty and fear people are feeling, giving has been down, and because of the virus, we have not been able to hold our regular fundraisers, especially our large annual one in June where we raise a large portion of our budget,” Becky’s Place director Jackie Mazeikas said.
Mazeikas said she started applying for “grants, a lot of grants,” looking for a way to keep doors open. She came across the Coronavirus Nonprofit Relief Fund, a pot of $35 million in CARES Act funding the state set aside for nonprofits adversely impacted by the pandemic. The fund is managed by the Alaska Community Foundation in partnership with the state’s Department of Health and Social Services.
Mazeikas applied for funding to purchase an older four-bedroom house she’d been eyeing. “We knew the house needed some repair work, so I requested additional funds to fix the known problems,” she said.
Becky’s Place didn’t receive the full amount, but it did receive enough to go ahead with the purchase, a longtime goal for the organization.
“When I received the notification that we had been awarded the money, I broke down and cried,” Mazeikas said. “We are so thankful for the funding, for the ability to purchase a home that can offer help, hope and options to countless individuals who are hurting, some fleeing for their very lives.”
Mazeikas said the hope is to have the safe house open by the end of the year, but before this can happen, a number of repairs are needed to bring the house up to code.
Although Mazeikas hired a licensed inspector to examine the house prior to purchase, repair needs proved more extensive and costly than anticipated, including replacing a large portion of the roof, putting in a new heating system, and redoing the plumbing and electrical wiring.
“There are concerns that we will not have enough funds to complete the needed work,” Mazeikas said. She said she’s working to stretch the funds as much as possible and trying to remain positive.
“This has been a very long journey for us, close to twenty years of working with domestic violence and sexually abused individuals. It has been an uphill battle, from the beginning of denial of (domestic violence) even existing in Haines to where we are today,” she said. “My husband Stan and I both know in our hearts that God has not moved mountains and brought us this far to forsake us.”
Statewide, this winter is likely to be a tough one for those experiencing domestic violence or sexual abuse, according to Mazeikas.
“(Domestic violence and sexual abuse) seem to increase during winter months. For many, because of the virus, they have had to shelter in place with little or no opportunity to escape,” she said. “We have found statewide that occupancy in safe houses throughout Alaska is down, which is worrisome for all of us.”
Nationwide, reports of domestic violence and sexual abuse are down, contrary to patterns observed during high-stress events like natural disasters. Advocates and public officials are concerned that measures like stay-at-home orders, designed to curb the spread of COVID-19, could be contributing to this trend by increasing a victim’s isolation and an abuser’s control over victims.
Becky’s Place is one of three Haines-based nonprofits that has received funding through the Coronavirus Nonprofit Relief Fund. The other organizations are Haines Assisted Living, which received $120,000 for payroll and personal protective equipment, and Chilkat Valley Preschool, which received $32,000 for teaching supplies and payroll.