Our interns met with local non-profit Safe Places last week and got a look at what the organization does for our community. It was an introductory meeting more than anything else, but it showed us that Safe Places is in desperate need of donations.
If you aren’t familiar with the organization, it is an advocacy group that provides a number of services to the area, like anger management classes, interventions for youth who have been exposed to violence or abuse, and trauma counseling, among many other things. It even houses Pulaski County’s rape crisis hotline.
Safe Places doesn’t get much funding from the government despite being a non-profit organization. The grants they receive provide some support, but never-ending operating expenses mean Safe Places is still short by an intimidating amount. Private donations are welcomed, but they are consistently few in number. Though police, hospitals and other local agencies rely on Safe Places to aid in some of their responsibilities, monetary compensation for their services is rarely offered.
That’s where we come in. Our interns will be helping Safe Places revise their marketing strategies, making them effective enough to get the donations they so urgently need. This includes an overhaul of their website, brochures, press releases and newsletters.
If any organization deserves recognition in the minds of our community members, it’s Safe Places. The valuable services they provide are offered nowhere else, so it’s important that we find them the support they need. We’ll be sure to report back as our interns make more progress throughout the summer.