LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Shannon Caffee's apartment is filled with butterflies, a symbol of the transformation she's made in her life over the last year.
Last May, she had nowhere to turn.
"I am a survivor of domestic violence," Caffee said. "I needed somewhere to go. I was living in his house."
That's when St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP) stepped in.
"That was all around May 31," Caffee said. "And by June 3, I had a bed."
The Domestic Violence Rapid Rehousing and Transitional Housing Program is a secure facility provided by SVDP to protect the identify of its clients. It's staffed around the clock and has 18 bedrooms that can provide up to 50 beds, which are almost always full.
The Domestic Violence Rapid Rehousing and Transitional Housing Program has 18 bedrooms that can provide up to 50 beds and is staffed around the clock. June 30, 2023. (WDRB Photo)
SVDP said the program "addresses the needs of people who are homeless due to fleeing domestic violence or human trafficking by providing temporary housing at a secure site, permanent housing at an apartment of the survivor’s choice, deposit and rental assistance, and supportive services."
Clients can choose transitional housing, rapid rehousing or both. Last fiscal year, it served 155 people fleeing domestic violence or human trafficking.
"They have everything there," Caffee said. "They have a food pantry. They have a women's clothing closet. They have counseling. They have mental health. They have addiction treatment. They can help you with child care services if you need it. You come in and you don't have anything. You literally walk in the door with nothing."
SVDP created the program in 2020, realizing the need for these kinds of services was growing. According to the latest data from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 45% of Kentucky women and 35% of Kentucky men experience intimate partner physical violence and/or rape in their lifetimes. On a typical day in Kentucky, local domestic violence hotlines receive more than 19,000 calls.
In 2018, domestic violence accounted for 20% of all violent crime in Kentucky. And in the last three years, domestic violence homicides in Louisville have increase, according to Louisville Metro Police statistics:
- 2020: 9
- 2021: 10
- 2022: 18
"We have seen quite an uptick after COVID of the number of people who are fleeing domestic violence and trying to get out of those active situations," said Dominique Batts, director of housing and services at SVDP.
Clients referred through the Coalition for the Homeless can get help moving into permanent housing, finding a job — if needed — and other supports like mental health services.
Caffee said staff at SVDP decorated her apartment and even put fresh food in her cabinet, giving her the support she needed to transform her life for the better.
"I'm a veteran and I had been through the system every which way," Caffee said. "It wasn't until I found them — or they found me, one way or the other — that life began again for me. They made all this happen."
SVDP wants to remind everyone that the people coming for this program often come in with nothing. So donations of things like towels, sheets and pillows are much appreciated. If you can give, donations are accepted at SVDP's s main campus on Preston Street.
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