The Safe Haven Program Grand Opening

Safe Haven After Class (S.H.A.C) is a holistic development program for children and teens living with their families in the Haven Hotel located at: 4893 Memorial Dr, Stone Mountain, GA 30083

Why did Safe Haven Start?

Many of our City's most undeserved residents are living out of hotels, unable to secure affordable housing and viable employment. The cycle of poverty spirals families caught in these situations leaving them with very limited options. The COVID-19 Pandemic effects, the mass displacement of lower income residents from the city due to gentrification/unaffordable housing, job layoffs, or the dwindling of section 8 availability are a few of the many reasons lower income residents find themselves struggling to keep a roof over themselves and their loved ones. Hotels like Haven Hotel have provided affordable solutions for shelter and are therefore constantly at capacity. Currently the hotel has 149 rooms booked with residence and over 40 children and teens call the Haven Hotel their home. When the children get off the bus each day they have very little to do in the afternoons and are subject to negative influences, predators, and unproductivity... especially due to the fact the majority are being raised by single parents trying to work and survive.

What does the Safe Haven Program accomplish?

Haven Hotel, in an effort to meet the needs of its residents has made space available and entered into partnership with Restore Life Inc. to provide holistic after school programming. The program will accomplish the following objectives:

1. Provide weekday after school sessions focused on the mental, physical, emotional, creative and spiritual development of the the Haven Hotel youth.
   
   • Tutoring/homework help
     
   • Creative Arts - Music/audio engineering and production/video production
     
   • FUN and safe recreational activities (video games, sports, martial arts etc.)
     
   • Daily snacks and meals that promote physical health and wellness
     
   • Clothing and supplies for school
     
2. Provide jobs for qualified residents in the areas of tutoring, music lessons, meal preparation, and mentorship.
   
3. Provide a food pantry for the families of the youth who are struggling with food disparity.
   
4. Provide a space for counseling and mental health development for children as well as parents.
   
5. Improve the overall experience of all Haven Hotel residents and promote a safe and healthy environment for people to flourish.
   

How much needs to be raised for the program to succeed?

Start up costs
Space Build out: $10,000 - Complete
Gear (Computers, instruments, mics, cameras: $20,000 - Complete
Vehicle/bus: $40,000 - Still needed
Total start up funds still needed: $40,000

Yearly Budget:
Liability and theft Insurance: $3,600 (annually)
Personnel: $70,000   (Program director $36,000. Mentor stipends and TLAB rental - $34,000)
Vehicle : $12,000 (Insurance, gas, maintenance, driver stipend)
Food: $12,000 (snacks and dinners during program)
Family Assistance fund: $12,000
Supplies: $3,000
Total Program Operations need for pilot program and 2022: $113,000

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