Fall 2026 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time when communities across the country come together to raise awareness about intimate partner violence and stand in solidarity with survivors.

For me, it is also a time to reflect.

We remember and honor those whose lives have been lost to intimate partner violence. We recognize the strength and resilience of those who have survived. And we hold space for those who may still be experiencing violence, perhaps quietly and without others knowing what they are going through.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month reminds us that none of us has to do this work alone. Every person has a role to play in creating a community where survivors are believed, supported, and treated with dignity. Sometimes that means knowing how to respond when someone reaches out for help. Sometimes it means speaking up when
we hear harmful attitudes about abuse. And sometimes it is as simple, and as powerful, as showing up.

This October, there are several opportunities to do just that. On October 3, Women and Men Working for Change will host its annual 5K Run/Walk, and on October 11, we will once again come together for the Purple Run, hosted in partnership with the University of Michigan Division of Public Safety and Security, the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Ann Arbor Police Department. These events are about much more than
running or walking. They are visible demonstrations that our community stands with survivors and believes that everyone deserves to live free from violence.

Throughout the month, I invite you to reflect, learn, talk about domestic violence, wear purple, attend an event, and remind the people in your life that support is available. Most importantly, I invite you to continue showing survivors that they are not alone.

Thank you for standing with survivors, this October and throughout the year.

An Update on Funding for Survivor Services SafeHouse Center recently received confirmation that our federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding will be reduced by nearly $160,000 for the coming year, including an 18.5% reduction in our domestic violence grant and an 11% reduction in our sexual assault grant. VOCA funding has long been an important source of support for victim services in Michigan. As federal VOCA resources have declined, state funding has helped offset some of those losses, but this year’s state budget did not provide enough funding to fully address the gap. This is a sad time for survivors in Michigan. Programs across the state are being impacted, some more significantly than others. When resources are reduced, survivors may face fewer services, longer waits, or fewer places to turn for help. And without greater funding stability, we are concerned that additional reductions in the years ahead could have serious consequences for Michigan’s survivor service network.At SafeHouse Center, we have been preparing for this challenging funding environment for several years. Because of difficult decisions we made earlier to restructure programs and reduce expenses, our services remain available and we are not facing significant staffing or program reductions at this time. But we also know that we cannot indefinitely provide the same level of service with fewer resources. We will continue to carefully steward our resources, diversify our funding, strengthen partnerships, and pursue new opportunities. Sustaining survivor services, however, will require continued investment from federal, state and local government, philanthropy, and our communities. We are incredibly grateful to be part of a community that continues to stand with survivors. Your partnership matters, and together we can help ensure that survivors continue to have somewhere to turn when they need safety, advocacy, and support. If you have questions about these funding changes or what they mean for SafeHouse Center, we welcome you to reach out to us.

50 Years. $50,000. Twice the Impact.

As SafeHouse Center celebrates 50 years of advocacy, support, and social change, longtime supporter Ruthann Nichols has made a generous $50,000 leadership gift to create our 50th Anniversary Match Challenge.

Now through October 7, every gift to SafeHouse Center will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $50,000, creating the opportunity to generate $100,000 in support of survivors and their children.

For fifty years, our community has helped ensure survivors have somewhere to turn for safety, support, advocacy, and hope. Ruthann’s extraordinary generosity is an invitation for all of us to continue that legacy together.

Every gift matters and through October 7, every gift can have twice the impact.

JOIN RUTHANN & MAKE TWICE THE IMPACT

50 Years of Advocacy, Support & Social Change

Over the past year, we have had the joy of looking back on 50 years of SafeHouse Center and reconnecting with so many people who have been part of our journey. We have heard stories from those who lived and worked in our first shelter, from those who helped build and set up the shelter we call home today, and from staff, volunteers, board members, survivors, community partners, and supporters whose commitment has shaped SafeHouse Center across the decades. More than anything, hearing these stories has reminded us that SafeHouse Center’s history is not simply about milestones. It is about people who cared deeply, stepped forward, and believed our community could do better for survivors.

As we close this anniversary year, we are deeply grateful for the advocacy, courage, commitment, and vision that brought SafeHouse Center into being and for the lasting impact of that work throughout our community. Thank you to everyone who shared a memory, attended a celebration, supported our work, or simply stood with us during this milestone year.

Fifty years is a legacy worth celebrating, and it is also a foundation for what comes next. We look forward to carrying that vision forward together and continuing to build a community where survivors are supported, empowered, and never have to navigate violence alone.

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2026 SafeHouse Center Quilt Sale

For more than 30 years, the Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild has generously supported SafeHouse Center by creating and donating beautiful, handcrafted quilts to help raise funds for survivors in our community.

This year, the annual SafeHouse Center Quilt Sale will kick off during our 50th Anniversary Evening Celebration on October 7! Guests joining us that evening will have the first opportunity to shop the collection and select their favorite quilts before the sale opens to the public on October 8.

Each quilt has been lovingly made and donated by members of the Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild, making every one truly unique. When you purchase a quilt, you’re not only taking home something beautiful, you are also supporting SafeHouse Center’s work with survivors and continuing a partnership that has made a difference in our community for more than three decades.

Joining us October 7? You get first pick!
Public sale opens October 8.

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Join us for the 12th Annual Purple Run.

All Proceeds go to SafeHouse Center. Get fit for a great cause!

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This year’s National 2026 DVAM theme is ” With Survivors, Always. Survivors deserve action.” 

For DVAM 2026, we’re building on that momentum, with a deepened focus on action. Across the United States, we’re seeing violence minimized, cuts to the services families rely upon, and increased barriers to safety for survivors and their children. Survivors deserve action.

https://www.dvawareness.org/WithSurvivors

SafeHouse Center has many events in October. We hope to see you at one of these opportunities. 

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Walking the Walk

SafeHouse Center invites the community to come and learn all the barriers, hopes, and steps survivors have to face.SafeHouse Center staff will lead participants through a simulation curriculum.
Participants will learn about domestic violence through moving, acting, thinking, and making choices as a person experiencing an abusive relationship.

Friday, October 23
10 am- 11:15 am Simulation
11:30 am-12 pm Panel & Discussion  

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Additionally, SafeHouse Center will host a virtual Lunch & Learn workshop, “How to Support Survivors,”  Participants will learn about trauma-informed best practices for supporting survivors. You will walk away with resources, tools, and education.

Monday, October 26
12:00 p.m. 

*This educational workshop is tailored to provide foundational knowledge *