There’s a doll with bright red hair and big, innocent eyes pressed against the glass. Next to her, an abandoned train set and a few pieces of a geography puzzle are haphazardly strewn across the floor.
An old, flower-patterned couch holds up one wall and braces a bookcase brimming with books ranging in topic from domestic violence, to sexual abuse to mystery and historical fiction.
At first glance, it may seem as though ye who enter here have abandoned all hope.
But the Betty Griffin Outreach Center soon reveals just how much hope can be housed in a small space.
That doll pressed against the wall isn’t yearning for a playmate, she’s there to soothe a child’s racing mind and aching heart. The discarded puzzle is a portrait of a united country where people can rebuild their lives, one step at a time. Even the lonely woman in the corner of the waiting room has a smile dancing around the corners of her lips and a calm confidence in her shoulders while she fills out paper work and waits to see a counselor.
The Betty Griffin house has been a beacon of hope for St. Johns County since it opened its doors in 1994. Joyce Mahr, executive director, said the original shelter came out of the sale of a donated home. The proceeds went to purchase a place that became the first shelter, which had 18 beds.
"The first night we opened the shelter we had a family there," said Mahr. "Almost since day one we’ve been full."
Since it opened, the Betty Griffin house has expanded and grown to the degree that a new shelter was opened in 2006 with 40 beds and four cribs to accommodate the increase. The new shelter has 10,000 square feet of floor space and Mahr said even though it is large, the staff has really tried to make it feel like a home.
Word of mouth is the main way people learn about the Betty Griffin House. When someone is recommended to the shelter, steps are taken to ensure their comfort. Everything is confidential, and upon arrival at the shelter, residents are given a tour of the shelter. If they’ve brought children with them, a children’s advocate takes the child and occupies the child while intake papers are filled out. Mahr said a major part of their job at the shelter is to listen.
"Sometimes they won’t talk about their full story right away," she said, "so we concentrate on determining their immediate needs."
These could include a job, day care and any other type of assistance they might need. Once vital needs have been established, staff at the Betty Griffin House help determine the need for other services, including counseling, transitory housing, support groups and legal assistance.
"There are a lot of barriers for these survivors," said Mahr. "It’s wonderful that we’ve got such a great staff. They have to be creative to work with the different survivors."
And survivors really respond to the services. Mahr read from a letter from a survivor that clearly illustrated how effective the services she received were. The woman wrote that over time the caring loving support from the staff at the Betty Griffin House made her stronger and she began to look at herself and say I deserve better.
Mahr said stories like that are what keep her going.
"If we want to try to eradicate and reduce the risk of domestic violence, everyone needs to start talking about how to make the change," she said.
For more information about services available at the Betty Griffin house, visit www.bettygriffinhouse.org.
