Home is not a safe place for everyone, but Safe Berks is here to help. Despite the many challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Safe Berks staff has continued to provide expert, compassionate care to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault 24 hours every day.
Safe Berks CEO Beth Garrigan said that the services Safe Berks provides are more crucial now than ever. “The social distancing and family isolation required to stop the spread of COVID-19 has increased danger to people trapped at home with abusers,” said Garrigan. “Home is not a safe place for everyone.”
Each year, Safe Berks serves thousands of survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Services include our 24-hour hotline and text line, shelter, counseling, legal services, medical advocacy, and education.
“Many local people are still not aware that Berks Women in Crisis was renamed Safe Berks in 2016,” said Mereliss Colon Ortiz, Safe Berks COO. “There is still confusion, as some people think Safe Berks is a new agency. We need to make sure all community members understand we are the same agency that has been providing expertise to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault since 1976.”
Safe Berks services are free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Highly trained staff provide assistance in English and Spanish, and translation is available for other languages.
For more info, visit the Safe Berks website at www.SafeBerks.org , or check us out on social media including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The Safe Berks 24-hour Hotline is 844-789-SAFE (7233) or text SAFE BERKS to 20121. Together we can build a Safe Berks!
By Francine M. Scoboria
