A little more About Us
Who We Are
Safe Passage is a 501(c)(3) organization, that provides 24-hour emergency shelter, 24-hour crisis line, advocacy, counseling, and other supportive services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse in York, Chester, Lancaster, and Union counties. All of our services are free and provided without regard to income, age, sex, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, limited English proficiency, and disability.
Emergency Shelter:
Our emergency shelter provides victims and their vulnerable family members with a safe, clean, comfortable place to recover from the physical and emotional wounds of domestic violence. The shelter is a six-bedroom, seven-bath one-story home utilized as a temporary residence for victims of domestic violence and their children. Up to twenty-four adults and children can be accommodated comfortably, but additional space is available in emergencies. While in the shelter, victims receive transportation to necessary appointments, USDA-approved meals and snacks, clothing, toiletries, crisis counseling, parenting classes, life skills training, and social activities.
Crisis Line:
We maintain a 24-hour crisis line and accompany victims of sexual assault and domestic victims during their medical exams in order to provide advocacy and support during the aftermath of the assault. We provide counseling services and court accompaniment for victims.
803-329-2800
Community Education:
Community education and outreach is available upon request in our service area.
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About Us
Celebrating more than 30 Years of Service to Our Communities: 1983-2023
Domestic violence services started in York County in 1983 with the opening of a Salvation Army shelter, called Sister Help. As the second domestic violence shelter in South Carolina, it offered a 24-hour hotline, crisis counseling, emergency shelter for victims and their children in York, Chester, and Lancaster counties.
In 1992, Sister Help separated from the Salvation Army and became Tri-County Sister Help, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. A name changed followed in 1999 when the agency became Safe Passage Inc.: A Domestic Peace Program (officially approved January 22, 2001). The new name underscored the agency's focus on domestic violence survivors' passages to lives of independence and safety. A new shelter opened in September 2001.
Safe Passage has expanded its services twice over the years – it took over the Sexual Assault Resources Center in 2005 to offer services to victims of sexual trauma and child abuse and then in 2014 with the addition of the Child Advocacy Services. All three branches are housed in the Oakland Avenue administrative building in Rock Hill. The CAC is nationally accredited and received reaccreditation in 2021.
Safe Passage Inc., which celebrates its 30-year anniversary in 2022, remains a local haven for survivors of domestic violence, sexual trauma, and child abuse. All services, which are paid for through federal and state grants and local donations, are free and provided regardless of income, age, sex, race, ethnicity, English proficiency, and disability.