Child abuse.
Spousal abuse.
Sex trafficking.
Labor trafficking.
Child exploitation.
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Elder abuse.
"We deal with it all," said Anita Mycke, crime advocate for Someplace Safe in Perham. "I had always heard that things like this happened around here, but not until I started working here in May did I realize it happens to the extent that it does."
Someplace Safe has 10 offices in nine Minnesota counties, which have, over the course of a year, helped 4,211 clients. The location in Perham also covers Dent, Ottertail, New York Mills and Richville. Out of these seemingly small, peaceful communities, there were 180 people who needed help from the Perham location from Oct. 1, 2017 to Oct. 1, 2018.
"We just had a mother come in here with kids who was leaving a violent situation," said Mycke, who says there is no shelter in Perham, but the organization helps individuals and families by placing them in area hotels (not necessarily in Perham) until crime advocates can help victims with their most basic needs - safety, shelter, food, transportation and often legal services.
"We'll help them get paperwork filled out for Harassment Restraining Orders or Orders for Protection," said Mycke, who says they help walk victims through the process of dealing with their abusers in the legal system, including attending some of their quicker hearings for them in Fergus Falls and even physically escorting them to some of the more intense hearings where their alleged abuser may be sitting right across the table from them.
"We're there to help be a buffer and offer them support," said Mycke, who says their program is one that is victim-led, meaning staff can be there to help guide victims through some of the most dangerous, emotional and scary times of their lives, but she says listening to their clients and letting them decide which paths to take is important.
"Our job is to listen, believe our client and empower them...but to let them lead where they want to go," said Mycke, who says every case is different, and with it so are their needs. Someplace Safe advocates hook their clients up with things like mental health services, housing, and personal care items that aren't always priority to grab when leaving a violent situation. Donors from around the Perham area have proven a tremendous support for this cause, regularly dropping off items like gas cards, towels, diapers, baby wipes, shampoo and conditioner, laundry detergent, toothbrushes and toothpaste and toilet paper. In fact, Mycke says recently they had a Girl Scout troop assemble and donate bags for the kids who come in for help.
"They had water bottles and tooth brushes in there, and then they made them cards to go with them - it was really cool," said Mycke, who says area churches will also help them with personal care baskets for the victims that need help.
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Someplace Safe is known for its advocacy in domestic and sexual abuse cases, but what isn't as common knowledge is the fact that they also help victims of other types of crime, including burglary, harassment, arson, fraud and identity theft. In fact, staff members are often traveling around the Perham area to talk with different groups about some of these issues in an effort to help people protect themselves.
Right next door to the Someplace Safe office is a garage that one of the group's partners, Perham Outreach, uses. That's where the two organizations will work together to collect and distribute bigger items, like furniture, for people who need it.
"Whether they're a client of ours or not...maybe it's a family just moving into Perham or whatever," said Mycke. "It's amazing how quickly that garage will fill up with donations, and then a week or two it's empty again."
Day of Purple
On Thursday, Oct. 18, Someplace Safe and its staff are encouraging people in Perham and beyond to wear purple in honor of domestic violence awareness. The idea is to show victims of these crimes that they live in a community where people will stand with them in solidarity.
"This is really an awareness campaign rather than a fundraiser, but it is also a chance for businesses or people to pledge a few dollars if they'd like to donate," said Mycke, who says she feels like even though this is an event they do every year, that this year it seems to be picking up steam.
"We have purple packets with stickers and posters that people can ask for, and we've already had to re-print some once, so I think this year it's going to be bigger in Perham," she said.
For more information or to request a packet, go to www.someplacesafe.info or call 218-346-7276.
