UNION, Mo. — It's the start of a new chapter in Franklin County.
A new domestic violence shelter is coming to Union, Missouri. It'll be the first for the area.
Currently, there are organizations helping with emergency shelter by working with hotels and motels.
Right now, the next closest shelter to Union is anywhere between 40 minutes to an hour away and that's if a victim or survivor even has transportation.
The land was donated to build the space. This would be a permanent space with 4,100 square feet. The satellite safe house is for women and children, with a stay of 45 to 60 days.
The facility, which is being built at an undisclosed location to protect women, has been in the works for three years.
It will be the second location operated by Turning Point, a nonprofit based on Warren County.
Kylie Jarvis is the Director of Shelter Services at Turning Point and oversees the Warren County location.
Jarvis said, "We just want to have a safe place that they can come and heal and we have those services available to them, so that they can reach that independence piece. That's our goal."
Once operational, it will serve 18 beds and it will be fully staffed 24/7. They expect the safe house to provide shelter to about 80 women and children a year.
Angela Gibson is on the Board of Directors for Turning Point.
Gibson shared, "In 2023, over 900 cases went through the county courts and so with those statistics, we figured that it would be an ideal location for another safe house here."
5 On Your Side learned 675 protective orders were filed in the Franklin County Circuit Court in 2023.
Jarvis added, "I definitely think the numbers are going up. We see an increase in our hotline every year with about seven to 900 calls average and that's requesting shelter and services."
The following numbers are the number of domestic violence calls the Franklin County Sheriff's Office has responded to:
- 2022 - 250
- 2023 - 275
- 2024 - 98
Christina Horsfall is a domestic violence survivor.
She and her children were shot multiple times in Pacific last year, after her accused abuser thought they were leaving.
"Luckily I have the strength to speak out. Having the shelter locally gives an opportunity for a lot of women to have a safe life and their children, a possibility of some structure in their home. It’s really breaking the curse of the generations and the safety of the children, that’s the most important part," Horsfall added.
Horsfall is now paralyzed from the waist down.
"I've gotten some movement back in my legs and I hope in the next six months I can get more movement in my lower half. I've been putting leg braces on and practicing walking, that's a very important step for me in situation like this," she said with a smile.
The shelter received federal ARPA funds in 2022.
Franklin County awarded Turning Point $620,000 to open the satellite location.
These funds are only for capital expenses, not operations. The safe house will include around-the-clock staffing, counselors, court advocates for clients, and security precautions, which will cost about $350,000 to $400,000 a year to operate.
There are federal and state funds available, along with funds from the Franklin County and Greater St. Louis Area United Way, which will cover approximately 85 to 90% of those annual operating expenses.
The Franklin County Committee will be fundraising the difference each year.
Gibson explained, "We expect those costs to be about $50 to $60,000 a year to be fully operational."
Last year, it had a fundraising goal of $50,000. They ended up raising $79,000.
The idea is to raise $50,000 again this year.
The goal is to build a shelter and build support for women.
"It's an opportunity to provide these resources, a segue for another chapter," Gibson shared.
A groundbreaking for the shelter will take place at the end of this month.
The goal is to open early next year. To donate, click here.
Here is a list of the upcoming events this year:
• Mouse Races - Union Moose Lodge - May 18 7:00 pm
• Paint & Sip - Franklin County Resource Center (Old Library) - June 23
• Black Light Bing Bash - Immaculate Conception (Gym) in Union - August 24
• Golf Tournament - Franklin County Country Club - September 23
Some of the people on the Franklin County Committee include Franklin County Auditor Angela Gibson; Judge Joe Purschke; Mike Huber with Mercy Hospital in Washington; Joel Doepker, Vice President with East Central College; Steve Weinhold, retired superintendent from Union; Washington attorney Samantha Wacker; Union attorney Rachel Reagan-Purschke; and Janet Hubbard, retired assistant superintendent from Pacific.