[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 95 (Thursday, June 21, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1110]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     IN RECOGNITION OF A SAFE PLACE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM R. KEATING

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 21, 2012

  Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize A Safe Place, its 
Board of Trustees, its counselors, and its volunteers as the 
organization celebrates its milestone of twenty-five years of service 
to the community.
  A Safe Place is an organization on Nantucket that helps survivors of 
domestic violence and sexual assault as they start over and rebuild 
their lives. They were founded in 1987 by five members of the Nantucket 
Women's Bar Association and, since then, have continued to provide free 
and confidential services to these survivors. Over the years, the 
organization's outreach has expanded to also include specialized 
assistance to children whose lives have been affected by violence in 
the home.
  Today, A Safe Place provides a 24-hour hotline that people can call 
when they are in immediate need of assistance, and its counselors often 
will meet with survivors in the local hospital or police station as 
soon as the need arises. It has even organized a network of ``safe 
houses'' on the island through its Safe Home initiative, a program 
though which volunteers offer emergency accommodation in their own 
homes to those leaving an abusive situation. The organization provides 
assistance with relocation as survivors work to rebuild their lives. 
When a survivor must confront her abuser in court, a counselor from A 
Safe Place is often right by her side. A Safe Place offers comfort and 
assistance to hundreds of people each year, and it is considered to be 
an invaluable service to the Nantucket community by local law 
enforcement and healthcare providers.
  Mr. Speaker, it brings me great pride to honor A Safe Place, its 
Board of Trustees, its counselors and its volunteers as the 
organization celebrates twenty-five years of service. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in recognizing the importance of this 
organization to the Nantucket community and its significance to those 
whose lives have been changed by its support.

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