System Engineer David Stevenson paid forward $500 to the Laurens County Safe Home, a non-profit agency that serves victims of domestic violence in Abbeville, Laurens and Saluda Counties.
David said, “I recently learned the Safe Home is in the process of expanding its facilities, which highlights a growing problem in our community.”
Safe Home provides 24-hour services for victims of domestic violence, including an emergency shelter, helping clients obtain orders of protection, and advocacy for counseling, legal, social, and economic assistance services.
According to their web site, thesafehome.org:
- One in 6-7 men and one in 4 women will be a victim of domestic abuse in their lifetime.
- Battering is the single largest cause of injury to women in the country.
- Domestic violence costs the U.S. over $5.8 billion per year.
South Carolina Ranks #6 in the nation with the highest homicide rate among female victims by male offenders.
David said, “It is important to give back to the community and I think donating to the Safe Home is a great way to help support Laurens County.”
One way to help is by patronizing Our Little Shop, a thrift store located at 1500 Western Square Plaza in Laurens that benefits the Safe Home. They offer a selection of goods and accept donations of gently used or new items to be sold in shop.
To find out more, donate, volunteer, or get help, visit thesafehome.org or call (864) 682-7270.
Laurens Electric’s Pay It Forward program began in 2015.
Every Laurens Electric Cooperative employee is entered into a random drawing to receive $500 to pay forward in any way they choose.
Each month a new name is drawn, and the employee then has one month to apply the funds toward their own act of kindness.
This initiative is budget-neutral; the funds come from Laurens Electric’s charity events, which employee volunteers make possible.