Yolanda East is dedicated to being a resource who helps people change their lives and break the cycle of abuse.
The executive director of Shepherd’s Lighthouse, a transitional house for women and children in Belleview, said the nonprofit organization has worked since 2000 to provide stability and independence for people when they need it the most.
“I thought, if we could hold onto a person long enough and help them get connected to local resources, it could shift and truly change their lives,” East said. “That was kind of my foundation thinking. While people are staying at Shepherd’s LightHouse, we kind of springboard them back into independent living.”
First nationally recognized in 2001, April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, which aims to raise awareness about sexual violence, promote prevention through education and inform residents of resources available to them in their communities. Data shows that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men are sexually abused before they reach the age of 18, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network.
Shepherd’s Lighthouse, which provides housing to homeless single mothers and their children, is one of several organizations in the tri-county area, including the Haven of Lake and Sumter Counties and the Marion County Sexual Assault Center, that focuses on providing services and resources to survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.
“We don’t charge them to stay here,” East said. “We do require them to get a job and get their kids in daycare. We work with them to get their income increased and their expenses decreased. Once we get that foundation of independence set into play, they are ready to move on when their time here is up.”
East said, although not all, most of the women who use the nonprofit’s services have been victims of domestic violence or sexual abuse at some point in their lives.
“We had an 11-year-old here who was a human trafficking victim. She was trafficked by her mother for drugs,” East said. “That child said to me, ‘Nobody asked me. Nobody came to my help because nobody asked me if anything ever happened to me in my life.’ Without facilities that provide some type of stable environment for a mom and kids who have gone through domestic violence or sexual abuse, like Shepherd’s Lighthouse, people would stay in that cycle of abuse and children would take on that thinking because they haven’t been exposed to something else.”
The Haven of Lake and Sumter Counties has been providing domestic violence services and sexual assault services since 1977. Along with an emergency shelter, a 24-hour crisis hotline and counseling, the Haven provides free training and education services to the public.
Similarly, the Marion County Sexual Assault Center provides services and advocates for survivors of sexual violence in Marion County. The center also hosts free support group meetings for survivors, including the upcoming Sexual Assault Support Group scheduled for 6 to 7 p.m. April 30 and the Sexual Assault Growth Group scheduled for 6 to 7 p.m. May 6. For more details, visit marionsexualassaultcenter.org.
“People need to be educated about these things, but because people feel it is taboo, they just don’t talk or think about it,” East said. “They don’t think it affects them in anyway, but there is a large number of people who either know someone who was sexually assaulted or have been themselves — that could be men or women. I feel like increasing awareness and getting the educational component to reach the public is important so that people know, if they see something, they should say something. The more educated on the red flags that you are, then that’s how the people get help.”
Along with the six-month transitional housing program, Shepherd’s Lighthouse also manages an off-campus apartment complex that has six one-bedroom apartments, helps get supplies to victims of human trafficking and helps people apply for resources through MyACCESS Florida.
Funding for programs and services provided by Shepherd’s Lighthouse are made possible through donations and sales from Shepherd’s Lighthouse Thrift Store.
The store, which is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, accepts donated items including clothes, shoes, household items and more that are either sold, recycled or given to mothers and children who are staying at Shepherd’s Lighthouse.
Donna Ketchum-Colletta, of the Village of Summerhill, said she and other members of The Zonta Club of The Villages spend about two to three hours almost weekly in Shepherd’s Lighthouse Thrift Store volunteering to sort through donations or assist in other ways as needed.
Ketchum-Colletta, the current vice president of The Zonta Club, said members also provide monetary donations to Shepherd’s Lighthouse and other local organizations, including Forward Path Foundation, a transitional home for Lake County youth who have aged out of the foster care system; and Ashley’s Cottage, a transitional home for women veterans in Fruitland Park run by Villagers for Veterans.
“We consistently support any of the local groups that work with the trafficking of women and children or domestic violence,” Ketchum-Colletta said. “It’s important that if you see something, you have to say something” she said.
East agrees wholeheartedly.
“If you feel like there’s something going on or, if you see something that makes you feel uncomfortable, just ask plainly,” East said. “Ask them, ‘Is there something going on that I could help you with?’ At least open the door. And if they say yes, then you can say you know the resources that can help them to safety.”
To learn more about Shepherd’s Lighthouse, visit theshepherdslighthouse.org. For more information about The Haven of Lake and Sumter Counties, visit havenlakesumter.org.
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@thevillagesmedia.com.
