The Barren River Area Safe Space, Inc. is a regional domestic violence 26-bed shelter and program, founded in 1980 by a group of seven Warren County Citizens, to serve the community’s need to provide emergency shelter and support services to victims of domestic violence and their children. The Barren River Area Safe Space, Inc. is accredited by the Kentucky Domestic Violence Association, and was one of the first six Kentucky domestic violence shelters to form the Kentucky Domestic Violence Association. The agency provides services to residents of the ten county Barren River Area Development District, and serves a large rural population. Counties of service include Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Hart, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Simpson and Warren. BRASS, Inc. also accepts referrals from across the state and nation.
Program services include:
Advocates travel an average of 50,000 miles each year to make services accessible to rural victims of domestic violence who are often isolated from resources.
Child Advocates provide comprehensive services to both residential and non-residential children who have experienced violence in their homes.
The agency is involved in several anti-poverty initiatives:
Utilization of Americorps/Vista Volunteers
Facilitation of Barren River Asset Building Coalition
Economic Justice programming/Economic Justice Institute
Rural Individual Development Accounts
Promotion of Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
SOAR Initiative (Homeless and Disability Assistance)
The agency “gives back” to the community:
Employee Collections for veterans in local nursing homes
Employee Donations to Gary Raymer Scholarship Fund (BGPD)
Volunteering with United Way Speaker’s Bureau & Allocations Committees
Employee volunteers with United Way Day of Caring
Employee volunteers with SHOP & SHARE and FEED THE NEED
Free Tax Preparation Services
Service on non-profit boards
