Shelter expecting ‘uptick’ in abuse
Women Helping Women needs exceed its 26 beds
With domestic violence hotline calls already increasing and more residents seeking safe shelter, Women Helping Women advocates are anticipating a greater need for services as the COVID-19 crisis continues.
“We’re preparing for what we think is going to be more of an uptick in domestic violence cases,” Sanoe Sanoe Ka‘aihue, executive director of the nonprofit agency, said Tuesday. “It’s unfortunate. We’re seeing more of that happening now, but we know that it’s going to get even crazier over the next couple of weeks.
“It’s the economic downturn, it’s people having to be confined to their homes.
“Where otherwise a survivor would have an opportunity to seek services or to escape, now there’s not any of that opportunity. So tensions are high.”
The agency’s 24-hour domestic violence hotline is receiving 30 to 50 calls a day, up from 15 to 20 calls previously, Sanoe Ka‘aihue said.
“Eventually, those become cases,” she said.
At its domestic violence shelter, which has bed space for 26, employees are working to maintain social distancing while accommodating an overflow of residents.
On Tuesday, there were 31 people, including children, at the shelter.
“It’s not just us, but all the shelters are finding it challenging to be able to have people stay within that social distancing space,” Sanoe Ka‘aihue said. “That’s one of the major questions and challenges — how do we still take people in and not turn people away because we know they need help.
“We’ll take as many people as we can fit, but at some point we’re going to have to cap that. We’re hoping that some of our residents will be able to transition out. A lot of them have lost their jobs, so their income is limited as well.”
The agency has applied for some grants to provide gas and food cards and rental assistance for survivors of domestic violence.
In addition, Sanoe Ka‘aihue said the nonprofit is looking for locations that could be used to temporarily house survivors.
“If there are vacation rentals that are sitting empty, if they could reach out to us, and we could use their homes as overflow, then we can put more people in safe places and take care of the victims,” said Pili Kaninau, deputy director of Women Helping Women.
People can reach the nonprofit by calling the seven-day-a-week domestic violence hotline at 5799581.
“We just wanted to get the word out that we’re here,” Kaninau said. “We’re open for business.”
“Don’t be afraid to reach out,” Sanoe Ka‘aihue said. “There’s help. We’re here to offer it.”
When it might be difficult to make a phone call in an emergency, she said people can text 911.
While other crimes might decrease amid the COVID-19 pandemic, “that definitely does not apply to domestic violence,” Sanoe Ka‘aihue said.
“We’re expecting a larger wave,” she said.
Police Chief Tivoli Faaumu said last week that police are watching the number of domestic violence calls, recognizing that domestic conflicts might become more heated be
are in effect.
Domestic violence reports are usually in the top five or 10 in number of calls requiring officers’ response, Faaumu said.
“It’s never off the top 10 calls,” he said.
As coronavirus precautions, Women Helping Women has made some changes, including requiring appointments and starting contact with a telephone conversation to see what kinds of services someone might need.
Along with individual counseling over the phone, programs are being run in group settings at the shelter.
“We still do all the other things,” Sanoe Ka‘aihue said. “It’s just that we’ve limited the face-toface contact in some contexts.”
The organization is continuing to see three to four people a day seeking help with filing temporary restraining orders, including in outlying areas of Lanai, Hana and Lahaina.
At the shelter, a wash station was set up outside so employees and residents can wash their hands before entering. Staff are trying to plan activities, such as gardening in the shelter backyard, to keep residents busy while complying with public health emergency rules.
The organization also is trying to keep a stockpile of supplies so staff members don’t have to go to the store every week and can minimize time spent out of the shelter.
Women Helping Women has received donations of disinfectants and face masks, as well as donations of food from Sysco.
“Whenever we have put an ask out to the community, people have come through,” Sanoe Ka‘aihue said. “Our community is amazing.”
For now, the nonprofit is accepting donations of only cleaning products, paper goods, canned goods and nonperishable items.
No clothing is being accepted, but Sanoe Ka‘aihue asked that people hold onto such donations until Women Helping Women’s ReVive Resale Boutique in Kahului reopens.
Sanoe Ka‘aihue said she hopes COVID-19 testing can be arranged for all 24 employees.
“We’re not EMTs, we’re not police,” Kaninau said. “But we are definitely on the front line taking care of our community. Everybody’s coming to work. We put ourselves out there every day.
“We don’t know who might be coming in here, who might be sick. We take that risk of bringing that to our families.”
“We don’t want our staff to take it back to their families,” Sanoe Ka‘aihue said. “We want them to feel secure that people they are around, in the office or in the shelter, are safe to be around.”