SPARCC prepares during quarantine

Many of Sarasota’s organizations are closed for business. 

But there are some that are exceptions to this rule, and the Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center is one of them. The domestic violence and sexual assault service nonprofit still offers support to abuse survivors through a number of confidential programs. 

SPARCC also has an emergency shelter for survivors to escape from their abusers and to make plans for what's next. 

But right now, that shelter is more quiet than it's ever been. The living space, which can hold 32 people, is housing only around half that number. 

While that could seem healthy on the surface, Executive Director Jessica Hays says the reality is more ominous.

“Everybody's sheltering in place and people have so much fear around even leaving their home to go to the grocery store,” Hays said. “So they are probably just enduring an abusive relationship that may have already existed and they were already living with it.”

Hays says the shelter consistently sees a drop in traffic during hurricanes and then an influx as soon as they pass. The current pandemic is different, though, and brings new challenges.

“The way people access us a lot of times are through friends or neighbors or school or a referral from another place that they're visiting in the community, and when people aren't having any of those support systems, it’s concerning,” Hays said. 

The new residents coming into the shelter during the quarantine are more critical — situations where violence and possibly fatal harm are more likely. Hays does note SPARCC is seeing a greater number of referrals from local law enforcement. 

SPARCC, like other groups, is making the transition to greater online support services as well. Staff participate in hearings with judges on Zoom and Hays says they are attempting to implement text technology into their support hotline. 

Staff are preparing for the worst-case scenario where they house someone who may end up being infected with the COVID-19 virus. Hays says the organization has a plan in place to isolate any survivors at the shelter who begin to exhibit symptoms. The shelter has also provided cloth masks for staff and residents and increased its professional cleaning services to several times a week. 

The extra space in the shelter has proved helpful for SPARCC staff to enforce social distancing guidelines. Survivors are spread out across more rooms, with some — typically survivors with children — having a room for themselves.

Though SPARCC’s spring fundraising event was cancelled due to the pandemic, the organization was able to recoup some profits from a streaming virtual event that raised nearly $60,000 through a live and silent auction.

There are more than 40 SPARCC staff members working, with some operating in satellite offices in Venice and Arcadia. Two staff members now work at the shelter at a time — half the usual number.

Working at the shelter can be demanding. Director of Shelter Services Tanjee Lane said that serving the various needs for 25 people 24 hours a day, seven days a week can take a lot out of staff. 

“Right now is a downtime for us,” Lane said. “But when we're full, it's busy and it's taxing on the body, so we spend a lot of time talking about physical activity. ‘What do you like to do for self care? ’”

Shelter lead Gwen Davis has noticed a spike in anxiety in the shelter’s residents. 

“Even if we extend them, most people will want to transition out (of the shelter),” Davis said. “ … For a lot of people, it’s ‘What is it going to look like when this is even over? Am I going to be able to maintain a job or successfully find employment? Is employment I'm find going to be temporary?’ ”

For Davis and Lane, the downtime is a chance to mentally prepare to offer stability.

“We have a lot of staff here at the shelter and we are also able to recognize burnout,” Lane said. “So when we're feeling a certain way, or we're feeling like this is becoming overwhelming, we communicate that to our supervisors. And then we take the time to take care of ourselves.”

Hays recommends people living in unsafe or abusive situations to make a plan while things are calm before things reach a crisis point, to better act on that plan when the situation cools.

You can find information on SPARCC, visit https://www.sparcc.net/