Tri-Valley Haven is a Unique Community Resource

Just over 40 years ago, Tri-Valley Haven (TVH) began as a crisis telephone line operated out of the garage of one of its founders. Today, the Livermore-based nonprofit offers a host of much-needed services to Tri-Valley residents. These include a 16-bed homeless shelter, a 30-bed domestic violence shelter, a legal services clinic, and a food pantry. Most recently, TVH took over a thrift store where purchases support TVH's mission of creating homes safe from abuse in a world without violence.

TVH has strong relationships with the local governments and agencies of Dublin, Pleasanton, and Livermore, which facilitates the nonprofit's ability to bring services to more people in need. Recently the nonprofit expanded its mobile food pantry efforts to an additional housing complex in Livermore. It also visits complexes in Pleasanton and Dublin.

"Tri-Valley Haven provides the largest safety-net agency in the Tri-Valley area," says Ralph E. Johnson, Director of Homeless & Family Support Services. He notes that TVH's family homeless shelter houses women, women with children, two-parent families, as well as single men with children.

Accepting single fathers accompanied by their children, as well as boys over the age of 10, is one of TVH's unique services. It also offers the only rape crisis center in the Tri-Valley area, as well as a restraining order clinic for victims of domestic abuse, along with counseling and related family services.

For example, TVH offers eight-week support groups for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. The sexual assault support group and the domestic violence support group are held weekly in Livermore. Participants must sign up in advance to join a group.

About three years ago TVH took over a thrift store, and "a fabulous group" of volunteers associated with a local church worked hard to refresh the store's interiors. The Haven Thrift Store is is located at 116 North L Street in Livermore. "We always get compliments on the way it was remodeled," says Johnson, who notes that any thrift store revenues above the cost of running the thrift store go toward supporting TVH's programs.

The nonprofit has a paid staff of between 30 and 40 individuals; Johnson says TVH can always use financial donations, as well as volunteers in support of its programs. Volunteers play a large role in the food pantry program, for example. Throughout the week volunteers pick up produce, meat, eggs, and other food from local grocery stores including Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Target, Wal-Mart, and Safeway, which donates milk every Thursday. TVH also distributes food from the Alameda County Community Food Bank, as well as food donated by churches and individuals fresh from their gardens.

During TVH's annual Holiday Food Distribution event in November 2017, the nonprofit served 524 households, 83 of which were from Pleasanton. During its annual Holiday Food/Gift Distribution 2017 event it served 636 households, 96 of which were from Pleasanton.

TVH events include an annual Homeless Winter Outreach, in February, where clothing is distributed at two local churches to those in need. In 2018, TVH's Pace 4 Peace, a scenic, annual 5k to 10k run/walk fundraiser, will be held on April 7. On April 25, the third annual LunaFest film festival of film shorts by, for, and about women will be screen as a benefit for TVH. TVH will also distribute holiday food to those in need in November as well as holiday food and gifts in December.

For more information about Tri-Valley Haven, please visit www.trivalleyhaven.org.

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