Area business owners said, despite recent tough economic times, they were compelled to donate time and resources to remodel Maryville’s domestic violence shelter, the Haven House.

“Once you see what Haven House does, you have to be pretty cold-hearted not to want to help,” David Sallas with FGG Enterprises said. “We are awfully thankful for what they do.”
A June grease fire caused the sprinkler system to go off, which caused damage to the kitchen, the shelter’s executive director, Joani Shaver, said.

“It was water damage that was the worst part,” she said.
Haven House is a nonprofit organization that provides victim services to Blount and Monroe county residents.
The organization has an array of victim services from a 24-hour crisis line to an 30-day emergency shelter.
Shaver said the kitchen was “really deficient,” so after the fire she took the opportunity to have it remodeled.

“What we have is an emergency shelter with 32 beds, but the kitchen was designed for a family of four,” Shaver said. “There was nowhere to cook for that many people.”

The shelter closed between June and October to anyone with children, she said.
“By the time we reopened we had turned away 250 people because we couldn’t take anyone with children because it was basically a construction zone,” Shaver said.
Community response
More than 20 area business owners and individuals supported the Haven House during the remodeling by providing supplies, such as paint and lumber, for free or at a reduced price.

Sallas took on the task of project manager, donating time and resources to supervise the demolition and clean-up for the remodeling, he said.
“That was during extremely hard economic times in the construction industry,” Sallas said. “Those who couldn’t donate totally, did whatever the could do.”

Blevins Paint Center donated about 20 gallons of paint for the project, said Steve Best, who works with the paint center.
“(Joani) came to us and told us what their organization stood for, and we were able to support it,” Best said. “Even though economic times were tough, we just had a little bit left in the budget, so we were able to do something like that for the community. It sounded like a very worthwhile cause.”
Shaver said the aid from the community is priceless, and several area business owners said it is important to support local organizations, such as the Haven House.

Steve Coleman, owner of Anderson Lumber & Truss Co., said the organization’s cause touches him.

“I think right now in this economy the community needs to pull together even more than ever,” he said.
Sallas echoed Coleman’s comment, and said he was amazed by the community’s support for the Haven House.
“It’s real easy to get donations when times are good,” he said. “(When times are hard) that is when your true folks step up.”

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Source: The Daily Times