On Thursday, May 28, Safe Alternatives to Violent Environments (SAVE) held a donor appreciation event at the Olive Hyde Art Guild center in Fremont. People saw how their donations helped women and children fleeing interpartner violence.
Pauline Weaver, one of SAVE’s founders and retired public defender, spoke at the event. She remembers SAVE’s very first shelter, a donated house on J Street in Niles.
“Domestic violence providers serve on the very front lines of one of society’s most urgent human rights and public health issues,” she said.
SAVE provides everything from counseling and legal support to housing for survivors and their children. However, funding is short, shelters overcrowded and staff overworked. Cultural and systemic barriers also make it difficult for people to access help.
Weaver thanked the donors for their generosity. “Beyond the practical support, your donations send a powerful message to survivors: You matter, you are not alone and your future is worth investing in,” she said.
Tiffany, a survivor who utilized SAVE’s legal support services, shared her story, joined by her small daughter who decided to share the stage. “There was a time when my life had very little joy…I had resigned myself to unhappiness, pain and fear,” she said. “I knew I was unsafe. I was deeply depressed living that way, but there’s a terrifying comfort in what’s familiar. Even if what’s familiar is hurting you.”
With the help of Fremont Police Department, Tiffany fled her abusive marriage in 2025. A few days later, she came to the SAVE offices without an appointment, or a clear idea of what help they could provide. She faced a bewildering labyrinth of paperwork around housing, employment and the court system.
“Nobody hands you a manual when your life falls apart, but SAVE became that manual,” Tiffany said. SAVE offered practical life help, plus emotional grounding through support groups. “It’s not an exaggeration to say that I’m still alive today because of this organization.”
In the 2024-2025 fiscal year, SAVE helped 1,250 survivors and answered 2,200 crisis calls.
“We can’t do this work without the support of our community,” said SAVE executive director Jennifer Dow Rowell.
