What Safelight does

Safelight is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Hendersonville, North Carolina, that provides comprehensive services free of charge to survivors of interpersonal violence, abuse, and exploitation in Henderson County, with its Child Advocacy Center extending services to Transylvania County. Founded in 1984 as Mainstay and re-formed as Safelight, Inc. in 2016 following a merger with The Healing Place, the organization operates a 24/7 crisis hotline, a 56-bed emergency shelter (20 bedrooms), a counseling center, a nationally accredited Child Advocacy Center, a Family Advocacy Center, a Rapid Rehousing and Housing Program, a Domestic Violence Intervention Program, Camp Hope America, and a Community Outreach program. Services are available to men, women, children, and families regardless of age, race, sex, sexual orientation, or income, with bilingual staffing in English and Spanish.

Safelight's service architecture is built on a coordinated multidisciplinary case management model that consolidates mental health, medical, legal, housing, and employment services under one operational umbrella or through tightly integrated onsite partners. Counseling is delivered using evidence-based therapeutic modalities including TF-CBT, EMDR, CPT, CPP, and PCIT. Distinct technical capabilities include a 24/7 community-based violence and sexual assault forensic examination center staffed by Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (via Blue Ridge Health partnership), onsite pet kennels developed with Blue Ridge Humane Society (placing Safelight among only five U.S. survivor shelters with this accommodation), and a Lethality Assessment Program partnership with all four local law enforcement agencies that creates a direct first-responder-to-service referral pipeline.

Safelight is funded through a diversified mix of individual donations, federal and government grants, corporate sponsorships, planned/legacy giving, and three social enterprises: a Resale Store (the first in Henderson County, opened 1990), the Dandelion Cafe (opened 2013), and a 2025-launched dry mix edible Product Line sponsored by Stuller Power Solutions. Social enterprise proceeds are reinvested in mission programs and serve as paid job-training venues for survivors. Recent capital activity includes a $500,000 grant from SECU Foundation in October 2025. The organization is governed by an independent Board of Directors (President Rafe Westbrook) and led by CEO Lauren Wilkie, CFO Jennifer Corn, and COO Susan Huter across an 11–50 employee base.

Name

Safelight

Legal name

Safelight, Inc.

Website

https://safelightfamily.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Safelight is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Hendersonville, North Carolina providing crisis, counseling, forensic, legal, housing, and job-training services free of charge to survivors of violence, abuse, and exploitation in Henderson County, funded by donations, grants, and social enterprises.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Survivor Support Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (624110), Temporary Shelters (624221)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Victim Services & Witness Assistance (Justice System) (BPAIAFAJ), Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

Keywords

• Domestic violence services
• Survivor support programs
• Crisis shelter services
• Trauma counseling programs
• Child advocacy center

Headquarters

HQ city

Hendersonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Individual donations through online portals, mail, and text-to-give. All donations are tax-deductible as Safelight is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency.
2. Resale Store Revenue: The Resale Store resells donated items including clothing, shoes, jewelry, gifts, household items and furniture. All proceeds support Safelight programs for survivors.
3. Dandelion Cafe Revenue: Restaurant and catering service. All proceeds go to support Safelight's programs for survivors of violence, abuse, and exploitation in Henderson County.
4. Grants and Government Funding: Federal grants and government funding support operational programs. The organization has received federal grants and partners with government agencies.
5. Product Line Sales: Bulk and retail sales of edible products (pound cake, cookie bars, focaccia, oat crisp topping) created by job training program participants. Products sold at multiple retail locations.
6. Sponsorships and Corporate Partnerships: Annual sponsors and corporate sponsors for specific programs (e.g., Stuller Power Solutions sponsors the product line). Legacy giving and planned giving options also available.
7. Social Enterprise Revenue: Combined revenue from resale store, Dandelion Cafe, and product line sales. These social enterprises also provide paid job training opportunities for survivors.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Safelight is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency providing free, comprehensive crisis intervention and long-term recovery services for survivors of violence, abuse, and exploitation in Henderson County, North Carolina. The organization delivers integrated programs spanning a 24/7 emergency shelter with crisis hotline, trauma-focused counseling, child advocacy and forensic services, legal advocacy, rapid rehousing, and paid job training through social enterprises (Dandelion Cafe, Resale Store, and a food product line). All core survivor services are provided at no cost, funded by donations, grants, sponsorships, and social enterprise revenue.

Product overview

Safelight is a nonprofit agency providing a comprehensive portfolio of programs and services for survivors of violence, abuse, and exploitation in Henderson County, North Carolina. The organization operates multiple interconnected programs: crisis response services (24/7 Emergency Shelter and Crisis Hotline), trauma-focused mental health services (Counseling Center), forensic and advocacy services (Child Advocacy Center, Family Advocacy Center with its Acute Forensic Program), prevention and education (Community Outreach, Community Engagement), and sustainability support (Sustainability Programming including Housing/Rapid Rehousing and job training). The organization also runs social enterprises—Dandelion Cafe, Resale Store, and Product Line—that generate revenue while providing workforce development opportunities for clients. Camp Hope America offers year-round programming for children who have experienced trauma. All core services are provided free of charge to survivors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dandelion Cafe: A local eatery offering fresh and seasonal lunch service, event catering, and meeting reservations. All proceeds go to support Safelight's programs for survivors.
• Safelight Resale Store
• Product Line

Products and services

• 24/7 Emergency Shelter and Crisis Hotline 24/7 crisis hotline (828-693-3840) and emergency shelter providing immediate safe accommodation for individuals and families fleeing violence or abuse. The shelter has 56 beds across 20 bedrooms, kitchen and living areas, bunk-style dorms, onsite animal kennels (3 dogs, 4 cats), secure courtyard, and 24/7 monitored security. Services are provided free of charge to survivors.
• Counseling Center Free individual and group trauma-focused counseling for children, adolescents, and adult survivors of violence, abuse, and exploitation. Services available in-person or via telehealth in English or Spanish, using evidence-based modalities including TF-CBT, EMDR, CPT, CPP, and PCIT.
• Child Advocacy Center Nationally accredited program (first in NC since 1990, reaccredited 2017) providing forensic interviewing, comprehensive child medical exams, drug screenings, and advocacy case management for children and families affected by abuse. Includes bilingual forensic interviewing services.
• Family Advocacy Center Family Justice Center model providing advocacy for legal, law enforcement, and medical linkage to care for survivors. Operates as an affiliated Family Justice Center offering case management, advocacy, protection order assistance, and the Acute Forensic Program with 24/7 SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) services.
• Housing Program (Rapid Rehousing) Rapid Rehousing program providing housing counseling, navigation, and financial assistance to help survivors secure and stabilize in new homes. Includes supportive housing partnerships (e.g., First United Methodist Church apartments) and case management for up to two years.
• Camp Hope America / Pathways Year-round program for children and youth ages 7-14 who have experienced or witnessed violence, providing pathways to hope and healing through a week-long residential camp experience at Green River Preserve and monthly Pathways mentorship events.
• Dandelion Cafe Local eatery offering fresh and seasonal lunch service, event catering, and meeting reservations. Open Monday-Friday 11am-2:30pm. All proceeds support Safelight's programs for survivors and provides paid onsite job training opportunities for clients.
• Safelight Resale Store Resale store reselling donated items including clothing, shoes, jewelry, gifts, household items and furniture. Open Wednesday-Saturday 10am-3pm. All proceeds support Safelight's programs and provides paid job training opportunities for survivors.
• Safelight Product Line Workforce development program producing dry mix edible products (Classic Vanilla Pound Cake, Chocolate Cayenne Cookie Bar, Homestyle Focaccia, Old Fashioned Oat Crisp Topping) created by Safelight clients. Products available at bulk and retail locations, with proceeds and training supporting survivors' financial independence.
• Acute Forensic Program 24/7 community-based forensic examination center for survivors of violence or sexual assault, providing Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) services, crisis intervention, and emotional support at no cost to survivors, without requiring law enforcement reporting.
• Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP) 26-week behavior modification curriculum for court- or DSS-referred offenders, combined with trauma-informed counseling. The program addresses power and control issues and intergenerational trauma patterns.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40%+ of clients served are children and youth
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Stuller Power SolutionscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Product Line sponsor. Cheryl Stuller states: 'We sponsored to be a part of an exciting new venture that promotes job training for women and stability for families moving forward to a new future.'
• Henderson County Human Trafficking Response TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Safelight is a member of this task force addressing human trafficking in Henderson County. Formed in 2024 to coordinate community response to trafficking.
• Blue Ridge Humane SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2023Partnership to provide onsite pet kennels at the shelter. Allows survivors to flee violence with their pets rather than leaving them behind. Includes three dog kennels, four cat kennels, and a pet den.
• Pisgah Legal ServicescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022On-site legal partner providing legal support for survivors at the Family Advocacy Center. Pisgah Legal attorneys assist with legal questions, protection orders, and court proceedings. Services available to survivors at no cost.
• Blue Ridge HealthcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2022Forensic medical provider partnership. Blue Ridge Health provides SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) for 24/7 forensic examinations at Safelight's community-based forensic exam center. Services at no cost to survivors.
• Local Law Enforcement (Fletcher PD, Hendersonville PD, Laurel Park PD, Henderson County Sheriff's Office)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Lethality Assessment Program partnership to reduce intimate partner homicide. Officers connect victims to Safelight hotline immediately for emergency safety planning and enhanced service provision.
• Partnership for HealthminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partner in forming Henderson County's Interpersonal Violence and Abuse Taskforce. Collaborative effort to address violence prevention.
• First United Methodist ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Partnership provides 8 apartment units for housing survivors. Part of the supportive housing program for survivors moving from shelter to independence.
• Mainstay and The Healing Place MergercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Formerly separate organizations, Mainstay and The Healing Place merged to form Safelight, Inc. Better providing essential services to all survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights9 records

Broad incumbents

• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): Largest national anti-sexual-violence organization operating the National Sexual Assault Hotline; comparable to Safelight's sexual-assault and forensic services as a much larger, national-scale survivor services organization.
• North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence: Statewide coalition providing training, advocacy, and resource coordination to local DV programs including Safelight; comparable as a state-level umbrella serving the same survivor population and funding ecosystem.
• Family Justice Center Alliance: National alliance affiliated with Safelight's Family Advocacy Center; comparable as the coordinating body for the multi-disciplinary Family Justice Center model that Safelight has adopted.
• National Children's Alliance: National accrediting body for Child Advocacy Centers; Safelight's CAC accreditation makes this a structural peer and counterpart organization governing the same standards Safelight complies with.

Others

• Pisgah Legal Services: Western NC legal aid nonprofit operating onsite at Safelight's Family Advocacy Center; comparable as a partner in the survivor-services ecosystem, providing free legal advocacy to the same client population.

Direct peers

• Safe Alliance: Charlotte, NC-based nonprofit formed from the merger of United Family Services and the Women's Commission, providing DV/sexual assault services, shelter, and counseling in the same regional market; the most directly comparable NC peer.
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: National 24/7 crisis hotline and resource hub serving survivors of domestic violence; directly comparable as a national DV service provider with a similar survivor-first, free-of-charge service model.
• Safe Horizon: New York-based victim services nonprofit providing DV shelter, counseling, advocacy, and criminal justice support; closely comparable to Safelight's Family Advocacy Center + shelter + counseling continuum, scaled to a major metro.

Regional players

• YWCA of Asheville and Western North Carolina: Regional YWCA affiliate in nearby Asheville providing DV shelter, advocacy, and crisis services; comparable mission and program mix operating in the same western NC geography without overlapping Henderson County.
• My Sister's House (Charleston, SC): Regional DV/sexual-assault services nonprofit operating shelter, counseling, and advocacy in a Southeastern US community; comparable mid-sized community-based survivor services organization with similar funding mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@safelight
• Facebookfacebook.com/safelightfamily
• Instagraminstagram.com/safelightfamily_nc

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Safelight