We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Haylea Ray. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Haylea below.

Haylea, appreciate you joining us today. Is there a heartwarming story from your career that you look back on?

Over the course of my work with Sanctuary there have been many heart-wrenching moments. It is inevitable as an advocate working with those in need in any capacity. Yet, there have also been many heart-warming and uplifting moments that truly solidify why charitable work is so important. I think that the most heart-warming story is one that tends to repeat itself in this line of work, but is no less gratifying each time it occurs. Much of my job at Sanctuary entails working with in-house residents and outreach clients with petitions for an order of protection and to advocate for them through the legal and recovery process. Once they have gotten the assistance they need though, it is not uncommon for those in our care to leave the area. When this happens, I often find myself wondering how they are doing and hoping that they are thriving. It always warms my heart when we get a visit from a past resident or client like we did earlier this week. A woman who had been through our program two years ago stopped into the Shoppe to see us. She is back in town after living elsewhere and is working in home care. She now has an apartment here in town and has a great relationship with her children. She is still separated from her husband and has learned to recognize manipulation in her relationships. She is doing good and is happy to be on her own and wanted to share that with us and thank us for our help during a very hard period of her life. When things get hard, it is moments like this that show us it is all worth it.

Haylea, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

When thinking about Sanctuary, many in our community will think of our Thrift Shoppe located on the downtown square. Our Shoppe has been a staple in our small town since the 2010s but even still, there are those that don’t know that our Shoppe operation was started to support Sanctuary as a non-profit organization that was started here locally in 1981. Sanctuary is a Domestic Violence Outreach Program and Emergency Shelter. We are actually the only DV (Domestic Violence) shelter in our area and serve several counties here in Arkansas. These numbers are dwindling even further in light of recent economic stresses and grant funding cuts that are causing many other programs to shut down. Through our program we are able to provide; temporary emergency shelter for women and their children when they are fleeing domestic violence in their home, advocacy for residents of our shelter and outreach clients, legal advocacy, court accompaniment, and make referrals to other programs and organizations that may be able to assist them on their path to a self-sufficient and violence-free life. We also provide domestic and intimate partner violence prevention education to any in our community that are eager to learn and even offer to facilitate courses when they are required by the court in domestic cases.
Personally, I started my position with Sanctuary about two years ago as a community outreach coordinator. Over time, I have taken on several other responsibilities involving our interaction with the public and within the inner workings of the organization as well. I have come to be somewhat of a “Jack-of-All-Trades” here at Sanctuary. Though I am very busy all the time, this has become the most fulfilling job I have ever held. Due to personal experience, my grandmother is very passionate about helping those who have experienced domestic violence and instilled this passion in me at a very young age. Each year we would gather donations during the holidays to bring to Sanctuary. It feels quite satisfying to come full-circle and work with the organization in a higher capacity as an adult.
When it comes to client services, everything is free of charge to the public. We have a 24-hour crisis hotline and are always happy to help if we are able or are ready to point you toward someone who can if it is something our program can’t help with. When it comes to our Shoppe, we accept any and all donations from the public that are in good working condition to be resold. We have store staff and volunteers that help to sort donations and regularly cycle new items onto the sales floor. All of the Shoppe proceeds are funneled directly back into the program, allowing us to continue offering free services to survivors in need.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Outside of training and knowledge, I believe that success as a non-profit can only come from genuine care, empathy, and connections. At it’s core, a business exists to make a profit but when your business model is built around providing free care to victims and spreading awareness to promote prevention, it becomes so much more important to remember why you began or got started in this work in the first place. Resilience is key. Recalling your mission and utilizing the generosity of your good neighbors helps to ensure success.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

Though I had been introduced to Sanctuary as a non-profit as a child, I did not actually seek out a position here. This job opening seemed to fall into my lap during a transition in my life and though it was unexpected, it was an easy decision to switch gears and begin working with Sanctuary. Logically, it would seem an unlikely choice as any working in non-profits are often candid about the fact that “it’s not something you get into for the money.” But, I truly could not see myself making any other choice once the opportunity presented itself, it felt right and like what I was meant to be doing right away.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sanctuary1981.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sanctuary1981 AND https://www.facebook.com/Sanctuary1981Shoppe