A local nonprofit organization committed to supporting individuals affected by domestic violence and sexual assault is celebrating its 30th anniversary by adopting a new name and changing its approach to better help survivors.
Maranda Morris, the executive director of The Cottage Domestic Violence Shelter — formerly known as the Regional Family Crisis Center since 2000 and originally founded in 1995 as the Perry County Women’s Crisis Center — explained the reason for the name change.
“We decided for our 30th anniversary we wanted to come up with a big name change and a little revamping at our facility, Morris said. “The new name represents our ongoing dedication to providing a safe haven for individuals — men, women and children — who’ve experienced domestic violence and sexual assault.
“The staff and I sat down and tossed around a few different names, trying to come up with something good. The Cottage sounds more comfortable and inviting than the ones we’ve had before. We’ve gotten praise from a lot of people — whether it’s residents who are coming into our services or community members who weren’t even aware there was a domestic violence shelter in Perry County.”
According to Morris, she graduated from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with a bachelor’s degree in criminology and criminal justice. She began working at The Cottage in August 2023 as its court advocate and eventually transitioned into the role of executive director.
“I really enjoy what I do,” she said. “It was a whirlwind of an experience to lead me up to this, but I’m where I need to be. Because of my past experience — whether it was when I was in college or being a reserve deputy, I know more than a lot of executive directors at shelters.”
For those who are unfamiliar with The Cottage, it is a 16-bed facility situated at a confidential location in Perry County.
“In our shelter, we are able to serve more than 22 survivors and their children at a time by utilizing cots, playpens and couches along with the 16 beds,” Morris explained. “We house women and children in-house, and we house men in outside facilities, such as hotels and motels or provide them with transportation to a male-only shelter.”
Although it may seem that most users of The Cottage’s services are women, Morris stated that this is not true.
“It’s actually pretty even,” she said. “As far as the numbers go, more women disclose domestic abuse or sexual violence against themselves, but we do serve men as well. During a survivor’s time of stay at our shelter, they can receive counseling, court advocacy, resource management and support groups, along with a safe place to stay, be fed and receive hygiene products.
“An individual does not have to stay at our shelter to receive services that assist them in breaking the cycle of violence. We can provide hotel stays, purchase bus, train or plane tickets, and provide gas and rental assistance to an individual needing to leave a violent situation. Since Jan. 1 of this year, we have provided 1,024 bed nights, meaning our beds were utilized as a safe place for someone who is fleeing a situation of domestic violence or sexual assault.
The most significant change that The Cottage has undergone in the past year relates to the essential services it can provide to survivors seeking assistance.
“There are two types of shelters,” Morris said. “There are transactional and transformational. A transactional shelter is typically an organization that provides survivors with a maximum stay of 30 days. It doesn’t matter how much you have done or how far you got or didn’t get once your 30 days are completed. You are made to move along and go somewhere else — even if you have nowhere else to go. It has a short-term focus and offers basic services and limited follow-up.
“The other type of shelter is known as a transformational shelter. It has no time restrictions, is goal-oriented, and allows survivors the time they need to gather documents, start jobs, save money, begin rebuilding, and live the lives they deserve. In June 2024, we recognized that our model needed to change. We were once a transactional shelter, but now we are a transformational shelter. We operate as an eight-staff facility providing a 24-hour, 365-day-a-year shelter. Our staff is always on-site. While survivors stay at our shelter, they can receive counseling, court advocacy, resource management, and attend support groups.”
If there is one need The Cottage has, it’s for volunteers to assist with various tasks, including trimming trees, making grocery store runs, babysitting children in the shelter, helping with donations, preparing meals for the house, and much more.
Morris noted that this year, The Cottage is reopening its resale shop. Named the Cottage Closet, it provides individuals receiving services with a free place to shop and enables the community to show support by shopping there, as all proceeds go towards assisting survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
“Domestic violence and sexual assault don’t happen to one specific gender or race,” Morris said. “One in four women and one in nine men will experience domestic violence or sexual assault in their lifetime. Keep in mind that these statistics only come from reported abuse. Additionally, domestic violence is not just physical abuse.
“An individual can be experiencing financial, emotional, and/or psychological abuse. With donations from the community, individuals are having a positive and direct impact on the hundreds of survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault that we assist each year. Acts of domestic violence and sexual assault are happening everywhere, and now is the time for us to come together to overcome, inform and put an end to it.”
