DONNELLE SAFE HAVEN — oficina design

Donnelle's Safe Haven - Women transitioning housing
Braddock, Pennsylvania . 2021-22
In partnership with The Heliotrope Foundation . For non-profit Za'kiyah house

In 2021 The Heliotrope Foundation and Z’akiyah House initiated the creation of Donnelle’s Safe Haven, a home for women transitioning out of extreme crises such as homelessness or incarceration.

Beginning with a residential property donated by Heliotrope's founder Swoon, we worked to support the vision of Za'kiyah House founder Ronna Davis Moore by providing architectural consultation, technical assistance throughout the renovations and support in grant applications.

Donnelle’s Safe Haven is a sober living facility that assists individuals along the journey to self-sufficiency by helping them access the resources they need, including recovery support, group & individual counseling, education, mental health treatment & employment strategies. Each resident is partnered with a life coach and encouraged to explore their own healing, as they work to rebuild the practical necessities required to create security and stability.

Donnelle’s Safe Haven fills a unique need in its community by making sure that women who reside there have a safe space to bring their children for visits, thereby ensuring that their children are not lost to the foster system. Ronna Davis Moore, a formerly incarcerated person herself, understands how difficult it can be to navigate the various branches of the social services for someone who is experiencing mental health crises or other extreme difficulties. Her work seeks to bridge the gaps in our social support systems that otherwise allow people to fall through.