ZeroV, a statewide domestic violence coalition, is ending its partnership with Elizabethtown-based SpringHaven. The non-profit will close at the end of the month, forcing DV survivors to seek emergency shelter and other support services elsewhere.
After 40 years of serving domestic violence survivors in the Elizabethtown region, the SpringHaven shelter will close June 30.
Its umbrella organization, ZeroV, says the closure is due to "financial instability" and it will no longer be contracting with SpringHaven as of July 1.
"I'm not going to get into the details of why ZeroV has decided to no longer contract with SpringHaven, said Mary Savage, ZeroV's Chief Legal Officer, in an interview with WKU Public Radio. "However, I can assure you it's not due to state funding cuts or federal funding cuts."
ZeroV, formerly known as the Kentucky Domestic Violence Association, said a transition plan will be announced in the coming days to ensure services go uninterrupted.
"The closing of SpringHaven is not the end of the mission," said Executive Director Leslie Hall in a letter posted on the organization's FB page. "It is a call for our community to unite, innovate, and reaffirm our collective responsibility to ensure that every survivor has access to safety, dignity, and hope."
Through the transition period and until a new provider is in place, DV survivors will access services through other regional domestic violence programs, including Barren River Area Safe Space in Bowling Green, The Center for Women and Families in Louisville, Bethany House in Somerset, and GreenHouse17 in Lexington.
"There will be a new program in place eventually, but we're definitely going to make it a community effort to make this a very robust program that meets the needs of survivors," Savage added.
SpringHaven is one of 15 domestic violence programs in Kentucky that provide emergency shelter, transportation, counseling, and court advocacy, among other services. SpringHaven serves Breckenridge, Hardin, Grayson, LaRue, Marion, Meade, Nelson, and Washington counties which make up the Lincoln Trail Area Development District.
According to the state’s most recent Domestic Violence Data Report, SpringHaven sheltered 101 men, women, and children in 2024 and provided non-residential services to more than 1,600 individuals.
If you or someone you know has experienced intimate partner violence, call the the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
