{"id":5326,"date":"2018-01-22T22:34:15","date_gmt":"2018-01-22T22:34:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/safehorizon.test\/?page_id=3551"},"modified":"2025-08-13T11:32:05","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T15:32:05","slug":"history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/about-us\/history\/","title":{"rendered":"Safe Horizon’s History"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In 1975, a pilot program began in New York City’s court system that addressed the urgent need to assist criminal court witnesses who had been intimidated, or who felt too threatened to testify in court. Three years later, that pilot program became the Victim Services Agency, offering a broader array of services that helped more victims of crime and abuse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By 1981, the Victim Services Agency provided programs for victims of domestic violence, offering them shelter, counseling, and other practical support. Over the next three decades, the Victim Services Agency created other innovative programs – from Streetwork to Families of Homicide Victims – that became nationally recognized models for assisting victims and their families during times of crisis.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2000, the Victim Services Agency became Safe Horizon, a change in name that emphasized our belief that every person impacted by violence and abuse deserves to have a “safe horizon,” a day when they could look forward to a better and safer tomorrow.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Safe Horizon is the largest victim service organization in the country. Every year, 250,000 people who have experienced violence, abuse, or exploitation seek safety through our services. We offer immediate and practical support like a hot meal, someone to talk to, and a safe place to sleep, as well as deep, ongoing services such as mental health counseling, help finding a place to live and to work, and assistance navigating oppressive and often racist systems. Safe Horizon believes that everyone deserves to feel safe in their communities, homes, bodies, and minds. Because safety is a human right.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In 1975, a pilot program began in New York City’s court system that became the Victim Services Agency. Today, Safe Horizon is the largest victim service organization in the country. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":{"id":11786,"alt_text":"","caption":"","description":"","media_type":"image","media_details":{"width":2560,"height":410,"file":"2025\/05\/Safe-Horizon-Logo.png","filesize":48252,"sizes":{"medium":{"file":"Safe-Horizon-Logo-300x48.png","width":300,"height":48,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":5358,"source_url":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Safe-Horizon-Logo-300x48.png"},"large":{"file":"Safe-Horizon-Logo-1024x164.png","width":1024,"height":164,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":19199,"source_url":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Safe-Horizon-Logo-1024x164.png"},"thumbnail":{"file":"Safe-Horizon-Logo-150x150.png","width":150,"height":150,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":1831,"source_url":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Safe-Horizon-Logo-150x150.png"},"medium_large":{"file":"Safe-Horizon-Logo-768x123.png","width":768,"height":123,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":13639,"source_url":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Safe-Horizon-Logo-768x123.png"},"1536x1536":{"file":"Safe-Horizon-Logo-1536x246.png","width":1536,"height":246,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":29979,"source_url":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Safe-Horizon-Logo-1536x246.png"},"2048x2048":{"file":"Safe-Horizon-Logo-2048x328.png","width":2048,"height":328,"mime-type":"image\/png","filesize":41004,"source_url":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Safe-Horizon-Logo-2048x328.png"}},"image_meta":{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0","keywords":[]}},"post":null,"source_url":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Safe-Horizon-Logo.png"},"parent":11533,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"class_list":["post-5326","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"history_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"anchor_link","title":"1970's"},{"acf_fc_layout":"background_image","background_image":{"ID":5327,"id":5327,"title":"Friedman-Koch-Sullivan-1978-4","filename":"Friedman-Koch-Sullivan-1978-4.png","filesize":338422,"url":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Friedman-Koch-Sullivan-1978-4.png","link":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/about-us\/history\/attachment\/friedman-koch-sullivan-1978-4\/","alt":"","author":"6","description":"","caption":"","name":"friedman-koch-sullivan-1978-4","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":5326,"date":"2018-02-19 22:16:18","modified":"2018-02-19 22:16:21","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":600,"height":494,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Friedman-Koch-Sullivan-1978-4-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Friedman-Koch-Sullivan-1978-4-300x247.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":247,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Friedman-Koch-Sullivan-1978-4.png","medium_large-width":600,"medium_large-height":494,"large":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Friedman-Koch-Sullivan-1978-4.png","large-width":600,"large-height":494,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Friedman-Koch-Sullivan-1978-4.png","1536x1536-width":600,"1536x1536-height":494,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Friedman-Koch-Sullivan-1978-4.png","2048x2048-width":600,"2048x2048-height":494}},"max_width":"550","position":{"top":"-50","right":"0","left":""}},{"acf_fc_layout":"year","bootstrap":{"col_sm":"col-sm-12","offset_sm":"col-sm-offset-0"},"year":"1978"},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","bootstrap":{"col_sm":"col-sm-6","offset_sm":"col-sm-offset-2"},"title":"

Safe Horizon is founded as the Victim Services Agency <\/h1>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","bootstrap":{"col_sm":"col-sm-10","offset_sm":"col-sm-offset-2"},"content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"wysiwyg","wysiwyg":"

\nThe creation of the Victim Services Agency marks the end of a demonstration grant of the Vera Institute of Justice called the Victim Witness Assistance Project (V\/WAP) which provided support to victims who had been intimidated or who felt too threatened to testify in court. Mayor Ed Koch awards a city contract to establish the VSA in 1978 with a mission to heal the wounds of violence and prevent victimization. (Shown in picture: Lucy Friedman, Victim Services Agency\u2019s first CEO, the late Bishop Joseph M. Sullivan, Board Member Emeriti, and the late Mayor Ed Koch)<\/i>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

The Victim Services Agency launched several programs in 1978: Project SAFE, Crime Victims Hotline, complaint rooms in Brooklyn and Bronx Courts to offer<\/span><\/span>\u00a0support to\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>victims with cases in court<\/span><\/span><\/span>, reception centers, and children\u2019s centers in courts. A year later we also launched a program to support survivors of homicide victims.<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n"}]},{"acf_fc_layout":"anchor_link","title":"1980's"},{"acf_fc_layout":"year","bootstrap":{"col_sm":"col-sm-6","offset_sm":"col-sm-offset-6"},"year":"1981"},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","bootstrap":{"col_sm":"col-sm-5","offset_sm":"col-sm-offset-7"},"title":"Victim Services Agency launches free Mediation Services"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","bootstrap":{"col_sm":"col-sm-5","offset_sm":"col-sm-offset-7"},"content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"wysiwyg","wysiwyg":"

This pioneering service offers an alternative to the traditional court process. It was started first in Brooklyn and then expanded to Queens.<\/p>\n"}]},{"acf_fc_layout":"year","bootstrap":{"col_sm":"col-sm-12","offset_sm":"col-sm-offset-0"},"year":"1982"},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","bootstrap":{"col_sm":"col-sm-7","offset_sm":"col-sm-offset-2"},"title":"Victim Services Agency merges with Travelers Aid Services"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","bootstrap":{"col_sm":"col-sm-10","offset_sm":"col-sm-offset-2"},"content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"wysiwyg_2_columns","wysiwyg_1":"

The Travelers Aid Service\u2019s mission was to assist family and friends of victims, travelers in distress, homeless, runaways, immigrants, and crime victims and their families. Services included transportation, tourist information, stranded passenger services, and a 24-hour runaway hotline.<\/p>\n","wysiwyg_2":"

Two innovative programs also launch in 1982. First, Alternatives to Violence provides educational workshops to the abusive partner in domestic violence cases. Second, Project Oasis offers a network of more than 100 beds throughout NYC host homes. Victims of domestic violence and their children found shelter provided by women willing to open their homes, marking the beginning of our domestic violence shelter program.<\/p>\n"}]},{"acf_fc_layout":"footnote","year":"1983","footnotes":[{"title":"","wysiwyg":"

In Brooklyn and Bronx, we launch Emergency Family Day Care for domestic violence survivors and their children, providing training and support for daycare providers and mothers.<\/p>\n"}]},{"acf_fc_layout":"year","bootstrap":{"col_sm":"col-sm-7","offset_sm":"col-sm-offset-5"},"year":"1984"},{"acf_fc_layout":"background_image","background_image":{"ID":5329,"id":5329,"title":"streetwork-project-staff-pride-parade-2015-1","filename":"streetwork-project-staff-pride-parade-2015-1.png","filesize":110960,"url":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/streetwork-project-staff-pride-parade-2015-1.png","link":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/about-us\/history\/attachment\/streetwork-project-staff-pride-parade-2015-1\/","alt":"","author":"6","description":"","caption":"","name":"streetwork-project-staff-pride-parade-2015-1","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":5326,"date":"2018-02-19 22:17:02","modified":"2018-02-19 22:17:04","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":655,"height":380,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/streetwork-project-staff-pride-parade-2015-1-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/streetwork-project-staff-pride-parade-2015-1-300x174.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":174,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/streetwork-project-staff-pride-parade-2015-1.png","medium_large-width":655,"medium_large-height":380,"large":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/streetwork-project-staff-pride-parade-2015-1.png","large-width":655,"large-height":380,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/streetwork-project-staff-pride-parade-2015-1.png","1536x1536-width":655,"1536x1536-height":380,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/streetwork-project-staff-pride-parade-2015-1.png","2048x2048-width":655,"2048x2048-height":380}},"max_width":"650","position":{"top":"45","right":"","left":"-100"}},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","bootstrap":{"col_sm":"col-sm-5","offset_sm":"col-sm-offset-7"},"title":"Streetwork Project launches"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","bootstrap":{"col_sm":"col-sm-5","offset_sm":"col-sm-offset-7"},"content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"wysiwyg","wysiwyg":"

Streetwork Project begins as \u201cstreet work,\u201d an effort to reach homeless young people who are living on the street and in need of resources to stay safe. Many of the young people had fled their home due to violence and abuse but had few supportive services to turn to in <\/span>the<\/span> early <\/span>1980s<\/span>. In response, Streetwork Project opens a storefront drop-in center and conducts outreach by foot with staff fanning out into the streets, arcades and movie houses of Times Square area. Today, the program operates two comprehensive drop-in centers, an overnight shelter, and an outreach program.<\/span><\/p>\n"}]},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","bootstrap":{"col_sm":"col-sm-5","offset_sm":"col-sm-offset-7"},"title":"Domestic Violence Prevention Program launches"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","bootstrap":{"col_sm":"col-sm-5","offset_sm":"col-sm-offset-7"},"content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"wysiwyg","wysiwyg":"

Victim Services Counselors are paired with police officers to reach out to families that report domestic disturbances to police.<\/span><\/p>\n"}]},{"acf_fc_layout":"year","bootstrap":{"col_sm":"col-sm-12","offset_sm":"col-sm-offset-0"},"year":"1985"},{"acf_fc_layout":"title","bootstrap":{"col_sm":"col-sm-10","offset_sm":"col-sm-offset-2"},"title":"We introduce four new initiatives"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","bootstrap":{"col_sm":"col-sm-10","offset_sm":"col-sm-offset-2"},"content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"wysiwyg_2_columns","wysiwyg_1":"