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Chelsea proclaims October Domestic Violence Awareness Month; SafeHouse gives annual service statistics
Summary
The Chelsea City Council proclaimed October 2025 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and received a presentation from SafeHouse, which said its crisis line received 1,400 calls last year and the nonprofit provided shelter and community services to hundreds, including Chelsea residents.
The Chelsea City Council on Sept. 16 adopted a proclamation declaring October 2025 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month and heard a presentation from Janelle Sierra, executive director of SafeHouse, the local nonprofit that provides domestic violence services across multiple counties.
Mayor Tony Picklesimer read and presented the proclamation recognizing survivors, advocates and service providers. The council voted to receive the proclamation. Janelle Sierra then told the council SafeHouse is a United Way partner serving Shelby, Coosa, Clay and Chilton counties and provided the organization’s most recent annual service figures.
“We received 1,400 calls to our crisis line, provided emergency shelter to 180 victims and their children and assisted almost 700 victims through our community services office in Pelham,” Sierra said. She added that SafeHouse provided “722 services to community members from Chelsea,” and specified that “30 of those were women, 5 were children.”
Sierra thanked the council for the proclamation and the city’s support, saying SafeHouse “is proud to serve the people of Chelsea and Shelby County” and that continued municipal recognition helps the nonprofit’s outreach.
The proclamation was introduced and received during the meeting; council members made no additional motions to fund or otherwise change municipal services at this session. SafeHouse’s statistics were presented by its executive director as part of the organization’s community update.
The council’s proclamation directs the city to recognize October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Chelsea; no ordinance or binding municipal policy change was adopted at the Sept. 16 meeting.
