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Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of stories about the impact of the end of Catholic Charities services in Natchez and Adams County.

NATCHEZ – The shelter that provided a safe haven to regional victims of domestic violence for more than 30 years in Natchez closed earlier this month.

The Guardian Shelter, which was operated by Catholic Charities, served women in an 11-county region and in Concordia Parish, providing counseling and support to help victims recover from their abuse and develop healthier future relationships, and takes women through the process of moving on from their abusers.

The Guardian Shelter opened in 1991, providing 24-7 shelter and services, and at one time employed nine full-time employees.

“It’s a sad loss for our community,” said the Very Rev. Aaron Williams, rector at St. Mary Basilica.

The shelter closing is part of the ongoing end of local services by the Jackson branch of Catholic Charities. Williams said while St. Mary volunteers will continue to provide two key outreach ministries – a monthly food distribution to elderly residents and holiday support to needy families and children at Christmas – the loss of the shelter is one the local congregation cannot absorb.

Calls to the shelter number were directed to a voicemail box and messages were not returned. Vicky Smith, a representative of Catholic Charities in Jackson, refused to answer questions about the closing of the shelter or the end of local services.

“I don’t have a story for you,” she said before confirming the local shelter has been closed. When asked how women can get help, she said “They can call this number – 1-800-273-9012- and we will get them assistance.”

Catholic Charities Jackson is an independent faith-based organization that provides services to residents in 65 counties of Mississippi. Those services include abuse intervention, alcohol and drug services, children’s services, community assistance, housing stability, mental health services and migrant services and are provided to the public regardless of religious affiliation. Smith also said anyone in Natchez or Adams County area who wanted to make donations or financial support could call that number as well.

Betty Lou Hicks, a longtime volunteer with Catholic Charities, said the decision to close the shelter was abrupt.

“They didn’t even call the hospital or law enforcement to tell them how to handle women who need services,” Hicks said.

Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten said news of the shelter’s closing “saddens our heart.”

“The shelter’s closing is going to be a blow to citizens of Adams County and surrounding areas because we don’t have any other place to take battered women and their families who are in need of services,” Patten said.

“Because of the budgets that we have, there are only certain things we can spend money on and housing battered women is one of those things we cannot legally spend money on. So, we will be looking for other resources to be able to help these women.”

Patten said law enforcement officials who have worked with the shelter in the past are “not sure what’s going on,” but he is hopeful the employees at the shelter will not lose their jobs.

“And we would like to see that center opened again,” he said.

Meanwhile, for women seeking services or resources, HUD provides this list of agencies and shelters in Mississippi.