When browsing through a typical farmers market, you’ll find fresh fruits, vegetables and possibly some plants or herbs to pick up. But at the Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills Farmer’s Market there’s a rather unusual stand – and it’s not run by farmers. The market in the parking lot of the HMO’s Woodland Hills hospital features Safe Passage, a San Fernando Valley non-profit that provides services to women who have been or are currently victims of domestic violence. The booth offers pamphlets and T-shirts to grab the attention of shoppers who otherwise might have never heard of the organization, founded by Trish Steele, a faith-based counselor. “I wanted to reach out to the women who would not go to church to get help,” said Steele, 63. “I would go into the shelters and share my story, and God gave me favor. I’ve had women call me from all over the United States and I’ll give them the right resources and hotlines to get help.” Steele is a Reseda resident who said she herself is a survivor of domestic violence. She spent 11 years counseling women at her local church before founding Safe Passage in 2000. It provides counseling, safe housing, workforce training and other assistance to battered women. The non-profit got the booth through Jonathan Lopez, a Kaiser administrator who assists homeless patients treated at the Woodland Hills hospital’s emergency room. He also helps the roughly two dozen domestic violence victims who come to the ER each year. Lopez started referring victims to Safe Passage two years ago and worked with Steele to set up the booth, which opened in October. “It’s about access to resources and information, and (the booth) brings that awareness to the community who attends the market,” he said. “In fact, one of the things that I have seen myself is family members stopping by the booth for info so they can refer their daughters who are in abusive relationships.” The weekly market is open 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every Thursday and the booth is there every other week. Safe Passage receives donations and grants to stay afloat, one of which is a $25,000 grant from Kaiser that will be distributed over the course of three years. Steele said she likes having the booth in the midst of the farmer’s market, despite shoppers being preoccupied with grabbing fresh fruits and vegetables. “There are hundreds of people walking in front of us (and) they all pass by and they look,” she said. – Champaign Williams
