MayDay Inc. resumes domestic violence, sexual assault support in Baker County

Baker County survivors who lost their main local advocacy hub in mid-March are getting it back, along with the crisis line, hospital accompaniment, court support and shelter access that MayDay Inc. says are central to keeping abuse from escalating. The nonprofit paused direct advocacy on March 13 after staffing changes left it without enough trained advocates to safely run crisis services, and it will resume operations June 1.

During the gap, callers were directed to immediate help through the Baker County District Attorney’s Victim Assistance Program, and MayDay said it was also working with Shelter from the Storm in Island City. That stopgap mattered in a county where late May public-safety logs in Baker City still showed domestic-violence-related arrests and charges, underscoring how often victim services and criminal court action move in parallel.

MayDay has been part of that response system since 1983, when it was formed to assist victims and survivors of domestic and sexual assault in Baker County. By 1987, the organization said it was fully functioning as an independent private nonprofit, and in 1989 it became incorporated as the county’s primary domestic-violence advocacy agency. Its services now include support groups, a 24/7 crisis line, hospital accompaniment, court accompaniment, co-located services and a confidential shelter. The organization also works with survivors of stalking, trafficking and elder abuse.

The reopening announcement said the Advocacy Center would again be open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Fridays from 8 a.m. to noon, with Friday afternoon appointments available. MayDay said it is reopening with three new board members and an advocate in place. Jenny Blair, who started as executive director on March 1, said in the March pause announcement that the service suspension was tied to the need to rebuild the agency in a stable, accountable way.

For residents who need help now, MayDay’s crisis line is 541-523-4134 or 888-213-4134. The office is at 1834 Main Street in Baker City, and the nonprofit says it provides domestic and sexual violence crisis services throughout Baker County. Its return restores a local safety net that law enforcement, hospitals and courts have long depended on when violence reaches the emergency room, the hotline or the courthouse.