MIDLAND, Texas — While several businesses, facilities and centers have been reopening in Texas, safe houses have been a constant resource for those in need here in the Permian Basin.
"They're just coming off a horrific life and off the street. We can't turn around and put them anywhere else because there is no where else to take them," Lisa Bownds, CEO of Reflection Ministries said.
But all of these facilities have undergone some change.
The Safe Place in Midland has re-spaced their dining seating, Reflection Ministries is providing cleaning products for their residents to use and the Crisis Center of West Texas is staggering family use of common areas.
And as of recent with the easing of COVID-19 restrictions across the state, these changes include gradually adding volunteers back at Reflection Ministries and letting staff members return to the office this week at the Crisis Center.
But these centers are meant to protect, serve and sometimes hide those coming inside.
"It's not just hey, the world's opened up again and let's go be a part of it. We still have the safety issues that we're paying attention to, (like) to active traffickers that are looking," Bownds said.
So no matter the changes of the world, the important piece is that these people are still able to find refuge from life's chaos.