During its two decades in Vicksburg, the Haven House domestic abuse shelter has lived through its share of lean times and funding obstacles. But none, perhaps, compare to what it is facing this fall, which marks the shelter’s 20th anniversary.

&#8220We’re coming through probably the most difficult economic time since World War II” in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, said former Haven House board president and co-founder Brenda Hawkins. &#8220There’s no way any agency can be plush right now.”

The shelter’s latest struggles are not only against family violence but also against forces of nature. The killer Aug. 29 storm’s devastating impact on other areas of the state has diverted huge sums of charity cash away from organizations like Haven House and to relief efforts on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and New Orleans.

&#8220We’ve seen a very drastic reduction of the monthly donations here,” said Haven House spokesman Lark Johnson. &#8220Many dollars have been earmarked for hurricane relief.”

Right before the storm, Johnson said, an influx of calls had led to the occupation of 17 of the 22 available slots in the shelter. When power was lost, Johnson said, they were forced to scramble for food, water and ice.

Volunteers also made a beeline for the Coast, where Haven House workers helped move women out of one destroyed shelter in Biloxi and into another slightly damaged facility in Pascagoula. Those evacuees were eventually moved to locations in east Mississippi and to Mobile, Johnson said.

&#8220We’ve been providing support in other areas at our own expense,” Johnson said. &#8220We’re all experiencing the fallout from that terrible catastrophe.”

The Haven House is part of the state’s Coalition Against Domestic Violence, which connects ten domestic violence shelters in three regions across the state. The Coalition is funded by donations.

Virtually all of the inhabitants of Haven House are women with children, said Johnson. She has only assisted seven male domestic abuse victims in her 14 years at the shelter.

Haven House can shelter up to 22 women, but normally averages about a dozen. Since it opened in 1985, the shelter has served more than 7,000 women in Vicksburg, providing them with food, counseling, legal advice and help finding a new job and home.

Abuse victims can stay for just 45 days or up to a year if necessary, though Johnson said the average stay is just over a month.

&#8220They come from all over,” said Johnson. &#8220About half our women – maybe a little less than half – are from Vicksburg. We’ll send them somewhere else if it’s unsafe for them to remain here. We trade off, basically, with other shelters.”

The names of women in the shelter and its location are kept confidential for safety purposes.