SafeHaven Taking Major Steps to Improve Its Mobile Services for Women and Children of Tarrant County

FORT WORTH, Texas, May 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- SafeHaven of Tarrant County took a major step today in improving its services to women and children at risk of domestic violence when it accepted a lightly used Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van from a supportive community partner, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC.

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Mary Lee Hafley, President and CEO of SafeHaven, accepted the keys to the 2008 cargo Sprinter Van from Mark Ingram, Vice President of Sales and Operations for Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC. The company had the van outfitted with SafeHaven's logos on the side panels.

"This is a great day for all of the women and children of Tarrant County who find themselves in domestic violence situations through no fault of their own," Hafley said. "Through this thoughtful and generous donation by Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, we can vastly improve our services to those families."

Mercedes-Benz Financial Services began its relationship with SafeHaven when it moved into its brand new building on Heritage Parkway near the Alliance Airport in 2008. Mercedes-Benz Financial Services volunteers and their families have served Thanksgiving and Christmas meals the past two years to SafeHaven's mothers and children. Additionally, company volunteers have painted the exterior of SafeHaven's Berry Good Buys resale shop and installed blinds in 18 bedrooms of SafeHaven's two shelters.

"Our employees cherish these opportunities to help the families of SafeHaven as its helps us reflect and take action on our core value of social responsibility to our community," Ingram said.

The presentation to SafeHaven was made during an annual luncheon Mercedes-Benz Financial Services hosts for members of the Texas Auto Writers Association, a state-wide group of auto journalists who evaluate and test passenger cars every spring at the Texas Motor Speedway.

About SafeHaven

SafeHaven of Tarrant County is a nonprofit organization that exists to end family violence through safety, support, prevention and social change. SafeHaven's two emergency shelters, one in Arlington and one in Fort Worth, accommodate a combined 174 women and children, making SHTC one of the largest shelters in Texas.

In 2010, SHTC sheltered more than 2,338 adult and child victims and provided non-residential services through our Resource Centers to more than 3,300 other clients seeking emotional, legal and practical support to move from "victim" to "survivor". Staff and volunteers answered more than 55,000 hotline calls in 2010, which is nearly a quarter of all hotline calls answered in Texas.  In addition to protecting victims and creating opportunities to achieve independence and self-sufficiency, SHTC also educates approximately 31,000 individuals annually. The majority of these are students who learn warning signs of relationship abuse.

A leader in the domestic violence field, SHTC operates a full continuum of specialized programs, utilizes community volunteers and runs a successful resale store, Berry Good Buys. For more information on how you can help, visit our website at www.safehaventc.org or call 817 535-6462.  For immediate assistance regarding domestic violence, please contact the 24 hour toll free crisis hotline at 1-877-701- SAFE (7233).

About Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC

Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC, headquartered in Farmington Hills, Mich., with Business Center Operations in Fort Worth, Texas, provides brand-specific financial services and products for Mercedes-Benz automotive dealers and their retail customers. It also provides financial support to smart USA dealers and customers.

In the U.S. trucking industry, it conducts business as Daimler Truck Financial and finances Daimler Trucks North America commercial vehicles branded Freightliner, Western Star and Thomas-Built Buses. Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC serves as the headquarters for operations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil, and has approximately 1,500 employees. It is a company of the Daimler Financial Services Group, headquartered in Berlin, Germany, which does business in more than 40 countries with an employee base of approximately 6,700. Daimler Financial Services is one of the leading financial services organizations worldwide.  For more information, go to: mbfs.com

SOURCE Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC