House of Ruth offers safe refuge in a confidential location for battered women and their children.

Emergency Shelter

The prospect of homelessness for a battered woman and her children is often the major contributing factor to her decision to remain in a violent relationship.  House of Ruth’s emergency safe shelter provides programs and support for battered women and their children, including food; clothing; personal care items; group and individual counseling; legal and social services advocacy; employment assistance; and post-shelter life management skills.  In the safe and caring environment of the shelter, battered women are offered the opportunity to heal physically and emotionally and to work on regaining their self-sufficiency.  The shelter is staffed 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.  Transportation to the shelter is available anytime night or day.

Transitional Shelter

House of Ruth’s transitional shelter offers battered women the opportunity to work toward their goals of establishing independent, non-violent homes for themselves and their children.  Each client establishes her own self-sufficiency goals and plan; because there is no prescribed amount of time in which one heals from the trauma of domestic violence, women and children may live in our facility for up to 24 months.

Children’s Program

A five-day-a-week program assists children in both the emergency and transitional shelters to reduce the trauma and self-blame they experience from witnessing their mother’s battering or as victims of violence themselves.  Advocates help children explore their feelings, learn alternatives to violence and constructively manage their anger.  Children are able to continue their education through home schooling while in the emergency shelter.