Some families arrive with nothing but the clothing they're wearing. Entering the front door of our shelters is, for many of our clients, a new beginning.

Why does a woman choose to enter First Step?

How does a woman get to our shelter?

The primary reason women seek shelter is to secure the safety of themselves and their children. They seek respite, to take time away from a high conflict relationship to sort out their feelings and lives.

The decision to leave is a difficult one, as women and children may be forced to sever, at least temporarily, relationships with families and friends. Although many women are able to maintain contact with family members, the batterer may know their addresses, posing a risk to the woman if she has contact with them in the initial transition period. Our goal at First Step is to create a safe place for women to stay by providing confidential shelter and supportive living environments that allow them to make informed choices about their future.

At First Step, battered women receive help in a number of ways. They will often contact the agency through our domestic violence hotline at 800-46-NOABUSE (466-6228). We answer over two hundred calls each month on our domestic violence hotline. When a woman calls the hotline, a trained domestic violence staff member answers the phone and offers crisis counseling and referrals to other services. If the staff member and woman agree that shelter placement is necessary, we arrange for a place in the shelter.

The woman will have an intake interview with a shelter employee to confirm her eligibility. If necessary, the shelter employee and/or hotline counselor will help her arrange transportation to the shelter.