Shelters are not only four walls and a roof. Once a client has dealt with the immediate issues of safety and survival, she begins to address her long-range emotional and practical needs.

What is it like? How can I leave my house, my home?

Women and families entering a domestic violence shelter take a difficult and brave first step to regain control over their lives and to ensure safety for themselves and their children. The focus in the shelter is on stabilizing their lives, helping clients understand their options, and increasing their ability to achieve their goals. Our shelter offers individual sessions with a social worker to allow a woman to talk about her experiences and sort through her feelings.

The shelter is as similar to a home as possible. With warm colors and comfy surroundings, we hope to make the transition as easy as possible. Communal living can be a stressful, but we ask that every resident adhere to our House Rules to make the house as peaceful and comfortable as possible.

Staff residents can take advantage of our art therapy, equine therapy, regular house staff for one-on-one consultation, Project Starshine for children exposed to domestic violence, and Passages, a nationally-renowned psycho-educational class program taught by Terri Mercer and Michael Cheatham.

At First Step, many of the women are focused on moving into permanent housing and getting jobs to support their children. Our Child and Family Development Coordinator is on staff to assist women in locating a permanent residence and offer information on setting up a household. To make the transition easier once they do find housing, shelter staff members work with women to acquire independent living skills such as financial management and household management, as well as cooking and cleaning skills.