THE NEED
Each year, over 500 women and children are admitted to the Shelter for Battered Women. More than 1,000 are turned away.
This can create life and death situations, since without a place to stay, many victims must return to their batterers. Those fortunate enough to be admitted to the existing shelter are limited to a 30-day stay. Given its limited capacity, the current shelter provides little more than a band-aid for the problem of domestic violence.
United Family Services, a 100-year-old family counseling and crisis intervention umbrella agency, established Charlotte's Shelter for Battered Women in 1979. It had 25 beds for women and children victims of domestic violence. Since then, Charlotte's population has doubled, yet the shelter has added only four beds.
THE SOLUTION
The new shelter will be located on a five-acre site in West Charlotte, convenient to public transportation and other support services. It will offer 80 beds and will provide triage services in addition to longer-term care.
This increase in beds will allow the shelter to offer a longer stay up to six months or a year. Victims will have a more stable environment, which will enable them to access much-needed safety and self-sufficiency services. In addition to emergency and transitional accommodations, the new shelter will provide the space to offer expanded educational and counseling services for both adults and children, as well as increased job training services. The new facility will allow partnering community agencies space to provide their legal, healthcare, financial planning and other services on site. These comprehensive services will provide real change, helping victims become survivors.
Each year, over 500 women and children are admitted to the Shelter for Battered Women. More than 1,000 are turned away.
This can create life and death situations, since without a place to stay, many victims must return to their batterers. Those fortunate enough to be admitted to the existing shelter are limited to a 30-day stay. Given its limited capacity, the current shelter provides little more than a band-aid for the problem of domestic violence.
United Family Services, a 100-year-old family counseling and crisis intervention umbrella agency, established Charlotte's Shelter for Battered Women in 1979. It had 25 beds for women and children victims of domestic violence. Since then, Charlotte's population has doubled, yet the shelter has added only four beds.
THE SOLUTION
The new shelter will be located on a five-acre site in West Charlotte, convenient to public transportation and other support services. It will offer 80 beds and will provide triage services in addition to longer-term care.
This increase in beds will allow the shelter to offer a longer stay up to six months or a year. Victims will have a more stable environment, which will enable them to access much-needed safety and self-sufficiency services. In addition to emergency and transitional accommodations, the new shelter will provide the space to offer expanded educational and counseling services for both adults and children, as well as increased job training services. The new facility will allow partnering community agencies space to provide their legal, healthcare, financial planning and other services on site. These comprehensive services will provide real change, helping victims become survivors.
United Family Service (UFS) is a not-for-profit, family service organization based in Charlotte, NC, with offices in Charlotte, Concord, Cornelius and Monroe, NC. We are
members of United Way of Central Carolinas, Inc. and are accredited by the Council on Accreditation. For information about United Family Services and any of its programs,
please contact us at 704.332.9034 or via e-mail.