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Women Together currently operates one emergency shelter with 45 beds in Hidalgo County. A toll-free emergency telephone line and shelter is provided 24-hours a day, 365 days per year to victims within Hidalgo and Starr County. The Emergency Shelter staff provide a safe haven and immediate protection and services to both adult victims of family violence, sexual assault and their children. The shelter provided services to 333 women and 714 children throughout the fiscal year 2009. These services included individual counseling, crisis intervention counseling for domestic violence and sexual assault. Women benefited by receiving case management services through our Social Services Program which also included individual assessments, housing assistance, referrals and support groups to empower victims. In addition shelter residents participated in educational presentations such as GED classes, ESL classes and weekly House Management meetings. A variety of intervention and prevention programs were available to residents through the Women's Program. The educational groups were presented by Niņo's Primero to increase awareness of the effects of alcohol and tobacco. On site information was available to clients by Planned Parenthood, Valley Aids, RGV Food Bank and Palmer Drug Abuse Program.
The shelter children's program staff offers one to one and group counseling to the children as well as facilitating the transition from their home schools to the area schools. Children in the shelter have a specific playroom and play area where they gather and learn positive non-violent ways to resolve and get along. Our children's program provides services which curb the cycle of violence and meet the immediate physical and emotional needs of the children. These services are geared towards personal safety, domestic violence, safety plans, anger management and coping skills( teamwork, respect, self esteem, manners, therapeutic artwork). The program services include school enrollments, academic improvement sessions, special events and cultural diversity activities.
The staff at the emergency facility provide food, clothing, referrals for medical / mental health needs, individual and group counseling, transportation, and linkage to community resources. Residents are assisted with personal hygiene, over the counter medications, emergency transportation, first month rental assistance, utility deposit waivers, and gifts on holidays and special events. The food program served 39,017 hot meals on site. An overall total of 1,047 clients were sheltered during the fiscal year 2009.
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Emergency Shelter Program
