Emergency Shelter and Supportive Services

Grant Information
Categories	Community
Location	South Texas
Cycle Year	2011

Organization Information
Organization Name (provided by applicant)	Women's Shelter of South Texas
Organization Name (provided by automatic EIN validation)
Secondary Addressee
EIN
Website	http://www.thewomensshelter.org

Contact Information
Contact Name	Frances Wilson
Phone	361-884-2900
E-mail	fwilson@thewomensshelter.org
Address	P.O. Box 3368 Corpus Christi TX 78463-3368

Additional Information
Used for	Funds will be used to support the agency's Emergency Shelter and Supportive Services program which provides shelter, counseling, case management, legal advocacy, youth services, rape crisis services, and rural outreach services to adult and child victims of domestic and sexual violence in the South Texas region including Aransas, Bee, Brooks, Duval, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Live Oak, McMullen, Nueces, Refugio, and San Patricio counties.
Benefits	Victims of domestic and sexual violence benefit from the safety that emergency shelter provides and supportive services that empower them to achieve and maintain violence-free lives. Prevention and intervention strategies positively impact victims at the time of service and as they move towards lives without abuse. Families benefit through breaking the often multi-generational cycle of violence, allowing children to grow up in an environment that helps prevent violence in future generations and the community-at-large benefits as individuals and families live safer, healthier lives within their communities.
Proposal Description	The Women’s Shelter of South Texas will provide emergency shelter and comprehensive supportive services free of charge to all victims seeking assistance in the South Texas region the agency serves. Additionally, victims from other areas who are displaced due to natural disasters such as hurricanes or floods and victims who are referred from other organizations due to a necessary relocation for safety reasons will be provided services. All services are available to individuals and families residing in the shelter and to persons residing in the community. Services include: •Emergency Shelter/Safe House (65 bed) for women and their accompanying children, including provision of clothing, food, and personal items for each individual and family •24-hour toll-free Crisis Hotline •Crisis Intervention to reduce immediate effects of trauma due to abuse •Individual and Group Counseling •Case Management: referrals to resources including employment, housing, educational opportunities, medical care, and childcare •Youth Services: mentoring for school success, counseling, play therapy for young children, and summer activities •Legal Advocacy: assistance regarding the criminal justice system, obtaining protective orders, crime victims' compensation, court accompaniment, and legal aid referrals •Rape Crisis Services: crisis intervention, hospital accompaniment, and counseling •Rural Outreach Services provided in eleven rural counties and in rural Nueces County: safety planning, counseling, information and referral, community education, emergency shelter transportation, and legal advocacy The goal of the Emergency Shelter and Supportive Services program is to reduce the immediate trauma due to domestic and sexual abuse and provide the support required to allow victims to explore options for change and independence in their lives. The following objectives assist in meeting this goal: •Identification of additional victims: The agency continues to identify victims in need of services, with 3,079 adult and child victims served in 2010, a 7% increase from 2009, and a 14% increase from 2008. The 65-bed shelter/safe house is available to all victims seeking emergency shelter, providing an environment where clients are assisted in working towards the goal of achieving and maintaining violence-free lives. No individual or family fleeing abuse is turned away from agency services. •Provision of supportive services for victims: Supportive services including counseling, case management, and legal advocacy assist residential clients and clients residing in the community in addressing the trauma of abuse and in exploring options that lead to safety and sustained independence. •Provision of free, quality services to victims in need: Service delivery is emphasized for victims who reside in rural and underserved areas, victims who are minorities, victims with disabilities, and victims with limited resources. In 2010, 81% of clients self-reported as Hispanic, 14% of clients reported a disability, 60% of clients served were from rural areas, and 80% of adult clients reported an annual income under $15,000.