FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Cody Ford 479-225-2152
Amy Michaud 479-444-8310

PEACE AT HOME FAMILY SHELTER HELPED MANY IN 2009
Last year saw increase in new clients, children served by programs

FAYETTVILLE—Peace at Home Family Shelter, Arkansas’ oldest domestic violence shelter, helped many women in children in 2009. The shelter recently compiled their statistics for the previous year and found that the new Donald W. Reynolds facility has allowed them make gains in helping survivors create new lives for themselves, free from violence.

PAH had 6,827 nights of safe shelter, almost double the amount in 2008, with a total of 68 women and 103 children in shelter. The new facility is easier for mothers keep their children close by rather than leave them with family members due to limited space.

“We’re really glad that we’ve been able to help more kids this year,” said Judith Selle, CEO for PAH. “In the past, our smaller facility prevented us from taking in as many mothers and children as we wanted. Now we can reach out to the youngest survivors of domestic violence and show them that people do care and hopefully stop the cycle of abuse.”

Though the number of women in shelter decreased last year, it is because PAH is now able to serve women that other shelters were not able to help, such as women who were pregnant, had mental health issues, disabilities or more children, which resulted in longer shelter stays. The number of outreach clients increased to 519 with 697 children, as compared to 337 with 397 children in 2008. The total number of clients served (shelter, outreach, and crisis calls) increased to 934 in 2009 from 713 the previous year.

“Each year keeps getting better in terms of helping women and children escape violent households,” said Ms. Selle. “The northwest Arkansas community has been very instrumental in this success whether it is referrals, donations, or moral support. We’re very appreciative of everyone who takes a stand for domestic violence survivors.”

Peace at Home made many other improvements in 2009. They started offering GED and ESL classes in the shelter, as well as art therapy for mothers and children. Also, self-defense karate classes were available for women. They hosted 298 community events ranging from support groups to educational offerings to community groups and schools.

The new legal program supported 107 women and 200 children from Sep. 1, 2009 to Jan. 31 2010, ranging from Orders of Protection, custody, support in court, etc. They also made 1,336 referrals to our community partners as opposed to only 1,227 referrals in 2008.

Established in 1977, Peace at Home is Arkansas’ oldest shelter for domestic violence survivors. Their mission is to END domestic violence. They offer emergency shelter, a crisis line, advocacy, job training, and bi-lingual services. For more information, visit: www.peaceathomeshelter.org.

See below for the full statistics in 2009 and 2008:

2009:
• Bed Nights: 6,827
• Women in shelter: 68 Children in shelter: 103
• Outreach new clients: 519 (with 697 children)
• Crisis call received: 583 (with 1,073 children)
• Total Clients served (shelter, outreach, and crisis call): 934
• Activities: hours served 7,960 No. of contacts 7,961

2008:
• Bed Nights: 3,926
• Women in shelter: 83 Children in shelter: 99
• Outreach new clients: 337 (with 397 children)
• Crisis call received: 464 (with 791 children)
• Total Clients served (shelter, outreach, and crisis line): 713
• Activities: hours served 5,208 No. of contacts 5,766

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