Build This Shelter

Please click and watch our 40-second video above.

For Beth (see Beth’s Story), the Empowerhouse domestic violence shelter, the only domestic violence shelter in the Fredericksburg area, played a pivotal role in keeping her and her children safe as she fled her abusive partner. Sadly, not all victims of domestic violence are able to escape to our emergency shelter due to a lack of space. In 2013, we were forced to turn away 56 households who requested a safe place to stay because we did not have room. The shelter was full when they needed it. Last year, we brought that number down to 26 households through our local community’s help; but we still were forced to turn away local people who needed us because we were full. It is not good enough.

EMPOWERHOUSE SHELTER HOUSING FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS SINCE 2009
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70% INCREASE OF CHILDREN AND ADULTS HOUSED
87% INCREASE IN BED NIGHTS

THE GOOD NEWS!

Empowerhouse is proud to announce that we acquired a property for our new domestic violence shelter through a major gift from Doris Buffett and the Sunshine Lady Foundation.

Thanks to this generous contribution, Empowerhouse purchased a modern commercial building to replace, relocate, and expand our current, overcrowded 25 year old facility. This property will become our new accessible crisis shelter and will quadruple the size of the existing one, allowing Empowerhouse to accommodate all local families fleeing deadly situations.

This new shelter building will provide a welcoming environment where families can feel safe, reassured, and not alone. It will provide the privacy that people need when dealing with a traumatic and stressful situation.

The New Shelter space will include:

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The shelter is located on a Fred bus system line, hidden in plain sight, and next to a grocery store and a pharmacy. The new shelter will provide the escape necessary but also allow access to any existing support systems of family and friends, and independence to access employment and community services needed during this transition time.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

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It is never an easy decision to leave an abusive partner. During this dangerous, and uncertain time in a survivor’s life, Empowerhouse has been there for families in our community and now needs your help to ensure we can provide support for every local family who takes this brave step to escape violence to live a healthy and productive life free from abuse.

Please make a donation to Empowerhouse and help us build the new expanded domestic violence shelter for families fleeing dangerous and potentially deadly situations.

Please click here to learn about our progress toward opening our new domestic violence shelter and the work still ahead needing everyone’s help!