|
Our History
The Stepping Stone
Shelter For Women, Inc. was an outgrowth of a Citizen's Advisory Committee that
was formed in 1982. This Committee was formed at the request of the
Swanson Center, LaPorte County's Comprehensive Mental Health Program, in a
effort to comply with federal regulations that required mental health centers to
provide support services to victims of domestic violence. The Swanson
Center joined forces with the LaPorte County Commission in a cooperative effort
to develop such a program. The County applied for and received a grant
from the Housing and Urban Development Agency (HUD) to rehabilitate an apartment
complex into a center that would house the domestic violence program, as well as
the emergency shelter for children who were in need of emergency housing.
The County operated the children's program and the Swanson Center operated the
domestic violence program.
The Stepping Stone
began providing services in the Spring of 1983. One paid staff person and
a group of trained volunteers initially staffed it. It was suppose to
provide 24-hours a day shelter and support services, seven days a week.
This was quite a difficult task, due to a lack of sufficient, dependable staff
coverage. It was not until 1987 that the program received enough funding
to hire staff to provide around the clock coverage seven days a week, holidays
included.
Over the past
nineteen years, The Stepping Stone has seen its role in the community change to
address the issues of the new millennium. Not only does the program
provide emergency shelter to women and children in crisis; but also the program
serves as a strong catalyst in identifying and coordinating support services
available for women in the community. We have developed an advocacy
support group for women and educated the community in every way way possible
about the ills and dangers of domestic violence. |
