The Shelter for Abused Women & Children, Inc.

The Shelter's mission is to lead and collaborate with the community to prevent, protect, and prevail over domestic violence and human trafficking.

The Shelter's vision is a community free from domestic violence and human trafficking where individu

Goal One: Develop new, innovative ways to attract, retain, and inspire staff, board members, volunteers, and strategic partners committed to furthering the mission of The Shelter.

Goal Two: Expand and strengthen programs and services to support survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking.

Goal Three: Expand community support through education and awareness to increase public understanding of the scope and impact of domestic violence and human trafficking and to decrease future incidence.

To provide victims of domestic violence and human trafficking with the best possible assistance, The Shelter continuously encourages its staff, including its leaders to deepen their knowledge and to learn about new methods that will enhance the programs and services offered to survivors at The Shelter. As a result, The Shelter’s leadership has participated or been certified in the following developmental trainings during the last 12-18 months: •Certified Fund-Raising Executive Certification •Certified Youth Mental Health First Aid •Human Trafficking Mentorship •Non-Profit Leadership Management •Trauma Incident Reduction Certification

During the early stages of COVID-19, it was clear that domestic violence centers would have to create ways to adjust to the daily changes caused by the pandemic. Centers had to adapt to new ways of saving lives and providing safety for victims of domestic violence and human trafficking, while maintaining healthy environments for survivors and their staff. Due to the unknowns during the early stages of the pandemic, The Shelter’s internal adjustments evolved, and continue to be modified to acclimate to unfolding developments with COVID-19. Some of the concessions made by The Shelter in the last year include: •Creating a Social Distancing Policy (During Times of a Pandemic) to minimize transmission from person to person. This policy will be consistent with guidance and requirements from the Centers for Disease Control, our local county government, and appropriate guidance from public health officials. •Revising Contagious Illness Policy to protect the health and safety of Team Members and our participants. •Adjusting staff schedules so essential staff maintained their normal schedules. The non-essential staff worked on two-week rotations between working remotely and working onsite. This assisted with ensuring appropriate social distancing in the office. •Conducting as much administrative and program business as possible by phone or video conferencing rather than in person. •Conducting all group counseling sessions through video conferencing •Conducting individual counseling and case management sessions by video or phone, whenever possible. •Canceling fundraising events or holding virtual events. •Conducting temperature checks for both staff and participants. Staff were encouraged to stay home if they were sick. Staff who presented with fevers were sent home. Separate living areas were arranged for participants who presented with fevers to minimize spread. •Staff used masks in public areas when outside of their offices or when working face to face with participants.