Laurel House Capital Campaign: Rebuilding Lives, Restoring Hope

THE CAMPAIGN FOR LAUREL HOUSE

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ictims of domestic violence are our neighbors, family members, and friends. They are our mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers. They

come from all socioeconomic, cultural, racial, and educational backgrounds.

They often feel alone, living in fear and are shamed into silence. With support, compassion, and time, they can heal. With help, they can build new and different lives in which they can be safe, independent, productive, and valued.

You may never need Laurel House, but the people we serve need you.

40

YEARS OF HOPE and HEALING Laurel House has been a trusted and respected resource in the Montgomery County community for more than 40 years, offering hope and healing to women, men, and children devastated by domestic abuse.

Before Laurel House officially opened its doors in 1980, a handful of women volunteered at a local hotline, offering support and taking battered women and their children into their own homes for shelter and a warm meal.

These courageous women – now referred to as the Founding Mothers – recognized that even in the affluent community of Montgomery County, there was a growing need for a place where victims of domestic abuse could heal, physically and emotionally, in order to rebuild their shattered lives.

Laurel House is the only agency in Montgomery County that provides emergency shelter and housing, as well as a full array of supportive services for domestic abuse survivors and their families.

Now, 40 years after the founding of Laurel House, we are thrilled to be relocating and expanding into a brand new space that will combine our shelter and supportive services. While our original shelter has been a safe haven for thousands of families seeking safety, our new building will increase our capacity and accessibility and will provide much-needed enhancements in design, security, and amenities.

PROGRAMS AND SERVICES Emergency Shelter - Our shelter is a safe haven for domestic abuse victims and their children.

With nine bedrooms, the shelter can accommodate up to 27 people at a time.

24-Hour Hotline - The confidential hotline is available 24-hours a day and is answered by highly trained advocates who will listen and provide support and resources.

Counseling - Individual and group counseling is offered at five locations throughout Montgomery County to victims of domestic abuse and their families.

Domestic Abuse Response Team (D.A.R.T) - Trained advocates are available to provide immediate, on-site support to domestic abuse victims and their children whenever law enforcement or medical personnel respond to a domestic abuse incident.

Legal Advocacy - Our in-house Attorney and Paralegal offer legal counseling, advocacy and court accompaniment to Laurel House clients.

Community Education - Community Educators facilitate workshops to youths and students about healthy relationships and safe dating. Our prevention education lessons are focused on how to create and sustain healthy, happy relationships throughout one’s life, and what to do in abusive situations.

Transitional Housing - This program empowers families to become self-sufficient. We offer support groups, life skills development, counseling, children’s services, casework, and connections to community resources.

Children’’s Program - Children’s Advocates provide structured, recreational play as well as individual and group services that are designed to help children heal from the trauma of living with and witnessing abuse.

Medical Advocacy - The Medical Advocate visits hospitals, primary care offices, OB/GYN offices, and other specialty care facilities to provide domestic violence training, as well as resources on where to turn if a patient discloses abuse.

Thrift Shops - All items donated to our two thrift shops, Marian’s Attic and Laurel’s Loft, are used to support Laurel House. The shops also display information about domestic abuse and how to seek help.

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NOW?

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While government and private foundation grants, special events, and donor funding sustain our current operations, the costs of maintaining the shelter in a building that is over 100 years old continues to increase each year. The building is inadequate to provide protection and services. It’s steep stairs and narrow hallways are challenging for many residents to navigate, making it difficult to comfortably accommodate people with special needs. It does not have private space for the advocacy and counseling services that are essential to helping victims and their children heal. While Laurel House’s current shelter provides safe haven for many victims of domestic abuse and their children each year, we can and must do better.

THE CAMPAIGN FOR LAUREL HOUSE

Laurel House purchased a building in Lansdale, PA where it will relocate its current shelter, as well as offer expanded supportive services. This new location is close in proximity to public transportation, jobtraining programs, employment opportunities, and many other community resources.

The new building will allow us to offer a continuum of services under one roof such as:

Clinical Counseling - The ground floor of the new building will have four offices specifically designated for individual and group counseling. These offices will expand the availability of counseling for Shelter residents, as well as other residents in the greater North Penn community.

Crisis Response - This service is provided through our DART (Domestic Abuse Response Team) program.

This program is available 24/7 to respond and support victims of domestic violence. The program operates out of the Administrative and Outreach offices during the weekday, but on nights and weekends advocates work remotely. In this new building, there will be space to provide DART Advocates a safe space to meet with a victim, as well as to work on-site.

Case Management - Many clients are receiving several different types of services. Having most of those services located under one roof not only ensure comprehensive case management, but also causes less stress for the client.

Legal Services - The increased office and meeting space will ensure that shelter residents and clients have a private area in which they can consult with our staff attorney on-site. Previously, in order to ensure privacy, clients had to travel to Laurel House’s offices.

Children’’s Program - The ground floor of this new space will include a Children’s Room staffed by a Children’s Advocate and well-trained volunteers. This room will be available to children living in the shelter, as well as those who come with a parent who has an appointment with a counselor. The second floor will include a Children’s TV Room and a library for homework and parent/child reading activities.

24-Hour Hotline - The Hotline will continue to be staff by trained advocates 365 days a year and remain housed within the shelter. However, it will have its own dedicated space, ensuring less distractions for the advocate so that their only focus is listening to the caller.

Having these services easily accessible to shelter community clients will help victims begin the process of healing from the trauma they have experienced due to abuse.

NEW SHELTER FACILITY Flexible, ADA-compliant design of its living quarters to provide safe, comfortable and accessible rooms 12 bedrooms designed in such a way that we will be able to comfortably accommodate both large and small families, single adults, and residents with special needs Communal kitchen, dining, pantry, laundry, and library

On-site victim services and staff offices Multi-purpose room for support groups and other meetings, along with a dedicated children’s room Private counseling offices Adult and children’s TV rooms adjacent to each other Elevator

LAUREL HOUSE - GROUND FLOOR

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LAUREL HOUSE - SECOND FLOOR

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LAUREL HOUSE - THIRD FLOOR

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we need your help We need your help to keep our residents safe, give them hope, and help them heal.

Breaking the cycle of violence is difficult, but it can and must be done. As the county’s only comprehensive domestic violence agency, Laurel House provides life-saving services and support for the entire community. Your investment in this campaign to build a new emergency shelter facility and increase availability of support services is vital. It will transform our organization’s capacity to serve victims, improve outcomes for more families in Montgomery County, and thereby ensure a safer community for years to come.

THE $3.5 MILLION CAMPAIGN FOR L AUR EL HOUSE

THE TIME IS NOW Now is the moment to stand up for victims of domestic abuse, and to help survivors stand up for themselves. No one deserves to be abused.

THE NEED: For the past four decades, Laurel House has protected and supported victims of domestic violence and their children. The dynamics of abuse is complicated. The path to freedom is sometimes arduous and long. However, over the past 40 years, countless shelter residents have stated unequivocally that Laurel House saved their lives.

THE SOLUTION: With your help, The Campaign for Laurel House will turn more victims into survivors. We will build a new, secure, flexible, and easily accessible facility. With your help, we will provide enhanced on-site services including our 24-hour hotline, crisis response, legal advocacy, individual and group counseling, case management, and programs for children.

NO ORDINARY CAMPAIGN! As members of our community, you have the opportunity to help ensure the safety of some of the most vulnerable people in our community. You will help to ensure that desperate calls get answered, victims have a safe space to go, and that they will get a chance to become survivors and lead a safer life.

Refuse to accept domestic violence in Montgomery County. Make your thoughtful gift to The Campaign for Laurel House for all domestic abuse victims.

RELOCATE: Relocate and increase the accessibility of shelter and supportive services.

BUILD:

Build a new, secure, flexibly designed facility that offers a

continuum of on-site services.

BEDS: Increase from 27 to 34 beds with the flexibility to configure rooms based on the number of people in the family.

SERVICES:

Provide enhanced on-site services to shelter and community residents including hotline, crisis response, legal advocacy, individual and group counseling, case management, and programs for children.

SPECIAL NEEDS:

Increase the ability to provide services to those

with special needs.

BREAK THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE FOR FAMILIES LIVING IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY

P.O. Box 764 • Norristown, PA 19404 Office: 610-277-1860 • 24 Hour Hotline: 1-800-642-3150 www.laurel-house.org

The mission of Laurel House is to: Advocate for and empower those impacted by domestic violence by providing crisis intervention, safe haven, supportive programs, and resources Advance social change through preventative education, community training, and collaboration to foster a coordinated response to domestic abuse

The overall goal for the use of this pledge or gift is to fund the acquisition, construction and financing costs of the Shelter. Accordingly, the funds may be used, at the discretion of Laurel House, to pay for expenses incurred by Laurel House for the Shelter, including the repayment of indebtedness. Any contributions received in excess of the amounts needed for the designated project will be used for general operating costs of Laurel House.

Laurel House is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt, charitable organization as defined under the Internal Revenue Service code section 501c(3). Tax exemption entity ID 232172743. Please consult with your professional tax advisor as to what deduction may be available to you. The official registration and financial information of Laurel House may be obtained from the PA Department of State by calling toll-free within Pennsylvania 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.