Center aids victims
of domestic violence

By Kimberly Hilden
SCBJ Assistant Editor

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else
is more important than fear.”
— Ambrose Redmoon

The quote, printed on plain, white paper, hangs on a wall at the administrative office of the Snohomish County Center for Battered Women, an organization that daily sees courage from those it serves, victims of domestic violence looking for a way out.

Snohomish County Business Journal/KIMBERLY HILDEN Diane Lahti, manager of the New & Again Thrift Shoppe in Everett, straightens a rack of girls clothing. As the only employee for the shop, which benefits the Snohomish County Center for Battered Women, Lahti relies heavily on the help of volunteers.

Through its 24-hour crisis hotline, emergency shelter, transitional housing, support groups and legal advocacy programs, the nonprofit center provides a full spectrum of services that enables clients to leave a dangerous situation, one that is the single major cause of injury to women in the United States.

For women and their children who are in immediate danger, the center’s 15-bed emergency shelter provides lodging, food, clothing, crisis counseling and emotional support for up to 30 days, said Vicci Hilty, development director for the center.

“We are the only confidential domestic violence shelter for victims and their children in Snohomish County,” Hilty said.

In 2004, the center served 255 women and children at the shelter for a total of 5,751 bed nights. During that same time, however, the shelter had to redirect 1,625 people to other resources due to lack of space.

“We stay absolutely full,” Hilty said.

For clients who need additional support past the initial 30 days, the center operates 20 apartment units throughout the county for transitional housing, in which residents may stay for up to two years and receive ongoing case management.

In 2004, transitional housing served 77 people for 17,382 total bed nights, according to the agency’s annual report ending June 30, 2005.

“The housing offers victims of domestic violence the ability to make changes in their life,” Hilty said, noting that the center also provides support groups for clients as well as a program that includes prevention, intervention and enrichment activities for their children.

“It’s very hard on the children; they’re in the center of the storm. ... They end up feeling fear, frustration and anger,” she said.

Snohomish County Center for Battered Women Address: P.O. Box 7, Everett, WA 98206 Administration office phone: 425-259-2827 24-hour hotline: 425-25-ABUSE (425-252-2873) Web site: www.snococbw.org New & Again Thrift Shoppe Address: 3116 Rucker Ave., Everett, WA 98201 Phone: 425-258-4428 Hours of operation: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday

No matter what their need, whether it’s development of an exit strategy to escape their batterer, an advocate to help traverse the legal system or simply someone to talk to, victims of domestic violence can begin accessing the center’s resources with a simple phone call.

“A lot of people aren’t ready to (leave) yet when they call, and that’s OK,” Hilty said of the center’s hotline, which received 2,945 crisis calls and 2,402 information and referral calls in 2004.

In those instances, an advocate will help the caller develop a safety plan to keep a dangerous situation from turning deadly. Such a plan might include creating a code word the caller can use with others that signals the need for police intervention or identifying doors, windows and stairwells that would allow for a safe, quick exit.

For callers who are ready to leave, the advocate will perform an intake interview over the phone to identify which of the center’s services are needed and get the process started.

Our advocates “work in a very tough field where they are emotionally challenged,” Hilty said. But it’s a job that allows them to make a difference — and not just for women and children.

Although the shelter is for women and children only, the center’s crisis hotline is open to men as well, and the agency started a men’s support group this past winter.

“Domestic violence does not know gender,” Hilty said, noting that statistics show that 95 percent of domestic violence is male to female, with the remaining 5 percent split between female to male and same sex.

To provide its services across the county, the center employs 23 full-time staff members and four relief workers and relies heavily on volunteers, racking up 9,234 volunteer hours in the fiscal year ending June 2005.

The center operates on a $1.5 million budget, with 70 percent of its funding coming from governmental grants. The remainder comes from the United Way of Snohomish County; individual donations; fund-raising events such as the annual Chocolate Lovers’ Gala dinner, with a silent and live auction; and the center’s New & Again Thrift Shoppe.

Started almost three years ago with seed money from the Employees Community Fund of Boeing, the thrift shop broke even its first two years and is expected to “make a little bit of money this year, but that’s not the intent,” Hilty said.

The intent is to draw in donations of clothing, furniture, dishware and other home furnishings that the center’s clients can use to establish a new life, with the remainder being sold through the thrift shop to the general public.

The shop also is a constant presence and visible reminder of the Center for Battered Women’s mission of reaching out to victims of domestic violence in Snohomish County, a mission that, unfortunately, continues to grow with the population.

For this reason, the center, now in its 30th year, is considering a capital campaign to expand its capacity. This past winter, the agency’s board of directors approved moving forward with a feasibility study to analyze community support for such an endeavor.

“I think we’re all aware it needs to be done,” Hilty said.

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