Women in Distress
Encyclopedia
Women in Distress is a nationally accredited, state-certified, full service domestic violence
center in Broward County, Florida
. WID adopts a total family systems approach, and supports the inclusive model of domestic violence advocated by Stop Abuse For Everyone
(SAFE). WID provides victims of domestic violence with safe shelter
, crisis intervention
and resources, and raises community awareness through intervention, education and advocacy. WID works in partnership with the Broward County Sheriff's Office
(BSO). At a press conference in October 2009, Florida Governor Charlie Crist
commended Women in Distress and Broward Sheriff's Office for their joint efforts to combat domestic violence. Tiffany Carr, the CEO of Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence (FCADV) said Broward County had been chosen to lead the rollout of Florida's new $1.2 million program to combat child abuse, because the successful partnership between Women in Distress and Broward Sheriff's Office had rapidly exceeded all expectations.
In 2010-2011, WID received 3,772 calls on their 24-hour crisis line, housed 339 women and children for 15,801 shelter days, and provided outreach services to 1,795 people.
activist Roxcy Bolton
.
In 1974, Women In Distress of Broward County, Inc. was co-founded by Edee Greene. WiD's first refuge for homeless women was a donated four bedroom home. Eventually they opened their first crisis shelter, housing 12 homeless women. Following the murder of a client who had returned to her violent spouse to rejoin her children, further donations enabled the purchase of a 54 bed shelter, accommodating children of domestic violence victims and homeless women. In November 1995, the Jim and Jan Moran Family Center opened. In 1999 a $1 million endowment allowed WID to open a second 8-bed shelter in Hollywood
.
In 2008, WID expanded with the purchase of a 6-acre campus in Deerfield Beach. The campus included a new Jim and Jan Moran Family Center, with 38 beds; expanding WID's capacity to 100 beds. Services at the center include crisis intake, individual and group counseling, parenting classes, and respite child care. There is also a sub-station of the Broward Sheriff's Office on the site.
, Creole
, African, Middle Eastern, Russian
, and Eastern European communities. Language services are provided by staff in English, Spanish, Creole and Portuguese
. WID supports same-sex domestic violence victims through the EAGLE (Ending Abuse of Gays and Lesbians Everywhere…even at home) program.
In 2007, WID received an AmeriCorps
grant. Twenty AmeriCorps members now work full-time in community education, each with a special focus area. These include schools, the Latin, Haitian, African American and Caribbean communities, legal professionals, civic groups, corporations, media, faith based organizations, health/fitness, and beauty salons.
on families. Despite the increasing demands for its services, in August 2011, WID received news of an $8000 funding cut which will impact WID's phone hotline and counseling services.
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
center in Broward County, Florida
Broward County, Florida
-2000 Census:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,623,018 people, 654,445 households, and 411,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,346 people per square mile . There were 741,043 housing units at an average density of 615 per square mile...
. WID adopts a total family systems approach, and supports the inclusive model of domestic violence advocated by Stop Abuse For Everyone
Stop Abuse For Everyone
Stop Abuse For Everyone is a domestic violence organization started in 1991. It is based out of Portland, Oregon, but has a national presence. Stop Abuse For Everyone advocates for what they term an "inclusive" model of domestic violence...
(SAFE). WID provides victims of domestic violence with safe shelter
Women's shelter
A women's shelter is a place of temporary refuge and support for women escaping violent or abusive situations, such as rape, and domestic violence....
, crisis intervention
Crisis intervention
Crisis Intervention can be defined as emergency psychological care aimed at assisting individuals in a crisis situation to restore equilibrium to their biopsychosocial functioning and to minimise the potential for psychological trauma...
and resources, and raises community awareness through intervention, education and advocacy. WID works in partnership with the Broward County Sheriff's Office
Broward County Sheriff's Office
The Broward County Sheriff's Office, commonly known by the acronym BSO, is a public safety organization responsible for law enforcement and fire rescue duties within Broward County, Florida...
(BSO). At a press conference in October 2009, Florida Governor Charlie Crist
Charlie Crist
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr. is an American politician who was the 44th Governor of Florida. Prior to his election as governor, Crist previously served as Florida State Senator, Education Commissioner, and Attorney General...
commended Women in Distress and Broward Sheriff's Office for their joint efforts to combat domestic violence. Tiffany Carr, the CEO of Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence (FCADV) said Broward County had been chosen to lead the rollout of Florida's new $1.2 million program to combat child abuse, because the successful partnership between Women in Distress and Broward Sheriff's Office had rapidly exceeded all expectations.
In 2010-2011, WID received 3,772 calls on their 24-hour crisis line, housed 339 women and children for 15,801 shelter days, and provided outreach services to 1,795 people.
History and Services
Women in Distress was established in 1972 as a nonprofit agency helping women in crisis, by feminist and women's rightsWomen's rights
Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
activist Roxcy Bolton
Roxcy Bolton
Roxcy O'Neal Bolton is a Florida feminist and women's rights activist.She married Commander David Bolton U.S.N. who later acted as president of Men for ERA.-Achievements:...
.
In 1974, Women In Distress of Broward County, Inc. was co-founded by Edee Greene. WiD's first refuge for homeless women was a donated four bedroom home. Eventually they opened their first crisis shelter, housing 12 homeless women. Following the murder of a client who had returned to her violent spouse to rejoin her children, further donations enabled the purchase of a 54 bed shelter, accommodating children of domestic violence victims and homeless women. In November 1995, the Jim and Jan Moran Family Center opened. In 1999 a $1 million endowment allowed WID to open a second 8-bed shelter in Hollywood
Hollywood, Florida
-Demographics:As of 2000, there were 59,673 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of...
.
In 2008, WID expanded with the purchase of a 6-acre campus in Deerfield Beach. The campus included a new Jim and Jan Moran Family Center, with 38 beds; expanding WID's capacity to 100 beds. Services at the center include crisis intake, individual and group counseling, parenting classes, and respite child care. There is also a sub-station of the Broward Sheriff's Office on the site.
Community
To coincide with the county's growing diverse populations, WID has expanded it's target communities to include SpanishSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Creole
Creole language
A creole language, or simply a creole, is a stable natural language developed from the mixing of parent languages; creoles differ from pidgins in that they have been nativized by children as their primary language, making them have features of natural languages that are normally missing from...
, African, Middle Eastern, Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
, and Eastern European communities. Language services are provided by staff in English, Spanish, Creole and Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
. WID supports same-sex domestic violence victims through the EAGLE (Ending Abuse of Gays and Lesbians Everywhere…even at home) program.
In 2007, WID received an AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps is a U.S. federal government program that was created under President Bill Clinton by the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 and later expanded by 50 percent under President George W. Bush...
grant. Twenty AmeriCorps members now work full-time in community education, each with a special focus area. These include schools, the Latin, Haitian, African American and Caribbean communities, legal professionals, civic groups, corporations, media, faith based organizations, health/fitness, and beauty salons.
Financial effects on Women in Distress
The 41 domestic violence centers in Florida have seen a 25 to 30 percent increase in their demand for services since 2009. This is due to an increase both in incidents of domestic violence, and in the lethality of these incidents. In July 2011, Mary Riedel, the president and CEO of WID, stated that the steep increase in frequency and lethality of domestic violence is probably due to the impact of the economic downturn and the recessionRecession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction, a general slowdown in economic activity. During recessions, many macroeconomic indicators vary in a similar way...
on families. Despite the increasing demands for its services, in August 2011, WID received news of an $8000 funding cut which will impact WID's phone hotline and counseling services.