The Houston Area Women's Center is a United Way agency. All services are provided free of charge.

WOMEN'S CENTER HOTLINES:
General Information and Referral Line
(713) 528-2121
A 24-hour domestic violence crisis intervention , information and referral hotline (staffed by volunteers and case managers) that received more than 34,000 calls in 1997.

• Serves as the intake service for the shelter and counseling programs.
• Receives approximately 700 domestic violence calls each month, with the most frequent requests being for safe shelter, legal assistance and counseling.
• Provides emergency transportation (cab service) for battered women and children.
• Provides long distance transportation (bus service) for battered women and children.
• Runs a Safe Harbor Program that provides, through the cooperation of various Houston hotels, emergency shelter for one or two nights to clients in need when all emergency shelters are filled to capacity.

Rape Crisis Hotline
(713) 528-RAPE
A 24-hour crisis hotline (staffed by volunteers) that receives an average of 282 calls per month. The hotline served almost 3378 survivors in 1997.

• Provides counseling and referrals for survivors of sexual assault
• Provides personal accompaniment volunteers (PAV's) who accompany survivors to hospitals, police stations and courts and who advocate for and support the survivor.

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN SERVICES:
Residential Services
Provided shelter to 906 women and children in 1997. Coordinates the following services:

• Emergency shelter for short-term (30-60 days) crisis intervention with a 45 bed capacity.
• Homeless prevention program that includes security deposit, first month's rent and first month's utilities.
• Childcare and children's programs.
• Emergency transportation to the shelter.
• Non-emergency medical assistance by a volunteer nurse practitioner working in conjunction with a pediatrician and an OB/GYN.
• Clothing through the agency's thrift store - Second to None Resale Shop.
• Emergency food coupons through FEMA program.
• Homebound schooling through HISD for children residing in the shelter.

Counseling Services
Family Violence
Provided counseling to 1176 battered women and 387 children in 1997. Coordinates the following services:

• Individual and group counseling for battered women and their children (English and Spanish).
• Educational/support groups for friends and family of battered women and their children (English and Spanish).
• Individual and group counseling for teens who are witnesses or survivors of domestic violence.
• Individual and group counseling for lesbian and bisexual survivors of domestic violence.

Sexual Assault
Provided counseling to 1684 sexual assault survivors, 51 children and 527 friends and family members in 1997. Assists with:

• Peer support and group counseling for female and male survivors of sexual assault and incest, their friends and family members, persons with disabilities, adolescents and their parents; offered in both English and Spanish at the counseling and education building and at satellite locations.
• Counseling and advocacy for children (ages 6-12) who are sexually assaulted outside the family.

ADVOCACY SERVICES AT SHELTER AND COUNSELING BUILDING

• Vocational counseling, lifeskills training and parenting education.
• Client advocacy to assist women through various systems, including law enforcement and TDHS.
• Housing advocacy provides aid for rent, mortgage and utilities.
• Legal advocacy provides professional legal assistance.

COMMUNITY EDUCATION
Education Programs (713) 528-6798
Organized 769 educational programs that reached 41,404 people in 1997, spreading HAWC's message of ending violence in the lives of women. Coordinates the following services:

• Training programs for law enforcement, educational institutions, medical and legal professionals.
• A speakers bureau of trained volunteers available to speak to organizations throughout Houston.
• Outreach programs to area schools to educate youth about preventing teen dating violence.
• Brochures and educational materials in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese.
• A government relations specialist.
• A library with resource materials on the prevention of violence against women, women's history and other issues of concern to women.
• All public relations and media contacts.

OTHER PROGRAMS
(713) 528-6798
Development
Approximately 15% of the annual budget comes from United Way; 41% from local, state and federal grants, 14% from sales to the public with the other 30% raised in the community. This program supervises:

• Grant requests to public and private funders.
• Individual and group contributions.
• Special events and programs.
• Annual and membership appeals.

Volunteers
Organizes, supervises and trains all volunteers. In 1997, HAWC had more than 800 active volunteers contributing more than 44,000 hours of service in 1996.

• Open volunteer orientations are offered the second and fourth Monday of each month at 10 AM and at 6 PM.

Resale Shops
(713) 528-1062
The Second to None Resale Shop is located at 1435 Westheimer at Mulberry.

• The shop provides clothing and household goods to women seeking shelter and support at HAWC and other pre-selected social service agencies.
• The shop is open to the public Tues.-Sat., from 10 AM to 6 PM (until 7 PM on Thurs.) and Sundays from 12 noon to 5 PM. All sales benefit HAWC services for clients. Donations may be left at the store during regular business hours.