The stories of women who obtain help from domestic violence shelters are as varied as life itself. Often we don’t want to know about women’s shelters until we realize we, or someone we love needs help. How do you find out about domestic violence shelters?

You may find out about domestic violence shelters through:

The mail   A law enforcement officer’s referral   A crime victim advocate or social worker   The courts   An Attorney   Your Church   A friend   A Co-worker   A flyer in a public restroom   Your Doctor   Even at your local Circle K   Through the National domestic violence hotline 1-800-799-7739

You don’t have to stay at a shelter to access the services they can provide such as:

A person to talk to on the phone Information Safety planning Local resources such as food boxes and counseling Links to legal advocacy