Expansion due to growth in programs
After 25 years of providing services to families and working to raise public awareness in the community, La Casa is providing more services to victims, batterers and children than ever before. Too often, the shelter is full and a staff member has to find an alternative location to provide services. La Casa has expanded its services to include parenting, non-resident counseling to victims/survivors, children's services, case management, advocacy, civil legal services, community outreach and education, transitional housing, emergency shelter, and a counseling program for court- and self-referred domestic violence offenders.
La Casa has one of the safest and most modern emergency shelter facilities in the state. It is open 365 nights a year and is staffed around the clock with a paid staff person trained in intake and crisis intervention. The Shelter has 45 beds, and when all of the beds are occupied, some families must spend the night in the living room or playroom areas. During 2005, La Casa provided 16,695 bed nights to 602 adults and children who were homeless because of domestic violence and 29,978 meals during that time.
To address this overcrowding, La Casa will soon break ground for a new addition funded partially by the State Legislature and is undertaking a capital campaign to raise $750,000 to address the shortfall. This building project will include more space for counseling and other programs, as well as more living space for victims and their children in the shelter.
The Board of Directors is encouraging individuals and local businesses to make three-year pledges to help La Casa reach the goal for this much-needed expansion. To participate in the Capital Campaign at any level, please call Karen Hancock, La Casa's Resource Development Director, at 505-526-2819.
La Casa is making a difference in many families all over Doña Ana County, and with your help, we can save the lives of even more children and adults affected by domestic violence.