Women In Distress Marks 50 Years of Championing Domestic Violence Survivors

Photo byCourtesy of Women in Distress

When Women In Distress (WID) was established in 1974, it was the first refuge for homeless women in Broward County, located in a modest four bedroom home. This year will mark 50 years for the organization that champions domestic violence survivors in need of support and transformation for a better tomorrow.

Over the course of 50 years WID has provided more than one million nights of emergency shelter to victims of domestic violence in Broward County; answered more than 500,000 emergency hotline calls; delivered in excess of one million hours of therapy and advocacy services to domestic violence victims; and trained one million+ community members, primarily through local schools, to educate individuals on healthy relationships and prevent domestic violence before it appears. The non-profit has served more than one million survivors, children and pets over the years.

“Along the way, we have had significant milestones including our growth that has led us to be one of the largest and most multi-faceted domestic violence agencies in the country. We have listened to the many needs of survivors and have expanded services dramatically,” said Linda L. Parker. Ph.D., president and CEO of Women In Distress, the only nationally accredited, state-certified, full-service domestic violence center serving Broward County. “We are determined to empower survivors to take back control of their lives and believe in the tenacious power of survivors. Our theme is a call to action, an anthem of resilience, ’Reclaim Your Power.’ Reclaim Your Power is more than a slogan, it’s a promise. It’s a promise to survivors that they can shatter the illusions their abusers imposed upon them and rise above adversity, rebuild their lives and create a brighter future.”

WID will celebrate this milestone anniversary with events from now through the first half of 2025, culminating with WID’s largest annual event, the Starfish Gala, on Saturday, May 3 at Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort.

Most recently, in January 2023, with generous funding from the Topfer Family Foundation, WID expanded the respite center into a professionally staffed Children’s Enrichment Center that offers no cost, dependable childcare at the secure campus. The Children’s Enrichment Center fills a gap where childcare resources in Broward County fall short and enable the low-income parents we serve to go to work or seek work without worrying about the safety of their children.

“Our mission is to stop domestic violence abuse for everyone through intervention, education and advocacy,” Dr. Parker said. “I am proud to work alongside our outstanding volunteer boards of directors and trustees, donors, corporate sponsors and community members to guide WID to even greater levels of service as we look to our next 50 years.”

Other milestones in the history of Women In Distress include:

July 1974: Community leader Edee Greene and a group of concerned citizens founded Women In Distress of Broward County. After a tragic incident where a mother, who had initially sought refuge from domestic violence, but had to return to her abuser in order to be with her children, was shot and killed by her abuser, WID took action to prevent this from ever happening again. Founders and supporters purchased a 54-bed shelter with generous contributions from Dr. Kona and Ruth Simon and Walter and Peg Griffith. For the first time, WID was able to offer crisis shelter and support to victims of domestic violence and their children.

November 1995: The Jim & Jan Moran Family Center opened in Fort Lauderdale at Andrews Avenue and Davie Boulevard, consolidating WID’s services in one location and instantly increased visibility, accessibility and capacity to serve more families.

2008: Women In Distress expanded to a 6.4-acre site including five buildings totaling more than 64,000 square feet. Project SAFE Place, as it was termed, was a consolidation of WID’s emergency shelters, outreach center and administrative offices. Shelter capacity increased and outreach and counseling services were expanded to meet the increased number of families needing services.

2014: Women In Distress was successful in the creation of a standalone Crisis Hotline Department that provides critical crisis intervention services, counseling, safety planning, advocacy, resources and information on available services.

2016: WID continued to expand services by implementing the Injunction for Protection Program that provides legal assistance to survivors in need of a restraining order and the Economic Empowerment and Justice Program that provides our survivors with services designed to help build financial independence.

October 2018: WID began accepting the pets of domestic violence survivors at the newly opened Pet Shelter. Operated in partnership with the Humane Society of Broward County (HSBC), this is a first of its kind collaboration between a domestic violence shelter and a local Humane Society in the country. The on-site pet shelter houses pets for survivors fleeing abusive relationships. Free HSBC services include spay and neutering, vaccinations, a quarantine area for new animals and housing cubicles for pets.

November 2021: In an effort to support statewide efforts, WID was awarded the contract for statewide services with two other centers to form the FLDVC or the Collaborative. WID is responsible for the statewide domestic violence hotline, while the partners provide statewide technical assistance, training and the Injunction for Protection project.

“As a Board of Directors, we remain aware of the paradox of being extremely proud of the growth and development of Women In Distress, while also recognizing this success is bittersweet because it underscores the ongoing and pervasive issue of domestic violence in our community, which necessitates the organization's existence and efforts,” noted WID Board Chair Amanda Pires.

Women In Distress is the only state certified, accredited domestic violence agency serving Broward County and never charges victims for any of its services. The agency operates almost entirely on funds raised through private donations, fundraising events, corporate partners, and public and private foundations. To get more information about how to donate to WID, please visit www.WIDBroward.org/donate. Want to give WID a special $50 birthday present? Just click on the birthday present graphic!

For more information about Women In Distress, please visit https://widbroward.org/.

The 24-hour Crisis Hotline is 954.761.1133.