Your best friend is in danger. Her husband belittles her, threatens her, hits her.
Every day she fears for her safety, and the safety of her children.
Maybe it’s not your best friend. Maybe it’s your neighbor. A cousin.
A colleague at work.
Maybe it’s you.
When women—and their children—are in crisis, they need somewhere to turn, to find help, guidance, and support.
That’s where Center for Hope & Safety comes in. That’s why we are here—to offer safety, strength, and hope.We are the most comprehensive social services agency for helping victims of domestic violence in Bergen County. Yes, it happens here.
For more than 37 years, we’ve been steadfastly devoted to our mission, helping thousands of women find their way and rebuild their lives. True to our name, we start by offering emergency shelter. A roof, a meal, a bed. But that’s only where it begins. We understand that a woman who has no choice but to leave her abuser needs a fresh start in life. And the belief that a fresh start is possible.
She may need education (ESL, GED, college)…
… guidance in finding a job (resume writing, interviewing skills)…
… help in dealing with the court system …
… financial assistance …
… and, eventually, a new place to live.
More than anything, she may need confidence in her ability to make it on her own.
For each woman who comes through our doors, we do our utmost to ensure that her pathway through Center for Hope & Safety is a pathway to a new life of self-sufficiency and safety. A life free from violence and the fear of violence.
To make that possible, we offer everything from one-on-one mentoring to group counseling … from legal advocacy to job readiness training … from housing assistance to parenting support.
Our staff of professionals—and our many volunteers—are multitalented, multilingual, and above all passionate about what they do. They’ll take the time to identify each woman’s specific needs and connect her with the appropriate resources, within Center for Hope & Safety and out in the community. We know how to find and get help.
We open our arms and our hearts to children. Through music and art therapy and other creative programs, we help them work through the pain and trauma they have suffered in witnessing domestic violence, or experiencing it first-hand.
We make sure they stay in school, get appropriate medical care, and are engaged in positive, constructive play activities.
Our goal is simple and clear: to send our clients back into the community with enhanced skills, enhanced self-esteem, and a positive plan for the rest of their life.
Even after they leave the emergency shelter, or an extended stay in our transitional housing facilities, we never forget them. Our follow-up services guarantee that they will have a friend for life.
The work we do would not be possible without the generous support of wonderfully caring individuals, businesses, churches, and public and private organizations, as well as our partners in local, state, and federal government agencies.
Their ongoing support has enabled us to build upon a solid foundation and to expand our services to people in need—to elderly and disabled victims of domestic violence, and to people in the community who don’t need emergency shelter but still need help.
In this blog we’ll share details of the many services we provide, 24/7/365.
We’ll also share the success stories of survivors–women who’ve put their lives back together, who offer shining proof that a woman can leave an abusive home, find safety, strength, and hope at Center for Hope & Safety, and begin anew.
We are here for anyone in a domestic violence crisis. We are here for anyone you know who needs help. We are here for you.
Come. Find us.
24-hour emergency hot line: 201-944-9600
SHELTER OUR SISTERS