The Purple Door

Family violence program services are provided to adult and child victims of domestic violence within a twelve-county region of South Texas including aransas, bee, brooks, duval, jim wells, kenedy, kleberg, live oak, mcmullen, nueces, refugio, and san patricio counties. In 2023, The Women's Shelter of South Texas dba The Purple Door provided free, comprehensive, supportive service to 1,752 clients. The agency served 1,224 adults and 528 children in 2023. of those served, 1,333 were survivors of domestic violence. The agency provided Shelter to 412 adults and 272 children in 2023. Services were provided 24-hours per day, 365 days per year and included: safe Shelter, advocacy, safety planning, individual and group counseling, crisis hotline, sexual assault services, youth-focused services, legal advocacy, and rural outreach services. Prevention and education services were also provided to address The often multi-generational cycle of violence with a goal of ending The violence before it ever begins. The agency has continued to utilize technology to safely provide services to clients in addition to providing in-person services. In 2023, The Women's Shelter of South Texas dba The Purple Door marked 45 years of ongoing service to The community. The organization is The only private, non-profit 501(c)(3) entity specifically designed to provide services to victims of domestic and sexual violence across a twelve-county South Texas region, which includes aransas, bee brooks, duval, jim wells, kenedy, kleberg, live oak, mcmullen, nueces, refugio, and san patricio counties. Services: The following core services provided through The agency's family violence program are essential to domestic violence victims and their families to facilitate The long-term changes necessary to achieve and maintain independent and violence-free lives. The agency's program is ongoing, with Shelter and crisis services available 24-hours a day, 365 days per year. Shelter/safe house: The shelter/safe house provides safe refuge for up to 65 victims fleeing abusive relationships. A toll-free, 24-hour crisis hotline is provided 365 days per year. Security and limited access to The Shelter facility is supported through a monitoring system. Food, clothing, and personal items are provided for clients receiving residential services at The Shelter facility, and transportation for medical emergencies and to access community resources is provided. Transportation to The Shelter for victims fleeing abuse is provided for persons from all counties served. Additionally, The agency provides comprehensive supportive services to all identified adult and child victims who are residing in The community through services offered in The Shelter facility, through four rural outreach offices, and through additional sites that are safe and convenient for clients across The agency's service area. The physical location of The Shelter facility in nueces county is confidential due to The safety and security considerations of The clients served by The agency. Advocacy services: upon entry into The Shelter, each client is provided safety planning, information, and assistance by an advocate who provides support and monitors their progress towards goals. Each client and family has an individualized service plan developed to address specific needs and identify options. Staff assist each client with resource referrals, employment assistance, life skills, housing, childcare, and food pantry. Advocacy and encouragement are provided in a safe, supportive environment that increases clients' sense of safety and decreases feelings of isolation. Counseling services: clients residing at The Shelter and in The community are offered educational and supportive counseling services provided to individuals and in a group setting. Primary issues addressed through counseling include safety planning, building self-esteem, The dynamics of family violence and sexual assault, profiles of batterers, The cycle of violence, and healthy relationships. Counseling is available six days per week at a time convenient to clients residential and non-residential, including after-school and saturday appointments for children, with support groups for adults during weekdays, in The evenings, and on saturdays. Legal advocacy services: a legal needs assessment is conducted for all clients to determine any issues regarding The criminal or civil legal system that need to be addressed. Clients are provided information regarding The criminal justice system, information on their rights and options, assistance in filing for protective orders and obtaining legal aid, assistance in filing for crime victims' compensation benefits, and are accompanied to court and to The police department in their pursuit of these options. Youth services: support and comprehensive services to child victims including counseling, mentoring for school success, family interaction activities, age-appropriate social/recreational activities, and summer activities. Services are available to youth residing in The Shelter and in The community. For children residing in The Shelter, ongoing services are encouraged after The family transitions to an alternate living environment. The program emphasizes continuity of health, safety, and education as families face The trauma of abuse and re-location issues. Counseling staff and experienced program staff provide services to children and parents to help ensure school attendance and success and provide referrals and transportation to address individual health and wellness needs. Sexual assault services: agency staff and trained volunteers respond to The regional rape trauma center 24-hours a day to provide support to rape victims and their families following a sexual assault. Information regarding agency services, crime victims' rights, and counseling is provided. Follow-up is conducted for all victims requesting agency support. Individual and group counseling is conducted to address The immediate and long-term effects of The assault on The victim and The family. Family members may also receive counseling services to address their individual issues and concerns. Rural outreach services: rural outreach services are provided in eleven rural counties and in rural nueces county including safety planning, counseling, information and referral, community education, emergency Shelter transportation, and legal advocacy through outreach offices located in bee county (beeville), san patricio county (sinton), kleberg county (kingsville), and jim wells county (alice). Advocates travel to all counties in The service area to provide support to victims at locations convenient and safe for each individual and family. Transportation to The shelter/safe house for persons fleeing abuse is provided or arranged for victims from all twelve counties served. The agency coordinates with law enforcement for all areas to ensure safe passage to The Shelter for victims. Community education: prevention and education are key components of The domestic violence program. The Purple Door has a team of community educators, half for domestic violence and half for sexual violence, who provide professional and community training for audiences of all types and ages addressing The dynamics of family violence, sexual assault, and violence-prevention initiatives with a specific curriculum focused on youth. The program was developed to support initiatives of The office of The attorney general and research by The centers for disease control and prevention with The goal of addressing violence before it occurs rather than after The violence has been perpetrated. Community education is a long-term and continuing process as The cultural norms that must be changed to achieve and sustain a violence-free community are only modified over time and with repeated exposure to prevention education and reinforcement from The community. The Women's Shelter of South Texas dba The Purple Door recognizes The vital role of all citizens and organizations in addressing domestic and sexual violence in our communities, and in developing community-specific prevention strategies that work towards ending The violence before it ever begins.

The Purple Door resale shop opened in july 2023 to engage The community in a unique way. Donated items, including clothing, small furniture, and household goods, are accepted at The back of The store. These items are carefully sorted by a specialized team and sold at low prices. Clients of The Purple Door are given gift cards that allow them to shop freely, providing a discreet shopping experience. All proceeds from The shop go toward funding The agency's free, comprehensive services for clients across The Purple Door's twelve county service area. Additionally, The shop holds specific donation items for Shelter use, ensuring The Shelter's location remains confidential. In its first year, Purple Door resale has not only brought The community together in support of a good cause, but also increased awareness of The Purple Door's mission to empower The community and those affected by domestic violence and sexual assault to transition to a safe and healthy environment.

Sexual assault program services are available to female and male victims of sexual assault and their families within a twelve-county region of South Texas including aransas, bee, brooks, duval, jim wells, kenedy, kleberg, live oak, mcmullen, nueces, refugio, and san patricio counties. of The 1,752 clients served by The Women's Shelter of South Texas dba The Purple Door, 419 were victims of sexual assault. Services were provided 24-hours per day, 365 days per year and included: safe Shelter, advocacy, safety planning, individual and group counseling, crisis hotline, sexual assault services, youth-directed services, legal advocacy, and rural outreach services. Prevention and education services were also provided to address ending sexual violence before it starts. The sexual assault program provides free, comprehensive, supportive intervention services to victims while pivoting towards The engagement of each community served through intensive prevention and education strategies to stop The violence before it even occurs. Agency services address incidents of sexual violence, sexual violence that occurs as part of domestic violence, and offender accountability. The sexual assault services coordinator and trained volunteers respond to The regional rape trauma center and emergency rooms across The twelve-county service area 24 hours a day, 365 days per year to provide support to rape victims and their families following a sexual assault. Information regarding agency services, crime victims' rights, and counseling is provided. Follow-up is conducted for all victims requesting agency support. Individual and group counseling is conducted to address The immediate and long-term effects of The assault on The victim and The family. Family members, including children, may also receive counseling services to address their individual issues and concerns. Victims are able to access: toll-free 24-hour crisis hotline; 65-bed shelter/safe house operated 365-days per year providing basic needs (food, clothing, counseling, support service, Shelter); youth services: counseling, mentoring for school success, activity groups, safety planning, and summer activities designed to support and educate primary and secondary child victims; counseling services: individual and group counseling for adults and age-appropriate counseling for children; legal advocacy: assistance with protective order application, accompaniment to police/sheriff departments and court proceedings, and assistance filing crime victim compensation claims; advocacy: services to obtain community resources such as affordable housing, childcare, employment, medical care for The adult and child, and education. Prevention and education are key components of The sexual assault program. The Purple Door has a team of community educators, half for domestic violence and half for sexual violence, who provide professional and community training for audiences of all types and ages addressing The dynamics of family violence, sexual assault, and violence-prevention initiatives with a specific curriculum focused on youth. The program was developed to support initiatives of The office of The attorney general and research by The centers for disease control and prevention with The goal of addressing violence before it occurs rather than after The violence has been perpetrated. Community education is a long-term and continuing process as The cultural norms that must be changed in order to achieve and sustain a violence-free community are only modified over time and with repeated exposure to prevention education and reinforcement from The community. The Women's Shelter of South Texas dba The Purple Door recognizes The vital role of all citizens and organizations in addressing domestic and sexual violence in our communities, and in developing community-specific prevention strategies that work towards ending The violence before it ever begins.