Restoration of United Way Funds Saves Shelter : Social services: Home for battered women had been on the verge of closure until new leadership took over.

The YWCA WomenShelter, the only facility in the Long Beach area that harbors battered women, has been snatched from the brink of closure by United Way’s decision to restore funding that had been cut earlier this year.

“It’s wonderful,” said Marie Webb, the shelter’s director. “What it boils down to is that the shelter is saved.”

Under the decision announced last week, United Way will provide the shelter with $5,000 a month through the end of June, when the funding level will be re-evaluated. The money will constitute less than a third of the shelter’s operating budget; some of the rest will come from donations and grants from the county and city.

The facility was sent into a tailspin eight months ago after United Way officials announced they were cutting off $220,000 in annual funding to the Long Beach YWCA, which sponsors the women’s shelter. More than $100,000 of that money had gone to support the shelter, the only remaining program run by the once-active Christian association, Webb said.

United Way officials said they made the decision because of the YWCA’s inability to account for how the money was being spent, as well as serious concerns regarding the viability of the organization’s leadership, financial stability and lack of community support.

Since then, however, the organization has made a remarkable comeback, said Eleanor Aguilar, vice president of United Way’s Harbor/Southeast Region, which is the funding agency. “There’s a whole new leadership team that has taken over,” said Aguilar, referring to the 19-member board that began governing the organization in September.

Among other things, she said, the new board had submitted a detailed audit of how the organization is spending its money, settled all of its long-term and short-term debts, arranged for the grants from the county and city, and raised more than $40,000 in contributions from the community.

“It was very obvious that they had demonstrated substantial progress,” Aguilar said. “They had developed some very aggressive plans to address the conditions.”

The mood at the shelter--which provides short-term housing for about 25 abused women and children--was jubilant in the wake of the announcement.

For the past eight months, Webb said, the facility has limped along by laying off several staff members and relying heavily on volunteers. Now, officials say, it has been given a breather during which to do some long-term strategic planning and fund raising aimed at achieving a sound financial basis.

“It’s very exciting,” said Elaine McDaniel, president of the YWCA’s new board of directors. “We feel that we’ve climbed out of a dark hole and can now begin making some positive decisions. It was a nice Christmas present.”

The $5,000 a month will continue through June 30, she said, at which time the arrangement will be reviewed.

During the same period, Aguilar said, the YWCA will be asked to submit monthly financial statements, board minutes and other information. United Way officials, she said, also will be meeting with shelter staffers to discuss the facility’s future.