A Safe Harbor for Battered Women

Nancy thought her abusive boyfriend was part of her past.

After he had repeatedly slapped and beaten her, she persuaded him to move out of the house they shared with their two children, ages 5 and 6.

She didn’t know he was still secretly keeping tabs on her. When Nancy began dating again, he started driving by the house and threatened her over the phone. Then he broke into her house late one night, frightening the children and demanding that she let him back into her life.

The next day, Nancy called the House of Ruth, a full-service center for victims of domestic violence. House of Ruth, which operates a shelter in the San Gabriel Valley, gave Nancy a temporary place to stay, counseling for her and her children and help in finding subsidized housing. Nancy (her name has been changed to protect her identity) is back in school, learning a new trade.

But Nancy’s problems are not over. Her ex-boyfriend is now demanding custody of the children.

“That is the story of a lot of women here,” said Barbara Archambeau, director of residential services at House of Ruth. “They don’t always end up tied nicely with a happy bow.”

That is also true of House of Ruth, an organization that began 25 years ago with an idea cooked up by four women sitting around a kitchen table. It has grown to include a staff of 50 employees, a 12,000-square-foot office building and a 55-bed shelter.

But with a massive shortfall projected for the state budget and cuts to social services expected in the federal budget, House of Ruth officials worry that government funding will dwindle next year, leading to cuts in services at the shelter.

Besides temporary housing for women and their children, House of Ruth offers counseling, a 24-hour hotline, (909) 988-5559, legal assistance, job training and other help, all funded with government grants and private donations. The group received $15,000 from last year’s Times Holiday Campaign.

“My vision for our facility is that a battered woman should be able to walk in the door and get any service she needs,” said Barbara Hope, executive director of House of Ruth.

During this holiday season, as part of an annual fund-raising drive, The Times is highlighting groups that serve youths and families in Southern California. Every dollar raised, plus matching gifts from the McCormick Tribune Foundation, goes directly to such agencies. The Times and the foundation absorb all administrative costs.

Last year’s appeal and matching funds raised $653,000, which was allocated to more than 50 charities.

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