Shelter From The Storm, Inc.

Vision
To create a community where every individual lives free from the terror of domestic violence, empowered to build a safe and healthy future for themselves and their families.

Mission
Shelter From The Storm, Inc., (SFTS) mission is to provide comprehensive services to victims of domestic violence—professionally, ethically, and compassionately. 

Shelter From The Storm, Inc. is dedicated to providing a safe haven for victims of domestic violence, offering protection, empowerment, and comprehensive support through counseling, training, and education. We strive to meet the highest standards of professionalism, ethics, and compassion, ensuring that all individuals experiencing abuse have access to the services they need to rebuild their lives. Shelter From The Storm is helping survivors flourish after the storm that is intimate partner domestic violence they have experienced.   

Core Values

• Safety: We prioritize creating a secure environment for all survivors and their children, ensuring they are protected from their abusers.
• Empowerment: We believe in empowering individuals through education, counseling, and training to help them regain control of their lives and make informed decisions for their futures.
• Respect: We treat every individual with dignity and respect, honoring their right to confidentiality and their personal journey to healing.
• Inclusivity: We are committed to serving all victims of domestic violence, regardless of background, and ensuring our services are accessible to everyone in need.
• Professionalism: We adhere to the highest standards of ethical practice, providing services that are both compassionate and effective.

Services

Shelter From The Storm offers a comprehensive range of services, both in-person and virtually through a hybrid model, to support survivors of domestic violence:

• 24-Hour Crisis Call Center: Our crisis hotline handles over 2,500 calls annually, offering immediate support and crisis intervention to those in need.
• Emergency Shelter: Our Mary L. Silver House provides a safe, home-like environment for women and their children fleeing domestic violence, offering more than 800 nights of shelter and over 2,400 meals annually.
• Case Management: We offer weekly case management to help individuals set and achieve specific, measurable goals as they work toward independence and safety.
• Outreach Advocacy: Our trained advocates provide essential services and referrals, connecting clients with the resources they need.
• Community Education: We offer valuable consultation to clinical professionals and conduct training for medical, legal, law enforcement, and community groups. We also provide the only Teen Dating Violence Prevention Program curriculum available to local high schools in the Coachella Valley.
• Community Counseling Center: We provide clinical therapy, both individual and group, for individuals and their children who have completed their stay in our emergency shelter, as well as the broader community.
• Basic Needs Support: We provide essential hygiene and personal care items, as well as nonperishable food items, to clients in our shelter program and those enrolled in our Community Counseling Center.

Organizational History

Established in 1988 by community leaders in response to the critical need for services and safety for domestic violence victims in the Coachella Valley and Eastern Riverside County, Shelter From The Storm has grown into a highly respected, non-sectarian program. We opened our emergency shelter in September 1993, and since then, we have expanded our services to include safety, counseling, case management, and legal and social service advocacy for women and children escaping violence.

In 2017, due to funding cuts, we relocated our shelter to a more home-like setting, now known as the Mary L. Silver House, where victims can find safety, support, and the empowerment to become survivors. Following the 2020 pandemic, we adapted our service delivery to include virtual telehealth services, and we now operate a hybrid model offering both in-person and virtual support. 

This change continued to allow victims/survivors to find safety, and support, and become empowered survivors. On an annual basis, we provide more than 700 nights of emergency shelter. We also serve more than 2,000 meals to our shelter families each year. Services are available in both English and Spanish.