State Rep. Donna Scheuren visits Laurel House, Women's Center of Montgomery County for Advocacy Day

(The following was provided by the Office of State Rep. Donna Scheuren.)

As the Capitol welcomed organizations standing against domestic violence in Pennsylvania, I was able to meet with two very special groups working hard to rebuild the lives of survivors.

We discussed the proposed 2024-25 Fiscal Year budget, specifically Gov. Josh Shapiro’s $5 million proposed increase for the domestic violence line item to secure safety services for survivors, as well as other issues facing Montgomery County domestic violence survivors.

My eyes were opened to the terrible reality that this issue is a very serious problem throughout our state and that the number of victims continues to climb. Fortunately, there are some amazing groups throughout Montgomery County that are available to support these victims and are on a mission to end domestic violence. Two of the groups I met with are featured below.

Laurel House

I sat down with Melinda Himes, director of Shelter & Housing for the Laurel House, and learned about her vision to help end domestic violence. She joined Laurel House seven years ago and has been committed to the cause ever since. Melinda opened our discussion with a quote that stuck with me by simply stating “On my first day, the number of times the phone rang was shocking.”

    Melinda Himes, left, director of Shelter & Housing for the Laurel House.
  

Laurel House is a comprehensive domestic violence agency, serving families, individuals and communities throughout Montgomery County. In glancing at the details from their literature, it couldn’t have been more powerfully stated than this:
• Laurel House advocates for and empowers those impacted by domestic violence by providing crisis intervention, safe haven, supportive programs and resources.
• Laurel House advances social change through preventative education, community training and collaboration to foster a coordinated response to domestic abuse.

With a 9,000 square foot, newly renovated domestic violence shelter encompassing 12 bedrooms, they can offer a great deal of assistance to those in need. The 12 bedrooms all have different environments, and some offer multiple beds to welcome families as well. The house offers a shared kitchen and laundry for use by the residents, and guests are welcome to stay for up to 6 months, or simply a night or two.

The shelter is in a safe location and the team at Laurel House can move, relocate and offers a case manager for each woman in order to help them with enrolling a child in a new school, a job change or financial assistance to help cover the costs of starting somewhere new. They also provide trauma counselors, legal aides and court accompaniment when assault charges are pending. The Laurel House even offers post-shelter residency for up to two years so that abuse victims have the full support that they need to make a successful start at their new life.

With great fundraising campaigns like “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes,” or “Dash Against Domestic Violence,” there are a number of ways to give to this wonderful organization. With a main office in East Norriton, PA, they also offer satellite offices in Pottstown, North Wales and Bryn Mawr. Please visit laurel-house.org to find out more ways in which you can help.

It was a pleasure to meet Melinda and to hear about the hard work she and her teammates do to help our community and the victims of domestic abuse. Thank you for all that you do!

The Women’s Center of Montgomery County

Last week, I also got to sit down with the very passionate and very dedicated executive director of the Women’s Center of Montgomery County, Maria Macaluso. She brought along with her four other amazing women who volunteer within the organization to help the victims and survivors of domestic violence stay safe, get away or make a new start.

With over 82,000 cases of both adult and child victims of domestic abuse last year, the need for these services continues to grow. The Women’s Center of Montgomery County (WCMC) is an all-volunteer organization with a primary focus on freedom from domestic violence and other forms of abuse. With locations in Wyncote, Norristown, Pottstown, Bryn Mawr, Colmar, Lansdale and Skippack, they are all over Montgomery County and striving to make a difference in the lives of the victims they help.

These ladies opened our discussions by telling me every 7 seconds a woman is abused – that is a statistic that needs to sink in for a second. What a harsh and horrible reality. In addition, once the abuse escalates to the level of choking or even strangulation, the victim’s safety is now a top priority. Those are serious signs that the next level of abuse may not be something the woman can withstand or survive, and she needs immediate help.

The WCMC works very closely with police departments across the county, in an effort to be there for suspected victims that the police officers come across on a daily basis. So often there is a need to get the police involved, as many of the women trying to escape various forms of violence are also stalked by their abusers. I also learned that electronic equipment often needed by these police departments in these situations is not readily available, so I’m going to investigate that further to see if my state office can help.

WCMC provides all the thought-provoking and intense training necessary to their volunteers and staff, so don’t hesitate to get involved if this issue is a topic that resonates with any of my readers. In fact, the original volunteer and founder of the WCMC back in 1976, 95-year-old Suzanne Fields, still answers the hotline number every Monday. If she still has the energy to help this worthy cause, I’m sure many of us can find the time as well. WCMC may have 165 trained volunteers right now, but they are always looking for more to join the team.

All the ladies who came to see me have stories that are extremely personal to them, and they were kind enough to share some of their success stories with me. A woman in her 30s with six children, had a PFA (Protection from Abuse Order) against her abuser and it was violated several times reaching the level of strangulation. They were able to act quickly while he was in jail for 30 days, get the paperwork filed to have his visitation removed and get her the necessary startup money to relocate and get somewhere safe.

Another case involved a doctor from Harvard who was monitored by her spouse 24/7. It became an impossible situation where she was forbidden to serve in the field of medicine without fear of abuse and was reduced to working in a coffee shop so her abuser could keep tabs on her. A plan was devised and the WCMC was able to get her to the embassy in New York, and successfully out of the country to start anew. Abuse can take all forms and affect people all around us. Clearly with those two examples, anyone can be at risk.

Once the abuse is known or reported, getting these victims to a hotel, a new cell phone, food for their family, and the necessities to keep going, are steps that all the volunteers of WCMC take to help. They are all one link in the chain to freedom for these victims of domestic violence, and they are to be commended for their dedication and passionate stance to save each and every victim they can.

It was an honor to meet the team from WCMC. I hope their movement continues to grow across our county, as more and more of you become aware of their services. Learn more about them at wcmontco.org to see how you can help to transform lives, donate to the cause, become a volunteer or give items to their donation centers to help with the necessities victims, survivors and their families need to keep going. Keep up the great work, Maria! You have a fantastic group of volunteers that are making a difference in our community. I was sincerely touched by your visit and your mission. God Bless all of you!