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The Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter (NWAWS) provides free emergency shelter, food, and clothing to victims of domestic violence and/or sexual assault. We also provide a free 24-hour crisis phone line and services to clients. We also offer court advocacy, Spanish bilingual services, children’s advocacy and programming, community education, support groups, counseling, and a volunteer program. Domestic violence does not discriminate; therefore, our clients are from across all demographics in terms of age, race, socioeconomic status, and educational background. We assist any woman who meets the criteria for emergency intervention and assistance due to domestic violence or sexual assault. Until May 1, 2009 NWAWS was known as the Benton County Women’s Shelter. The shelter began as a task force of local concerned citizens in 1988, and the first shelter was acquired in 1989. Since then we've grown and been able to serve hundreds of people each year.
A Little Help From Our Friends We all know the famous Beatles song that quips, “I get by with a little help from my friends.” The song has stayed popular because of the catchy melody but also because the phrase rings so true in our lives. Nowhere is that more true than in domestic violence and sexual assault programs. In the field the new technical phrase for “friends,” is “community coordinated response.” What we have discovered over the years is that no one agency can serve all the needs of its clients, so coordinating our response to violence in our community is the only way to work towards responding to it and one day preventing it. We are a blessed organization to count so many other agencies as our friends. One of our closest partners is SARPA (Sexual Assault Recovery and Prevention Agency). We often refer clients to each other, and SARPA conducts a weekly support group in English and Spanish at our shelter. This is a tremendous resource to offer our clients who are working towards healing the emotional wounds of violence. A growing area of partnership that we are very proud of is with a number of disabilities services agencies in our area, including Sources and Arkansas Support Network. New studies from the Department of Justice show that the rates of violence and sexual assault against individuals with disabilities are much higher than in the general population. This coordinated response from programs like ours and local disabilities service providers is essential in addressing a problem that has epidemic proportions. A list of our organization’s friends will always include local law enforcement and justice system officials. The officers who respond to calls regarding domestic violence and sexual assault are the first line of protection and safety for victims of these crimes, and they are often the ones who make the initial referral of a client to our program. We then turn to the judicial system to assist our clients in securing Orders of Protection or other measures that will serve them as they move toward a new beginning. Through our partnerships we have confirmed what we already know: Northwest Arkansas is a giving, caring community with many people and agencies committed to serving those in need
Please join us for food, drinks, live music and ART for a good cause!
Fresh StART is a silent auction featuring original works of art by local artists. Proceeds from the auction will help give a “fresh start” to the women and children who stay with us at the shelter. Artists interested in donating work to the event can contact Molly Rawn at 479-246-9999 or mrawn@nwaws.org.
If you or someone you know is in a violent relationship, please feel free to call our hotline (800-775-9011 or 479-246-9999) which operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. A staff member can talk to you about your situation, strategies for coping, and other possible resources for getting assistance. Staff can also help you with the most important consideration in leaving, safety planning. SAFETY PLANNING Leaving a violent or abusive relationship can be difficult and dangerous, so careful planning is important to protect yourself and your children. When Preparing to Leave A. When you actually leave the home, you are at the greatest risk. It is better not to tell your abuser that you are planning to leave. Try to leave when the abuser is not home. B. Accumulate things like a second set of keys, important documents, money, medicine, and clothes with someone you trust or in a secret, safe place. C. Plan with someone you trust in advance to arrange for a place to stay. This can be a friend, a family member, or a women’s shelter. Keep in mind that the abuser may know where your friends and family are and may easily find you. D. Write down important phone numbers, including that of the local police, women’s shelter, and family in case you lose your phone or get it taken away from you. E. A women’s shelter will help you find a place for you to leave your pets in case you cannot take them with you to a friend’s or to the shelter. What to Take Important documents to have when leaving:
If you are interested in volunteering for the Northwest Arkansas Women's Shelter or the Shelter Thrift Store, please contact Megan Segraves in our office at 479-246-9999 or at msegraves@nwaws.org.
The Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter (NWAWS) provides free emergency shelter, food, and clothing to victims of domestic violence and/or sexual assault. We also provide a free 24-hour crisis phone line and services to clients. We also offer court advocacy, Spanish bilingual services, children’s advocacy and programming, community education, support groups, counseling, and a volunteer program. Domestic violence does not discriminate; therefore, our clients are from across all demographics in terms of age, race, socioeconomic status, and educational background. We assist any woman who meets the criteria for emergency intervention and assistance due to domestic violence or sexual assault.