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Call our 24-Hour Hotline at (562) HER HOME (437-4663) or 911
Since 1977, WomenShelter of Long Beach has helped thousands of families overcome the trauma caused by domestic abuse. WSLB assists victims and their children by providing safe shelter and supportive services including 30-45 days of emergency shelter, 24-hour crisis hotline, counseling, social services support, legal and health advocacy, and much more.
Mission
The mission of WSLB is to eliminate domestic violence through compassionate intervention, education and personal empowerment.
Vision
WSLB will be recognized as the premier organization that fosters a community free from domestic violence. Due to our efforts, families and individuals will live in peace, love and harmony. Parents will raise their children in a respectful loving environment, surrounded by joy and laughter. WSLB will inspire others to eliminate domestic violence in their communities.
History
WomenShelter of Long Beach (WSLB) was founded in 1977 by Virginia Corbett, who donated the house that was used as the first shelter. Ms. Corbett was a local psychologist and activist who became frustrated when she realized that her clients who were victims of domestic violence had no place to go when they wanted to leave their batterers. The 4-bedroom, 11-bed shelter was one of the first in Southern California, part of a growing movement to provide assistance for battered women and their children.
WSLB was originally funded by CEDA, a federal grant program. Staffed by a dedicated group of women, many survivors of domestic violence themselves, WSLB was a safe haven for women and their children. There were no offices or outreach center then. In fact, the staff worked from TV trays in the house’s living room.
In 1980, WSLB merged with the YWCA as a way to secure funding, which opened the way for new, more stable funding sources. In 1984, WSLB moved into a new building, which continues to serve as the agency’s 8-bedroom, 29-bed emergency shelter.
During the ‘80s and ‘90s, WSLB began offering individual counseling, group counseling and other support groups in community centers, including Houghton Park in North Long Beach and St. Mary Medical Center in downtown Long Beach. There was a need for permanent offices for outreach and administration, but resources weren’t available, so the agency continued serving the community in collaboration with other organizations.
In the early ‘90s, the YWCA began to struggle financially, and filed for bankruptcy in 1994, but not before WSLB formed its own nonprofit corporation and became an independent organization. The agency began to thrive and sought new ways to expand services. In 1999, WSLB opened its innovative community-based, storefront counseling and resource center to provide easily accessible outreach services to victims of domestic violence in the community. The Domestic Violence Resource Center (DVRC) was the first such facility in the Greater Long Beach area. Survivors and victims could come and receive non-judgmental, compassionate services, and work on empowering themselves. Today, the DVRC serves approximately 700 victims and children each year.
Throughout the agency’s history, there is one constant. WomenShelter continues to be committed to providing compassionate, supportive services and shelter to victims of domestic violence.
WomenShelter of Long Beach
P.O. Box 32107
Long Beach, California 90832
(562) 437-7233
HOTLINE: (562) 437-4663