How long have you been around?
The Shelter started as a group of organized volunteers in 1986. In 1988, we began converting a Naples four-plex into an emergency shelter.
In 1991, The Shelter launched our first resale store, Options Thrift Shoppe, and continued to expand our programs and services. By 2000, our Immokalee Outreach program had been named a national model serving immigrant and migrant battered women; the Board had approved long-range plans to build a new shelter; and the search for land had begun.
Throughout the early 2000s, programs, services and fundraising efforts continued; and, in the fall of 2002, administration, counseling and residents moved into the current 30,000 square-foot facility.
Since that time, The Shelter has continued to expand programs and services to meet the ever changing needs of domestic violence victims and survivors.