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Over the past 30+ years, since Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) began, much progress has been made to support survivors of domestic violence, to hold abusers accountable, and to create and update legislation to further those goals. This year, we are expanding our commitment to providing outreach for survivors in-person and online. To this effort, we will share critical information about domestic violence and the issues that intersect.
As a nonprofit law firm that helps survivors of domestic violence navigate the legal process, we recognize that many will face multiple obstacles before seeking legal assistance. It is our priority to share legal and non-legal information and resources to holistically help survivors, from spotlighting community partners to posting information on safety planning. In addition to our main LSLA Social Channels, we also maintain channels for two statewide networks focused solely on survivor services, @TXCVLAN and @LASSATexas.
The main concern with domestic violence is safety, especially in cases where abuse occurs in a shared living situation, like when an abuser and the abused live under the same roof. This is common with intimate partners, spouses, roommates, parents, and family members. This is also prevalent in human trafficking situations. In these situations, lack of money, transportation, language access, or alternative shelter can become barriers to leaving.
Studies have shown that domestic violence cases rise around major natural disasters due to limited safe housing and the loss of community networks. After Hurricane Harvey, for example, “Katy Christian Ministries’ Crisis Center’s year-to-date report for January-August 2018 records 1,025 domestic violence victims, compared with 417 for the same months in 2017.” This is due to various factors, like increased tension with emergency planning and isolation. While there might be no safe place inside the home, it might also appear there is no safe place outside the home. When flooding, wind, and debris cause road conditions to become hazardous, law enforcement agencies may determine it is unsafe to respond to emergencies until conditions improve. For those isolating with an abuser, this could mean entrapment.
Here are some tips for disaster preparedness in situations of domestic violence:
When preparing a disaster kit, pack a separate bag with supplies to last you three days if possible, and keep it hidden. Pack non-perishable food, water, identification documents (driver’s license, birth certificate, passport), money, medications, clothing, and other supplies. If your neighborhood is under a voluntary or mandatory evacuation order, and your abuser decides to leave without you, this bag will help – especially if all other resources have been taken.
Make a plan for alternative housing and how to get there. If you will be driving, make sure to fill your gas tank before the storm arrives. If you will be taking public transportation, keep track of the departure times on your route.
There are many shelters through the HHSC-funded Texas Family Violence Program that offer free, temporary housing to adults and their children. Check the list below to determine which shelters are accessible to you. We recommend keeping a list of at least three shelters, their addresses and phone numbers, in case storm damage causes one of these shelters to become uninhabitable.
Centers that Provide Temporary Shelter and Support Services (Shelter)
Centers marked with an *asterisk are dual family violence and sexual assault centers.
| City | Shelter | Hotline |
| Abilene | *Noah Project, Inc. | 800-444-3551 |
| Alpine | *Family Crisis Center of the Big Bend, Inc. | 800-834-0654 |
| Amarillo | *Family Support Services of Amarillo, Inc. | 806-374-5433 |
| Angleton | Women’s Center of Brazoria County, Inc. | 800-243-5788 |
| Austin | *SAFE Alliance | 512-267-7233 |
| Bastrop | *Family Crisis Center | 888-311-7755 |
| Bay City | *The Crisis Center | 800-451-9235 |
| Beaumont | *Family Services of Southeast Texas, Inc. | 800-621-8882 |
| Boerne | Kendall County Women’s Shelter | 800-495-8078 |
| Borger | *Hutchinson County Crisis Center, Inc. | 806-273-2313 |
| Brownsville | *Friendship of Women, Inc. | 956-544-7412 |
| Brownwood | *The ARK | 888-313-2699 |
| Bryan | Twin City Mission | 979-775-5355 |
| Carrizo Springs | *Wintergarden Women’s Shelter, Inc. | 800-363-9441 |
| Cleburne | *Johnson County Family Crisis Center | 800-848-3206 |
| Corpus Christi | *Women’s Shelter of South Texas | 800-580-4878 |
| Dallas | The Family Place | 214-941-1991 |
| Dallas | Mosaic Family Services | 214-823-4434 |
| Dallas | The Salvation Army – Carr P. Collins Social Service Center | 214-424-7208 |
| Decatur | *Wise Hope Shelter & Crisis Center | 940-626-4855 |
| Denton | *Denton County Friends of the Family, Inc. | 800-572-4031 |
| Dumas | *Safe Place, Inc. | 806-935-2828 |
| El Paso | *Center Against Family Violence, Inc. | 915-593-7300 |
| Fort Worth | SafeHaven of Tarrant County | 877-701-7233 |
| Gainesville | *Abigail’s Arms – Cooke County Family Crisis Center | 877-846-4751 |
| Galveston | *Resource & Crisis Center of Galveston County, Inc. | 888-919-7233 |
| Garland | Hope’s Door New Beginning Center, Inc. | 972-276-0057 |
| Granbury | *Mission Granbury, Inc. | 817-579-6848 |
| Grand Prairie | *Brighter Tomorrows, Inc. | 972-262-8383 |
| Greenville | Women in Need, Inc. | 903-454-4357 |
| Harlingen | *Family Crisis Center, Inc. | 956-423-9304 |
| Hempstead | *Focusing Families | 979-826-0000 |
| Hondo | *Southwest Family Life Centers, Inc. | 830-426-5131 |
| Houston | *Houston Area Women’s Center, Inc. | 713-528-2121 |
| Humble | *Family Time Crisis and Counseling Center | 281-446-2615 |
| Huntsville | *SAAFE House | 936-291-3369 |
| Jacksonville | *Crisis Center of Anderson & Cherokee Counties, Inc. | 800-232-8519 |
| Kerrville | *Hill Country CARES, Inc. | 830-257-2400 |
| Killeen | *Families in Crisis, Inc. | 254-634-8309 |
| Laredo | Casa de Misericordia | 800-782-2722 |
| Longview | *Women’s Center of East Texas, Inc. | 800-441-5555 |
| Lubbock | Women’s Protective Services of Lubbock, Inc. | 806-747-6491 |
| Lufkin | *Family Crisis Center of East Texas | 800-828-7233 |
| Marble Falls | *Highland Lakes Family Crisis Center | 830-693-5600 |
| McAllen | *Women Together Foundation, Inc. | 800-580-4879 |
| Midland | Safe Place of the Permian Basin, Inc. | 432-570-1465 |
| Mineral Wells | *Hope, Inc. | 940-325-1306 |
| Mt. Pleasant | *SAFE-T Agency (Shelter Agencies for Families in East Texas) | 903-575-9999 |
| New Braunfels | *Crisis Center of Comal County | 830-620-4357 |
| Odessa | *The Crisis Center | 800-627-4747 |
| Pampa | *Tralee Crisis Center for Women, Inc. | 800-658-2796 |
| Pasadena | *The Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Inc. | 713-473-2801 |
| Perryton | *Panhandle Crisis Center, Inc. | 800-753-5308 |
| Plainview | *Crisis Center of the Plains | 806-293-7273 |
| Plano | Hope’s Door New Beginning Center, Inc. | 972-276-0057 |
| Plano | Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation | 972-880-4192 |
| Richmond | *Fort Bend County Women’s Center | 281-342-4357 |
| Round Rock | *Hope Alliance | 800-460-7233 |
| San Angelo | ICD Bridges, Inc. | 800-749-8631 |
| San Antonio | Family Violence Prevention Services, Inc. | 210-733-8810 |
| San Marcos | *Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center | 800-700-4292 |
| Seguin | *Guadalupe Valley Family Violence Shelter, Inc. | 800-834-2033 |
| Sherman | *Grayson Crisis Center | 800-893-5615 |
| Snyder | *Gateway Family Services | 325-578-8054 |
| Texarkana | *Domestic Violence Prevention, Inc. | 903-793-4357 |
| The Woodlands | *Montgomery County Women’s Center | 936-441-7273 |
| Tyler | *East Texas Crisis Center, Inc. | 800-333-0358 |
| Victoria | *Mid-Coast Family Services, Inc. | 800-870-0368 |
| Waco | Family Abuse Center, Inc. | 800-283-8401 |
| Weatherford | *Freedom House | 817-596-8922 |
| Webster | *Bay Area Turning Point, Inc. | 281-286-2525 |
| Wichita Falls | *First Step, Inc. | 800-658-2683 |
Centers with Support Services Only (Non-Residential Centers)
| City | Shelter | Hotline |
| Austin | *Asian Family Support Services of Austin | 877-281-8371 |
| Bonham | *Fannin County Family Crisis Center | 877-583-2855 |
| Eastland | *Eastland County Crisis Center, Inc. | 254-629-3223 |
| Houston | Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse (AVDA) | 713-224-9911 |
| Houston | *The Montrose Center | 713-529-3211 |
| Houston | Northwest Assistance Ministries | 281-885-4673 |
| Pleasanton | *Safer Path Family Violence Shelter | 877-569-2001 |
| Stephenville | *Cross Timbers Family Services | 866-934-4357 |
Here is a list of additional resources:
- The Texas Crime Victim Legal Assistance Network is an online portal connecting survivors of crime to legal and non-legal service providers, collaborating to ensure they obtain the help they need to recover. Visit www.texasvictimnetwork.org for more information.
- 24-Hour National Domestic Violence Hotline: Call 800-799-SAFE (7233) or visit www.thehotline.org. For the deaf and hard of hearing, call 800-787-3224. For emergencies, call 9-1-1.
- Safety Planning Resources (Video)
- Tips for talking to children about violence (Flyer available in English and Spanish)
If you or someone you know needs free civil legal assistance, call 1-800-733-8394 or apply online at www.lonestarlegal.org/get-help.
Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm focused on advocacy for low-income and underserved populations by providing free legal education, advice, and representation. LSLA serves millions of people at 125% of federal poverty guidelines, who live in 72 counties in the eastern and Gulf Coast regions of Texas, and 4 counties in Southwest Arkansas. LSLA focuses its resources on maintaining, enhancing, and protecting income and economic stability; preserving housing; improving outcomes for children; establishing and sustaining family safety, stability, health, and wellbeing; and assisting populations with special vulnerabilities, like those with disabilities, the aging, survivors of crime and disasters, the unemployed and underemployed, the unhoused, those with limited English language skills, and the LGBTQIA+ community. To learn more about Lone Star Legal Aid, visit our website at www.LoneStarLegal.org.
Media contact: media@lonestarlegal.org
