Phone: 281-885-HOPE (4673)
Toll Free Number: 1-888-750-HOPE (4673)

"One woman and her five children who came to NAM's Family Violence and Counseling Center discovered that their new life, although difficult, was their own to fill with joy.  At Christmas time, volunteers provided the struggling family with a tree and ornaments from the Second Chance Resale Shops never realizing that this was the family's first Christmas tree ever."

The hope for a better life and the courage to take the first step must come from within, but NAM's Family Violence Center (FVC) provides the resources to help clients find safe places, and offers support and the services to begin again on new paths. The FVC offers a 24-hour hotline, bilingual outreach, telephone crisis counseling, emergency shelter, emergency food, clothing, transportation, medical assistance, professional counseling services for battered women and their children, information and referrals for batterers, on-site law enforcement, legal referrals and court accompaniment.

Women who flee abusive homes often leave everything behind to enter a world of financial and emotional upheaval. NAM's multiple social service programs meet their basic needs while they work through the physical and emotional trauma they have experienced. Caring volunteer Peer Advocates provide support to clients as they recover their strength and self-esteem, and begin the daunting task of moving toward self-reliance.

The FVC continues to offer innovative programming to meet the needs of our clients. Play Therapy and Art Therapy services are a part of our support services directed toward children and adolescents. As the needs of our clients continue to grow, support from our community allows the FVC to grow and meet those needs.

In alliance with the Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), the FVC helps assure the safety of all household pets through the PetSafe Project. With a referral from a battered women's shelter or program, the SPCA will keep families' pets, free of charge, while family members at risk seek safe refuge.

Domestic violence cuts across all social, economic and educational lines.  It affects all ages, ethnic groups and genders. Domestic violence has been identified as the number one reason for homelessness among women. Community education is an important tool in making our homes safer for all.  NAM's FVC provides a Speakers' Bureau, teen dating seminars and evening support meetings for English- and Spanish-speaking groups. In the 2006-2007 fiscal year in the FVC:

• An average of 300 battered women and their children each month were given support and hope.
• The Youth Education Program worked with more than 6,500 area students during the school year. 
• The SPCA's PetSafe Project, initiated by the Center, sheltered approximately 50 pets during the year.
  

More information regarding Domestic Violence can be found on the Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council website.

The Family Violence Center offers FREE youth violence prevention and awareness programs to middle and high school students.  Programs include Dating with Respect, Bullying and Me, Conflict Resolution, Anger Management, Sexual Harassment, Date Rape, and the Link Between Domestic Violence and Child Abuse.  These programs are available to five area school districts - Klein, Aldine, Cy-Fair, Tomball and Spring - as well as area youth groups.

The programs address the first relationships that teens have outside of their immediate families, and the programs identify the warning signs of abuse, including violence prevention information. In addition to middle and high school classes, these programs are also available for church youth groups and teen social groups.  For information about scheduling these programs, contact Becki Kielaszek, Youth Educator, at 281-885-4669 or bkielaszek@namonline.org.