User:RayJosefAguilar/Atlantic County Women's Center

The Atlantic County Women's Center (TWC) is a voluntary health organization dedicated to their mission: "To empower women by working to secure their physical safety, emotional well-being, individual freedom, and economic equality." TWC is dedicated to bringing positive change and empowerment to women's lives.

Established in 1975 and headquartered in Linwood, New Jersey, TWC currently employs over 60 voluntary staff members throughout Atlantic County, operating an estimated annual budget over $8 million.

History
In 1975, five women formed a 24-hour rape and sexual assault counseling hotline from their homes with close affiliation with the National Organization for Women (NOW). In 1977, volunteers continued to answer hotline calls and provide emergency shelter. In this year alone, over 30 women and their children used the safe houses to escape dangerous situations. In 1978, the Abuse Center, a shelter for victims of domestic abuse, still under construction, could house only five women and their children. After completion, the shelter was able to house 18 women and their children. The Abuse Center served women from Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Salem, Gloucester, Camden, and Burlington Counties. In its first year, 306 women and their children were sheltered. In 1983, the agency received funding to establish the Rape Care Program to provide rape victims with 24-hour hotline counseling, accompaniment to hospital, police stations and courts, if requested, as well as emergency shelter and counseling. From 1985 to 2000, TWC continued to provide and enhance the domestic violence, rape care, and other familial services by creating several niche programs.

Programs
The Violence Intervention Program (VIP) - works to reduce the physical, psychological, and emotional trauma and recurrence of domestic violence, sexual assault and incest experienced by victims and their families.

Peace: A Learned Solution (PALS) - is part of a statewide network of similar programs focused on providing therapeutic services to families who have witnessed or experienced domestic violence.

The Child Care Network (CNN) - is a child care resource and referral agency, promotes and enhances existing child care services and works to develop and increase the supply of quality and affordable childcare in Atlantic County.

Father's Ending Abuse - is a program designed to improve the wellbeing of children through involved responsible, and committed parenting.

Fathers' Care Network (FCN) - is a program designed to assist fathers in strengthening their role in their lives of their children. FCN will provide fathers with visitation assistance, parenting skills, child development training, employment support, conflict resolution skills, assistance reuniting with children, advancing economic stability, connecting fathers with community supporters, improve communication with co-parents, and mentoring and assisting incarcerated fathers with reunification.

The Father's Care Network is a collaboration among several social service organization within Atlantic County. Each agency offers a unique insight and expertise into the needs of fathers and their families. As the lead agency, The Women's Center has partnered with Youth Advocate Program (YAP), Career Opportunity Development, Inc. (CODI), Girl Scouts of Central and Southern NJ, Inc., Atlantic County Justice Facility, and the Atlantic County Sheriff's Office.

Home To Work (HTW) - empowers displaced homemakers with the persona support, education and job training necessary to become independent and self-sufficient. Those who are titled to this program are women who, after spending several years working in the home, become displaced because of separation, divorce, unemployment, disability or death of spouse or partner.

The Self Sufficiency Program - is a job readiness and workforce re-entry program for men and women who have previously been displaced from employment. Self Sufficiency clients may be unemployed and looking for work, or interested in training or education, or focused on career exploration. The Program is funded through the United Way of Atlantic County.

The WomenSource Training Institute - serves as an "umbrella" Program to combine and coordinate all the agency's educational opportunities, as well as offer new, creative and innovative curriculums.

Child Development Associate (CDA) - initiated in 1971, the CDA National Credentialing Program is a major national movement to improve the quality of childcare. The program is designed to assess early care and education professionals based on performance. A CDA is an individual who has successfully completed a CDA assessment and has been awarded the CDA Credential.

Dream Catcher - is a holistic program addressing all forms of human trafficking. Dream Catcher services are provided on a statewide level.

Organizational Governance
On the Board of Directors of the Women's Center are Sheriff Frank X. Balles as Board President, Vice President John Smoyer, Second Vice President India Karavackas, and Sergeant-at-Arms Michele Ginieczki.

Other Directors include Sean Allen, Valerie Armstrong, Robert D'Augustine, Mary Anne Foley, Delores Jones, Jerry Kanefsky, Rev. Lynda T. Rassmann, Mary Rixey, Sadhna Singh, and Bernice VanSteyn-Weiss.