Women who face physical and sexual abuse frequently must choose between the abuse and homelessness. Forty-six percent of cities nationwide have identified domestic abuse as one of the primary causes of homelessness. House of Ruth, which has two confidential addresses to house women fleeing from abusive situations, opens its doors to women of all backgrounds and economic situations, but most of its population is local and usually poor.
House of Ruth has a 24-hour staff at both locations to provide crisis intervention, therapy, psychiatric services and teaching groups. The organization also has a 24-hour hotline for any woman who requires immediate help. Frequently, women flee with their children, and the center has volunteer programs to help both the mothers and the children cope with their situation.
While the vast majority of its residents are poor, the center's counseling services are utilized by a wide variety of local women from all social and economic backgrounds.
"Our counseling center receives a wider range of visitors," said Christel Nichols, House of Ruth's president. "It's used by those who still need to work on the domestic violence issue but may not need our housing services."
The D.C. Rape Crisis Center, in contrast, works solely with men and women who need to overcome sexual abuse. In October 2000, the Crisis Center partnered with Howard University Hospital, the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney's Office to launch Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner.
SANE provides specially trained nurses to meet rape survivors at the hospital to conduct a forensic medical exam. Nurses are on-call 24 hours a day.
But its most widely used service - the 24-hour crisis hotline - is designed to give victims and others affected by sexual assault someone to talk to. In addition, it provides free and confidential counseling to the public on the individual, couple and group levels.
Right now the Crisis Center is in the process of preparing for a variety of new activities designed to heighten the community's understanding of sexual abuse. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and the Crisis Center is planning to host a number of workshops throughout the community, including in primary schools and homeless shelters.
House of Ruth has a 24-hour staff at both locations to provide crisis intervention, therapy, psychiatric services and teaching groups. The organization also has a 24-hour hotline for any woman who requires immediate help. Frequently, women flee with their children, and the center has volunteer programs to help both the mothers and the children cope with their situation.
While the vast majority of its residents are poor, the center's counseling services are utilized by a wide variety of local women from all social and economic backgrounds.
"Our counseling center receives a wider range of visitors," said Christel Nichols, House of Ruth's president. "It's used by those who still need to work on the domestic violence issue but may not need our housing services."
The D.C. Rape Crisis Center, in contrast, works solely with men and women who need to overcome sexual abuse. In October 2000, the Crisis Center partnered with Howard University Hospital, the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney's Office to launch Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner.
SANE provides specially trained nurses to meet rape survivors at the hospital to conduct a forensic medical exam. Nurses are on-call 24 hours a day.
But its most widely used service - the 24-hour crisis hotline - is designed to give victims and others affected by sexual assault someone to talk to. In addition, it provides free and confidential counseling to the public on the individual, couple and group levels.
Right now the Crisis Center is in the process of preparing for a variety of new activities designed to heighten the community's understanding of sexual abuse. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and the Crisis Center is planning to host a number of workshops throughout the community, including in primary schools and homeless shelters.
