Women in Distress

Women in Distress (WID) is a nonprofit, nationally accredited and state-certified domestic-violence center based in Broward County, Florida. It operates as a full-service organization supporting people affected by domestic and intimate-partner violence through emergency shelter, crisis intervention, counseling, advocacy, education and referrals. Its work is built around an empowerment-based model that emphasizes survivor safety, autonomy and access to practical resources rather than treating shelter as an isolated service. The organization began in 1972 as an initiative to help women experiencing crisis. Feminist and women's-rights activist Roxcy Bolton was the founder, and Edee Greene later helped co-found Women in Distress of Broward County, Inc. Early services were provided from a donated four-bedroom house for homeless women. The organization subsequently opened a small crisis shelter with capacity for 12 women. A later tragedy, involving the murder of a client who had returned to a violent spouse in order to reunite with her children, helped motivate additional community donations and the development of a larger shelter capable of housing both survivors and children. WID's facilities expanded significantly over time. The Jim and Jan Moran Family Center opened in November 1995. A $1 million endowment in 1999 supported a second eight-bed shelter in Hollywood. In 2008, the organization acquired a six-acre campus in Deerfield Beach. The campus included a newer Jim & Jan Moran Family Center, crisis-intake facilities, counseling and education spaces, child-care resources and a Broward County Sheriff's Office substation. The center's shelter capacity later expanded from 62 beds to 135 beds. In 2018, WID added a pet shelter, addressing a common barrier faced by survivors who may hesitate to leave an abusive household if doing so would mean abandoning an animal. The organization's services include 24-hour crisis-line response, safe shelter, individual and group counseling, parenting classes, respite child care, legal and social-service referrals, community education and advocacy. WID also works with the Broward County Sheriff's Office and has supported specialized outreach to diverse communities, including Spanish-speaking, Haitian, African, Middle Eastern, Russian and Eastern European populations. Staff language capacity has included English, Spanish, Creole and Portuguese. Its EAGLE program extends services to survivors in same-sex relationships, reflecting an effort to address domestic violence beyond a narrowly defined heterosexual model. Community education is a major part of WID's public-facing role. After receiving an AmeriCorps grant in 2007, the organization developed a corps of AmeriCorps members working on education and outreach across schools, civic organizations, businesses, professional groups, faith communities, media, health and fitness settings, and beauty salons. These activities position WID not only as a shelter operator but also as a prevention, training and awareness institution. WID has faced rising demand and resource pressure. The organization reported 7,966 calls to its 24-hour crisis line during 2018–2019. Reference material also describes substantial growth in shelter bed nights and increases in domestic-violence incidents and high-lethality cases. In 2021, WID joined CASA in Pinellas and The Spring of Tampa to form the Florida Domestic Violence Coalition (FLDVC). Under that arrangement, WID became the contractor for Florida's statewide domestic-violence hotline, which receives more than 12,000 calls annually according to the cited reference, while the partner organizations took responsibility for training and technical assistance and legal services. WID therefore combines a strong regional identity in Broward County with a statewide crisis-response role.

Women in Distress originated in 1972 as a nonprofit effort to help women in crisis. Roxcy Bolton founded the organization, and Edee Greene co-founded Women in Distress of Broward County, Inc. in 1974. Its earliest refuge was a donated four-bedroom home for homeless women. The organization then established a small crisis shelter for 12 women, laying the foundation for a broader domestic-violence service system. A fatal case involving a former client who returned to an abusive spouse in order to reunite with her children became an important point in the organization's development. Community donations following the killing enabled Women in Distress to purchase a 54-bed shelter that could accommodate both domestic-violence survivors and their children. The organization gradually expanded from emergency accommodation into a full-service provider offering counseling, crisis intervention, advocacy, education and referrals. The Jim and Jan Moran Family Center opened in November 1995. In 1999, a $1 million endowment supported the opening of a second eight-bed shelter in Hollywood. A major facilities expansion followed in 2008, when Women in Distress purchased a six-acre campus in Deerfield Beach. The campus included a new Jim & Jan Moran Family Center, crisis-intake and counseling resources, parenting classes, respite child care and a Broward Sheriff's Office substation. Capacity at the center eventually grew from 62 beds to 135 beds. Women in Distress has also broadened its outreach model. The organization has developed services and communications for Spanish, Creole, African, Middle Eastern, Russian and Eastern European communities, with staff language services reported in English, Spanish, Creole and Portuguese. The EAGLE program, whose name refers to ending abuse of gays and lesbians, supports survivors in same-sex relationships. In 2007, an AmeriCorps grant helped the organization place 20 members in community-education roles serving schools, legal professionals, civic groups, corporations, media, faith organizations and other community settings. In 2018, WID added a pet shelter. This expansion addressed the safety dilemma faced by survivors who may delay leaving an abusive household because they cannot take a pet with them. The organization's crisis-line activity and shelter demand have grown alongside broader service pressures. It recorded 7,966 calls on its 24-hour crisis line in 2018–2019. Reference material also reports that bed nights had risen substantially since 2008 and that high-lethality cases had increased. WID works with the Broward County Sheriff's Office and has received public recognition for that partnership. In October 2009, Florida Governor Charlie Crist commended the organization and the sheriff's office for their joint domestic-violence efforts. The organization nevertheless experienced funding pressure during the economic downturn; an $8,000 reduction reported in 2011 threatened to affect hotline and counseling services while demand was increasing. In 2021, Women in Distress joined CASA in Pinellas and The Spring of Tampa to create the Florida Domestic Violence Coalition. WID became the contractor for Florida's statewide domestic-violence hotline, while CASA took responsibility for training and technical assistance and The Spring assumed legal-services responsibilities, including the Injunction for Protection Project and legal hotline. This restructuring followed the shutdown of the previous statewide coalition amid a financial-misconduct crisis involving its former chief executive. The available material does not attribute that misconduct to Women in Distress. WID's role consequently extends beyond its Broward County base into statewide hotline administration and coordination.

• 2021

  Florida Domestic Violence Coalition formed

  [1]Women in Distressen.wikipedia.org

  WID joined CASA in Pinellas and The Spring of Tampa and became the statewide hotline contractor.

• 2018

  Pet shelter added

  [1]Women in Distressen.wikipedia.org

  A pet shelter was added to help survivors leave abusive homes with their animals.

• 2008

  Deerfield Beach campus acquired

  [1]Women in Distressen.wikipedia.org

  WID purchased a six-acre campus and expanded its family center, shelter and support services.

• 2007

  AmeriCorps-supported education program begins

  [1]Women in Distressen.wikipedia.org

  An AmeriCorps grant supported community-education work by 20 members.

• 1999

  Second shelter established

  [1]Women in Distressen.wikipedia.org

  A $1 million endowment enabled WID to open an eight-bed shelter in Hollywood.

• 1995

  Jim and Jan Moran Family Center opens

  [1]Women in Distressen.wikipedia.org

  The organization opened the Jim and Jan Moran Family Center in November.

• 1974

  Women in Distress of Broward County incorporated

  [1]Women in Distressen.wikipedia.org

  Edee Greene co-founded the Broward County organization, which developed the group's early shelter and service infrastructure.

• 1972

  Organization founded

  [1]Women in Distressen.wikipedia.org

  Roxcy Bolton established Women in Distress as a nonprofit initiative serving women in crisis.

A survivor-centered, empowerment-based domestic-violence organization combining emergency shelter, crisis response, counseling, advocacy, prevention education and community partnerships.

• Domestic-violence shelter · 1972

  Emergency shelter

  Women in Distress operates confidential emergency accommodation for survivors of domestic violence and their children. Its shelter system developed from a small 12-person refuge into larger facilities, including the Jim and Jan Moran Family Center, whose capacity is described as having expanded to 135 beds. Shelter services are combined with intake, safety planning, counseling, child-care support and referrals.

• Crisis intervention

  24-hour crisis line

  The crisis line provides around-the-clock telephone response, crisis intervention, information, safety planning and connections to shelter or other resources. WID recorded 7,966 calls on its 24-hour crisis line in 2018–2019. From 2021, the organization also served as contractor for Florida's statewide domestic-violence hotline.

• Survivor support

  Counseling and advocacy

  WID provides individual and group counseling, parenting classes, advocacy, legal and social-service referrals, and practical assistance for survivors navigating safety, housing, family and recovery needs. The model is empowerment-based, emphasizing survivor choice and longer-term independence alongside immediate protection.

• Specialized domestic-violence services

  EAGLE program

  EAGLE, short for Ending Abuse of Gays and Lesbians Everywhere, extends Women in Distress services to survivors in same-sex relationships. It reflects the organization's broader effort to make domestic-violence support responsive to different identities, family structures and community contexts.

• Prevention and awareness · 2007

  Community education and outreach

  The organization conducts awareness, prevention and professional education through schools, civic groups, employers, legal professionals, health and fitness settings, faith organizations, media and community associations. Outreach has included Spanish, Creole, African, Middle Eastern, Russian and Eastern European communities.

• Survivor-support infrastructure · 2018

  Pet shelter

  Added in 2018, the pet shelter allows survivors to seek emergency safety without having to leave beloved animals behind. It addresses a practical and emotional barrier that can delay departure from an abusive household.

• 2021

  Reorganization after Florida coalition financial-misconduct crisis

  The Florida Domestic Violence Coalition was formed after the previous statewide coalition was shut down in connection with reported financial malfeasance involving its former chief executive. Women in Distress participated in the successor arrangement; the cited material does not allege that WID committed the misconduct.

  Source

Read more

• 2021Florida Domestic Violence Coalition

  Florida

  Women in Distress worked with CASA in Pinellas and The Spring of Tampa to create a statewide coalition and divide responsibility for hotline, training and legal services.

  Outcome. WID became the contractor for Florida's statewide domestic-violence hotline.

  Source
• 2007AmeriCorps community education initiative

  Broward County, Florida

  An AmeriCorps grant supported 20 members working full-time on community education, with assigned outreach areas including schools, legal professionals, civic groups, businesses, media, faith organizations and health-related settings.

  Outcome. The initiative expanded WID's prevention and awareness presence across multiple local constituencies.

  Source

• 2021

  Assume statewide hotline contractStrategy

  Background

  Florida's prior statewide domestic-violence coalition had been shut down after a financial-misconduct crisis.

  Action taken

  WID joined CASA in Pinellas and The Spring of Tampa in forming the Florida Domestic Violence Coalition and became the contractor for the statewide hotline.

  Aftermath

  WID gained a statewide crisis-response role, while partner organizations handled training and technical assistance and legal services.

  Source

• 2018

  Add pet shelteringProduct launch

  Background

  Survivors may delay leaving abusive homes when they cannot safely take companion animals with them.

  Action taken

  WID added a pet shelter to its campus.

  Aftermath

  The organization broadened its emergency-support model to include the safety of survivors' animals.

  Source

• 2008

  Expand through a dedicated Deerfield Beach campusStrategy

  Background

  Growing demand for shelter, crisis intake, counseling and family services required more capacity than the organization's earlier facilities could provide.

  Action taken

  WID purchased a six-acre Deerfield Beach campus and developed a larger Jim and Jan Moran Family Center with shelter and support facilities.

  Aftermath

  The campus became the organization's principal service hub, with shelter capacity later reported at 135 beds and a Broward Sheriff's Office substation on site.

  Source

• 2021

  Women in Distress joins Florida Domestic Violence Coalition[1]Women in Distressen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Women in Distress joined CASA in Pinellas and The Spring of Tampa to establish the Florida Domestic Violence Coalition and assumed the contract for Florida's statewide domestic-violence hotline.

• 2018

  Women in Distress adds pet shelter[1]Women in Distressen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The organization added a pet shelter to its campus so survivors could seek safety without being forced to leave companion animals behind.

• 2011

  Funding reduction affects hotline and counseling services[1]Women in Distressen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Women in Distress was informed of an $8,000 funding cut, with potential effects on its telephone hotline and counseling programs amid increased demand for domestic-violence services.

• 2009

  Governor commends Women in Distress and Broward Sheriff's Office partnership[1]Women in Distressen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  At an October 2009 press conference, Florida Governor Charlie Crist praised Women in Distress and the Broward Sheriff's Office for their joint efforts addressing domestic violence.

• 2007

  Women in Distress receives AmeriCorps grant[1]Women in Distressen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  An AmeriCorps grant supported a group of members working on community education and outreach across schools, civic groups, professional communities and other local settings.

1. 1Women in Distressen.wikipedia.org