WSFL recently had the opportunity to tour the Coastal Women’s Shelter and meet with its Executive Director, Tova Hairston. We asked Tova to give us an idea of exactly what services the shelter offers and how people in need might use the shelter as a resource:

The shelter’s clients usually connect to the agency as a result of an incident of violence. According to Tova, while sometimes it’s physical, domestic violence doesn’t have to be physical to be considered abuse:

Tova told us one of the most important services they provide is emergency shelter. Their safe house is a place women fleeing from domestic abuse can come for safety, support, and wrap-around services:

The Coastal Women’s Shelter can offer help with paying rental deposits or utility deposits to establish new, safe homes. They also assist with court advocacy so survivors can seek protections from abuse, as well as no-cost therapy services and safety planning.  However, a part of their focus is also prevention: