PROVIDENCE – The Sojourner House, a domestic violence agency serving Providence and northern Rhode Island, announced Wednesday it has expanded its mission to include and serve the needs of victims of sexual assault.
Re-written, the Sojourner House mission now reads: “to promote healthy relationships by providing culturally sensitive support, advocacy, and education for victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence; and to effect systems change.”
Executive Director Vanessa Volz said many of the individuals they served in previous years also had histories of sexual abuse or assault.
“Our updated mission seeks to better address our clients’ needs and send the message to victims and survivors that we can and will support you,” she added.
As a result of the mission’s expansion the nonprofit organization is adding new programming that will provide permanent housing for families impacted by violence and the state’s first shelter for victims of human trafficking.
Volz said at the moment there will be no additions or consolidation of staff, but that as the programming is put in place there may be one new hire, funded by grant money, to manage the permanent housing program.
Sojourner House is currently staffed seven days a week and runs a 24/7 crisis hotline for those in need of support, she explained.
With the expansion of the mission, “we’ll receive more calls, but we won’t have to provide more staffing for [the hotline],” she said.
Partnering with local businesses is “critical to [the organization’s] operations,” said Volz, and many of the services it provides are only available via donations in a business-to-business relationship.
Founded in 1976, Sojourner House is a member of the RI Coalition Against Domestic Violence and provides safe shelter, transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, the Providence metro area’s only drop-in advocacy and resource center, Rhode Island’s only shelters for male victims of domestic violence and victims of human trafficking, support and advocacy for children who witness domestic violence, immigration advocacy, free HIV testing and support, and prevention education programs for students.
