H.E.R. (Help and Emergency Response) Shelter is a three-dimensional support program with many services for its clients, all aimed at creating sustainable solutions for people escaping domestic violence. In addition to a 24-hour crisis hotline and emergency food and shelter, it also connects families to advocacy programs, employment training, placement assistance, rapid re-housing, a homeless children’s referral network, and more.

"People who survive domestic violence come out with so many different needs; there really isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution," Beth Cross, H.E.R.’s Executive Director, explains. "Sometimes it’s enough to just have a safe place to spend the night while they get in touch with family members who can take them in. But sometimes it takes much more than that. Some people escape the violence right away, but others wait months or even years, and long-term damage can require more than a warm bed to heal. We’ve spent 30 years seeing what works and what doesn’t to create lasting, sustainable change in our clients’ lives. We’ve seen the success of our programs, not just for our clients, but for the wider community as well. It’s all about giving people the power and opportunity to create new lives." 

H.E.R. Shelter’s latest employment training program, SweetHaven Bakery, has been a great success. Through the program, H.E.R. Shelter clients learn to manage a restaurant-grade kitchen, crafting marketable job skills for the future while producing delicious cupcakes for hungry patrons. The results have been impressive. Seventy-five percent of SweetHaven graduates have found permanent jobs, and the proceeds from the sale of the cupcakes have been used to further H.E.R. Shelter’s other programs. Thanks to the efforts of the H.E.R. Team, the future is brighter for hundreds of survivors across Hampton Roads.