Providing Safety and Restoring Autonomy for Domestic Violence Survivors at Sojourner Center

For the millions of women across the United States affected by domestic violence, their lives are often at immediate risk. Having a safe place to turn when they flee their abusive partner, like an emergency shelter, can be the difference between life and death. The same can be said for their children and their pets.

Sojourner Center, based in Phoenix, Arizona, provides both emergency shelter (with 133 beds) and transitional housing services (made up of 32 apartments) for over 1,000 survivors of domestic violence in the region each year. Programming at the center includes individualized case management, food services, legal support, community partner services and, notably, their Child Development Center, which is an accredited and licensed daycare right on their campus.

“The reason the Child Development Center is so special is because we serve so many children,” explains Liz Zelazo, Director of Philanthropy for Sojourner Center. With 60% of their emergency shelter population comprised of children, “that means we’re serving a lot of families.” She adds, “Our programs are really geared towards helping these children heal from the trauma they’ve endured or witnessed.”

Another key element of what makes Sojourner Center so crucial for many survivors is their pet companion services, which provides pet day care and veterinary assistance and ensures that no beloved family member is left behind. “That’s their heart, their family,” Zelazo points out, noting that pets are oftentimes “important to the healing process.”

“It’s not just a shelter, it’s wraparound service,” explains the organization’s Co-Director Bailey DeRoest, who says that what drives their mission is reducing the barriers that can often halt a survivor from getting the help and care they need. This important work is done with the help of staff, volunteers, the Phoenix community and donors.

Opened in 1977, Sojourner Center has weathered storms like the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw an increase in incidents of domestic violence, but “year after year, our needs don’t change,” she points out. “We operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, holidays, you name it, we are here providing services.” As a $7 million organization, Zelazo says that nearly half of their operating budget “is supported through charitable contributions.”

“We truly could not do the work that we do without our donors,” DeRoest says, adding that those who give through unrestricted gifts by way of donor-advised funds (DAFs) can often make the most meaningful impacts. “By having that flexibility, we can do things like give money directly to a survivor if they need something like gas for their car, which can make all the difference.”

Supporting not only the organizational need of the nonprofit is a key element of donor support, but it’s also about meeting survivors where they are in their journey “and allowing them to restore their sense of autonomy and to work towards healing,” DeRoest says.

Donors also aid in giving children from domestic violence situations the chance to simply be children in a supportive environment. “Because what we all want is safe communities and healthy families,” DeRoest says. Zalazo echoes that sentiment: “We are not only helping keep individual survivors safe, but our communities safe. We’re helping break generational cycles of violence.”