Mission

Strengthen Our Sisters is a grassroots, community based, nonprofit, 177- bed shelter program serving battered/homeless  women and children. The mission of Strengthen Our Sisters is dedicated to breaking the cycle of domestic violence, poverty, and abuse by restoring balance and harmony through individual empowerment.

Vision/Values/Goals:

• To provide safe supportive shelter for homeless/battered women and children.
• To provide culturally sensitive non-biased services to women and children in need.
• To work with our clients to help them break the cycle of domestic violence and homelessness which, if unchecked, is passed from one generation to the next.
• To advocate for their legal, social service, housing needs and entitlements.
• To provide direction, referral and support in efforts toward developing self-sufficient lifestyles and life skills.
• To provide an environment for healing and growing for both mothers and children who have been victims of domestic violence, poverty, and homelessness.
• To provide opportunities for job training skills.
• To provide opportunities for completing high school GED.
• To provide counseling and workshops in developing positive productive attitudes, self-esteem, parenting skills, stress management, and improved communication skills.
• To provide a cooperative environment for peaceful and supportive community living.
• To provide assistance in finding transitional and permanent housing.
• To provide outreach programs to address the problems of domestic violence, homelessness and poverty in the community.

The average family at Strengthen Our Sisters is a woman with two young children. All the families we serve must be homeless either as a result of domestic violence or economic circumstances. Our target population consists of low-to no-income women and children living in northern New Jersey or coming from other surrounding counties. The ages of our clients range from infants to age 80. We accept all families in crisis including women with male children over the age of 12, drug/alcohol addicted women (as long as they agree to address the issue), and mentally and physically challenged individuals.

Our residents are encouraged toward self-sufficiency and independence through a variety of services and programs. Not only do they have a safe place to sleep, legal, housing and welfare advocacy, counseling, self-help workshops, they have childcare for their children. It is our mission to help our shelter residents break the cycles of abuse, poverty, and violence that brought them to our doors. All of our programs are designed to provide the essential support and tools toward making the positive transition from welfare to work, and from dysfunction and violence, to harmony and self-sufficiency.

We work closely with all agencies and entities that provide services for our clients including boards of social services, courts, housing agencies, county training programs, medical/dental clinics, and referral to counseling services. Clients are referred to us from hospitals, police, housing and social service agencies, churches, organizations, and other shelters.