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Families in Crisis, Inc., a 501(c)(3)
United Way agency, was established in 1978 to assist and empower
victims of family violence and sexual assault in Bell, Coryell,
and Hamilton counties, including Fort Hood, the nation's largest
military installation. Services provided include emergency safe
shelter; provision of food, clothing, and personal items; transportation
assistance and referral to medical, legal, law enforcement and
social service agencies in the community; a 24-hour crisis hotline;
crisis intervention counseling; support groups; workshops; and
educational groups. The agency provides both safe shelter services
and outreach services. Families in Crisis, Inc. strives to create
a non-judgmental, supportive environment in which victims of
family violence and sexual assault can assess their individual
situations, plan short-term and long-term goals, and gain necessary
information to make decisions which support the attainment of
these goals. Our services, which are confidential and free of
charge, promote responsibility and self-reliance through this
goal-oriented approach, helping clients become more effective
as individuals, as parents, and as citizens.
The organization incorporated in
1980 and, in 1983, purchased a 14,173 square foot facility that
serves as the safe shelter facility. The shelter can house up
to 55 clients per night and has space to house support staff.
In 1996, Families in Crisis, Inc. expanded existing nonresident
outreach services to rural, underserved, and unserved populations
by opening Outreach Offices in Belton, Gatesville, and Hamilton.
Additional offices were opened in Temple in 2000 and Copperas Cove in 2006.
In 2007, a 15-bed satellite shelter opened in Temple. Services to these areas have increased the number of victims
that the agency has been able to serve. In 2007, the agency
provided 14,349 shelter nights to 245 adults and 279 children,
as well as non-residential outreach services to 254 clients.
The 24-hour toll-free hotline 1-888-799-SAFE
offers rapid and easy access to services from all three counties,
with 3,281 hotline calls received last year. The shelter,
which operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, is one of the
largest in Texas and was one of the first to provide shelter
to male victims.
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