our safe house
The EVA House offers gender specific, peer based opportunities for women to exit out of sexual exploitation and build healthier lives. Our programs work to ensure that women have a place to heal from the inside out, so they can think differently and healthier, reconnect with school and work, gain custody of their children, develop life skills and economic power. Programs at the EVA Center were designed by survivors, using a holistic approach that recognizes each participant as a whole person who has experiences and strengths to not only change their lives but their communities as well.
The EVA House provides a two-phrase program. The first 30 days allows for emergency placement, to think about the next steps in their lives, and if they are ready to move on to the second phase.
The second phase allows women and their children to stay from 12 to 14 months. The EVA Center was founded with the inherent understanding that education/training is critical to moving towards self-sufficiency. Getting a GED and/or enrolling in educational and vocational programs are key components to opening doors to self-sufficiency and meanful employment.
Our program also offers the following:
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MENTORSHIP: We create partnerships between women and our peer advocates, in which both are valued for the knowledge they bring. These relationships, formed through consistent meetings and shared experiences, are formed on the bedrock of trust and understanding. Our mentors provide safe spaces for women to heal and express themselves without shame or judgment.
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EXIT PLANS: An individualized exit plan is created for and with each woman. These plans consist of establishing pathways to education, resources, and permanent affordable housing. These plans also help to identify steps and barriers, and outline each person’s goals, skills, and dreams.
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SUPPORT GROUPS: Educational support groups facilitated by survivors provide opportunities for women to share their experiences and learn about the systems and effects of exploitation and prostitution. This helps women connect their experiences to the more broader and systemic problems locally and nationally.
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HEALTH CARE & HEALING: Women are offered essential in-house medical and behavioral health services and opportunities to heal through our partnership with local health providers.
EVA Center is creating a society free of sexual exploitation. Learn more >