About the Nonprofit
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OUR MISSION:
To stop domestic violence abuse for everyone through intervention, education and advocacy.
OUR HISTORY:
Women In Distress of Broward County, Inc. was founded by Edee Greene and a group of concerned citizens in July of 1974. Initially, Women In Distress served as Broward County’s first refuge for homeless women in a modest four-bedroom home until a local tragedy brought light to the need for shelter for women and children in danger. Shortly thereafter, the agency’s founders were able to purchase a 54-bed shelter with generous contributions from Dr. Kona and Ruth Simon, and Walter and Peg Griffith, later expanding to 62 beds with a gift of a second 8-bed shelter from Lorraine Thomas. Women In Distress was now able to offer crisis shelter and support to victims of domestic violence and their children. In November 1995, the doors of the Jim & Jan Moran Family Center opened in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Family Center instantly increased our visibility, accessibility and capacity to serve more families. In 1999, Janet A. Boyle established a $1 million endowment for Women In Distress in an effort to help ensure the future operations of the organization. Mrs. Boyle’s generosity has established a legacy benefiting Women In Distress of Broward County, Inc., its participants and employees for future generations. Today, Women In Distress has expanded again in order to meet the increased needs for emergency shelter and services. In the Summer of 2011, the new Women In Distress Jim & Jan Moran Family Center opened its doors to the community. The new center allowed for the agency to double its emergency shelter and outreach services as well as offer new enhancements including a special population wing for families with special needs and a Broward Sheriff’s Substation.
