Safe Shelter History

In 1978, the Longmont Coalition for Women in Crisis (LCWC) was founded as a grass roots organization dedicated to providing safety and support for battered women and their children.
 
LCWC was established in response to a call received through a Boulder, Colorado helpline. A crisis call came through the helpline from a woman who disclosed that she had been beaten by her husband and that she needed to find safety for herself and her two children. In the background, the helpline volunteer could hear an angry male voice. Before the volunteer could provide resources for the caller, the phone line went dead. Police were notified of the emergency call and tried to determine the caller’s location—emergency 911 services weren’t available in 1978. Eventually, officers were able to determine that the call had come from a phone booth in the Longmont area. They conducted an extensive investigation, including contacting local hospitals in an attempt to find the woman and her children. Attempts to locate the family were unsuccessful. No one ever knew what became of her, but that caller became the catalyst for a serious discussion about what Longmont could do to protect victims of domestic violence.
 
Five women came together to establish the first local services for adult victims. One of the women was a police dispatcher who had been involved in the search for the helpline caller. Another of the organization’s founders operated an answering service in Longmont. Together with three of their friends, they established a crisis line staffed by volunteers. In addition, six families in the community offered their homes as safe havens for women and children fleeing abuse. Counseling offices were set up in the administration wing of a local church. In 1984, grant monies made it possible for LCWC to open its first Safe Shelter facility. In 1996, the counseling offices moved to the current location. On October 23, 2003, the Board of Directors voted to change the name of the organization from the Longmont Coalition for Women in Crisis to the Safe Shelter of St. Vrain Valley.

Today, Safe Shelter of St. Vrain Valley provides comprehensive domestic violence services, and is regarded by the community as a professional, stable, mission-driven organization governed by a dedicated volunteer Board of Directors and staffed by experienced professionals.