As long as any woman feels unsafe in her own home, the work of Genesis Women’s Shelter will continue to be critically important. In Texas alone, 1 in 3 women will know domestic violence in their lifetime. Nationally, 4.8 million women will be victims of domestic violence each year, making it the leading cause of injury to women in the United States. While those statistics may sound daunting, the staff at Genesis Women’s Shelter in Dallas remain undeterred in their work to provide women in abusive situations a way out and a way forward. Jan Langbein, Genesis CEO of 30 years doesn’t shy away from their goal of ultimately eradicating domestic violence. She just understands that it will take more than her staff and partners. It will take all of us.

The team at Genesis wants to change how we think about domestic violence and the victims it leaves in its path. They envision a society with zero tolerance for domestic violence and where victims are wholly supported without facing blame or judgment for the abuse they’ve experienced. To that end, Genesis provides an extensive list of services, designed to help remove every roadblock on a woman’s journey to an abuse-free life. From a 24-hour hotline, emergency shelter, counseling and legal services to an on-site school, advocacy and daycare, Genesis assists women at every step. And they are committed to educating the community on how to recognize the signs of abuse and how to listen and offer compassion and support. That is often the first crucial step that can encourage a women to seek help and begin her path out of abuse.

Although Genesis has provided safety and support to thousands of women for over 35 years, Langbein and her team never stop asking, “what more can we do?” and “how can we do it better?” This fall they will open a new non-residential center and thrift store in Southern Dallas because they recognized the need to move closer to high-need areas in the community. And there’s even more growth on the horizon. Genesis is currently in the midst of a $15 million capital campaign to build a brand-new facility for its non-residential services. This new building, which will more than double the amount of space they have now, will also allow them to broaden their range of services and address what the Texas Council on Family Violence assessed as some of the state’s most critical needs. These include a new Children’s Trauma Counseling Center, Legal Justice Center, Institute for Training and Education and Technology Command Center. Genesis’ reach will grow from serving about 3700 women and children annually to more than 10,000. Langbein is incredibly grateful to the Dallas community for helping them get very close to their campaign goal, but there is still more money to be raised. When she speaks with people about making a gift to help build this facility, she is passionate about reminding them of the impact their gift will make. It means that a new Technology Command Center can provide thousands of women and children throughout Dallas with access to their services through chat and text, forms of communication that keep them much safer when trying to seek help. She reminds them it’s not just a gift, it’s being part of making the world a better place. And Genesis will continue to lead the way until the world is better and safer for women everywhere.

For more information on the services Genesis provides and how to get help, or to make a financial gift, visit www.genesisshelter.org or call +1 (214) 389-7777.