Charitable News
New facility for Dallas women's shelter will double its impact
A women's shelter that has served the Dallas area since 1985 has a new facility in the works that will potentially double its impact: Genesis Women's Shelter & Support will open a new $15 million center that will allow it to double the number of women and children it serves from 3,700 to 7,500.
Genesis, which provides safety, shelter, and support for women and children who have experienced domestic violence, currently operates two locations: a safe campus including an emergency shelter and transitional housing; and a non-residential office on Lemmon Avenue for advocacy, counseling, and legal services.
It's that second office that provides non-residential services for which Genesis has seen a rising demand.
The new non-residential space will encompass 28,600 square feet — twice the size of the current Lemmon Avenue office — and allow for a 65 percent increase in staff, which will lower its current waiting list for services.
Those services include a Children's Trauma Counseling Center, Legal Justice Center & Family Law Library, Tech Command Center, and the Genesis Institute for Training & Education.
The new location is at 2023 Lucas Dr., previously Lucas Street Antiques, off Harry Hines Boulevard in the Medical District. It's near the DART Rail, making it more accessible to those who lack transportation.
Jan Langbein, CEO of Genesis Women's Shelter & Support says in a statement that the majority of abused women need non-residential services that include counseling, advocacy, and legal services.
"The new building will allow us to expand upon these services so that we can break the generational cycle of abuse for thousands of women and children each year," she says.
The building is expected to open in the spring of 2022. Donations so far have come from the David B. Miller Family Foundation, The Rees-Jones Foundation, Nancy Best, and a challenge grant from the J.E. & L.E. Mabee Foundation. Donations can be made at www.genesisshelter.org/capitalcampaign.
