More Women and Children to Find Hope and Help at Dream House II

JFCS Dream House shelter resident Shoshanna Rosen used to think domestic violence was something that happened to other women. Until it happened to her.

"I had a happy childhood and loving parents... I was ashamed to let them know what was really going on", says Shoshanna, who grew up in a small town in England. When she relocated to San Francisco seven years ago she had high hopes for her new life abroad. She never expected to join the one in five women abused by a partner at some point in their lives.

On a beautiful sunny morning in the city, over a mug of tea and plate of biscotti cookies, the young single mother shares the story of how a chance meeting with the man who became her boyfriend led to an unexpected and unrelenting cycle of verbal, physical and sexual abuse.

"He was so charming at first, there were no red flags", explains Shoshanna, who never reported his abusive behavior. Now engaged in a fierce custody battle over their young daughter, she fears that, without a police report, she has no case. "I have never been away from her, not even for a night."

Shoshanna has seemingly little reason to smile these days. Yet she breaks into a wide grin. At Dream House, a beautiful communal Victorian home, she has received intensive support during a crucial turning point in her life. She credits the shelter with her growing self-esteem, and is in the process of seeking full-time employment.

She is thrilled that JFCS will soon be opening Dream House II, and that this second home will enable even more women to receive the kind of support that has been critical to her and her four-year-old daughter.

The goal of Dream House is to guard against homelessness and guide women and their children through tough transitions. Residents are offered individual and family counseling, job training and placement, and parent education. However, only four women and their children can live in the current space, with most families staying for about a year. The new site will be able to house nine women and their children, and serve as a central meeting place for joint programming.

To implement expanded programming, and serve as the shelter's advocate and spokesperson, Lisa Caper has been hired as Director of Dream House Domestic Violence Services. An LCSW, Lisa is the former Clinical Director of JFCS' Parents Place in San Francisco. In addition to overseeing programming for residents of both Dream House sites, she will help launch an exciting new Dream House graduate program-- providing eligible families with ongoing follow-up services and financial aid for up to a year.

"I used to be so ashamed", says Shoshanna, taking a last sip of tea. "Now I realize it wasn't my fault."

To learn more about the JFCS Dream House program, click here

To make a donation to support the JFCS Dream House, click here

Dream House receives grants from the Milton and Sophie Meyer Fund and Partners Ending Domestic Abuse/Tides Foundation. Services for Dream House children are supported by a grant from the In-N-Out Burger Foundation. Dream House II is made possible through generous gifts from anonymous donors. A campaign to raise money for an indoor playground is currently underway.

(Note: Client names and identifying details have been changed to protect confidentiality.)