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In 1982 when dedicated members of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) established the North County Women’s Resource Center, there was no domestic violence shelter in the northern region of San Luis Obispo County. The agency began simply, as a source of general information, education, and referrals. It didn’t take long for organizers to see that domestic violence was a serious problem in the area. In a country where one out of three women will become a victim of domestic violence during her lifetime, the need for domestic violence services in every community is paramount.

By 1985 the women of AAUW had successfully worked with community members and government entities to open the first safe house in Atascadero. The agency was incorporated the same year, and officially became the North County Women’s Resource Center & Shelter. The year 2001 brought the opening of a second safe house in Paso Robles. Women and children in danger rely on the shelters to provide confidential, stable refuge from abusive homes.

The North County Women’s Shelter advocates on behalf of domestic violence victims in a number of ways other than simply providing shelter. The Community Counseling Program, School Counseling Program, and support groups counsel hundreds of survivors each year. One of the more utilized programs at the agency, the Temporary Restraining Order Clinic, helps victims apply for protection orders against their violent aggressors. All services are bi-lingual and bi-cultural. Every human is entitled to a life free from fear and threat, and the North County Women’s Shelter Program helps San Luis Obispo County victims work through the difficult task of making sense of a life altered by violence.

The agency continues to evolve as the demand for domestic violence services changes and grows. The board, staff, and volunteers look forward to many more decades of excellence.

Mission:

Provide a safe environment with related services to women and their children who are victims of domestic violence.

Provide individuals and families in crisis with information, referrals, and low-cost counseling.

Provide education and assistive services targeted at domestic violence prevention and intervention in the wider community of San Luis Obispo County.

Vision:

The North County Women’s Shelter will provide comprehensive programs of education and support, which are effective in raising community awareness and decreasing the incidence of and tolerance for domestic violence.