An Era Of Transformation
A $9 million dollar Capital Campaign to fund and construct a 120-bed shelter creates one of the largest domestic and sexual violence shelters in the country. Ellen Cohen announces her retirement at HAWC after 18 years at the helm, and Rebecca White joins as the organizations third leader in its history.
Ending Domestic And Sexual Violence For All
The Houston Area Women’s Center works to end domestic and sexual violence and supports all in building safe and healthy lives through advocacy, counseling, education, shelter and support services.
HAWC’s services are free, confidential and available to everyone.
Category: Human Services
Cause: Social Services
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Examples Of Past Scout Projects
Gold Award: Elise C. held a book drive and collected 1,865 books for children of HAWC clients, and also created story bags including at least one Spanish and one English book, as well as interactive toys, games, and props to encourage the children to read. She also collected 300 books for women clients of HAWC.
Eagle: Harry G. painted and redecorated the volunteer room, adding a new desk and other furnishings.
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In 1977 A Small Number Of Volunteers With A Few Borrowed Phones Began Fielding Calls From Women In Houston Escaping Abuse Today We Know This Organization As The Houston Area Womens Center
Over time, HAWC has:
- Grown from a small volunteer organization to a large professional nonprofit
- Progressed from a donated room, to a modest shelter, to a counseling and education and 120-bed shelter over the span of four decades
- Expanded from rape crisis response to comprehensive programming and services for women, children and families, including sexual and domestic abuse, assault and sex trafficking
- Assumed a leadership position in advocacy and public policy, lobbying for change in state laws and community law enforcement procedures, including arrests in cases of domestic violence
- Emerged as a truly multicultural, multilingual organization that recognizes and addresses the intersectionality of violence and vulnerable populations, with targeted outreach to the African-American, Hispanic and Asian communities
Please click through the slideshow to learn about our mission in motion over the years.
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Are You Looking To Make A Personal Connection With A Unique And Highly Inspiring Mission

At the Houston Area Womens Center, our goal of making violence history is bold, but achievable. We are looking for dedicated, creative and compassionate individuals who believe in our mission, and who believe they can make a difference.In addition to the personal satisfaction that comes from serving women, children and families escaping domestic and sexual violence and abuse, we offer competitive salaries and extensive benefits:
- Full Health Benefits
- Workplace safety, including COVID protocols
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Houston Area Womens Center
1010 Waugh Drive | Houston | TX | 77019
The Houston Area Womens Center serves thousands of women, children and families each year escaping domestic violence, sexual assault, or sex trafficking. We help survivors transform their lives, free from violence. Because of their courage, we are convinced that this crisis can and must be stopped.
Since 1977 The Houston Area Womens Center Has Helped Countless Women Children And Families Affected By Domestic And Sexual Violence
From our humble beginnings of just a few donated phone lines and taking calls from women escaping abuse, today, we are a multi-lingual and multi-racial agency, boasting:
- A 24/7 hotline call center
- A volunteer base of more than 1,000 people
We use a tailored, continuum-of-care approach to create empowering solutions for each of our clients and the issues they face. As thought leaders in our field, we work with policy makers and the criminal justice system to enact change for the benefit of the entire community.
As we continue to grow and evolve, we are in the planning stages of a new state-of-the-art facility, as well as regional service hubs throughout the community. Learn more about how you can support us and get involved.
HAWC provides safety and comprehensive, life-saving services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence, empowering individuals, families, and communities to transform trauma, achieve independence, and stop abuse before it happens.
At HAWC, we believe in a future defined by safe relationships and caring families, when entire communities thrive free from violence.
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The Top Female Leadership Organization In Houston
Here at the Greater Houston Womens Chamber of Commerce, we pride ourselves on being a women-led organization in Houston that helps to bring up the next generation of leaders and successful business professionals. We give people a chance to increase their sphere of influence, forge new relationships and see the type of sustained success that they have always dreamed of. If youre a business owner, you need to be part of this movement.
GHWCC members see many advantages when they join up. We have incredible events, speaking engagements, networking sessions and much more. We give you the opportunity to put yourself into the fray of the local business scene with the top Houston womens networking group, and that gives you a chance to make connections and learn from or teach others along the way.
We believe in this community, and the core of our mission is bringing people together. As we do that, we help our members:
- Make valuable connections
Raising Our Voices And Expanding
The 1980s also highlighted several key advocacy efforts, from overhauling sexual assault laws, to working with Houston police to demand arrests in domestic violence cases, to vocally lobbying for the Victims of Crime Act . Multiple state rape laws also passed in Texas in the 1980s thanks to HAWCs advocacy.
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Housing Resources And Support
Housing resources and support to help women secure safe, stable housing. The Houston Area Womens Center provides safe, secure housing for women and children who are victims of domestic violence and homelessness. The Center offers a variety of supportive services to help residents secure housing, including:
- Financial assistance for rent and utilities
- Supportive case management
- Housing search assistance
- Referrals to community resources
The Centers housing program is designed to meet the unique needs of each resident, and the staff works closely with residents to develop an individualized plan for stability. For more information about the housing program and other supportive services offered at the Houston Area Womens Center, please call 713-528-2121.
If you or someone-you know is looking for a Houston Area Womens Center, please visit their website or call their hotline. The staff at HAWC are passionate about helping victims of domestic violence find safety and healing, and they would be more than happy to provide assistance to anyone who needs it. Thank-you for reading our blog post on this critical topic.
What Is Houston Area Womens Center
Houston Area Womens Center is a nonprofit Houston domestic abuse shelter for women who have been victims of domestic violence. The Houston Area Womens Center provides these women with a wide variety of services such as individual counseling, support groups, financial literacy workshops, and much more. The Houston Area Womens Center also offers a 24-hour hotline for women in need of help.
Houston Area Womens Center is 1 of the many domestic abuse shelters available to women in Houston, but it is the only one specifically geared toward helping women who have been victims of domestic violence. If you or some-one you know is a victim of domestic violence, please call the Houston Area Womens Center at 528-2121.
HAWC provides help to anyone who is experiencing or has experienced domestic violence or stalking. This includes individuals, couples, children, parents, and other family members. HAWC also offers support to friends and others who are concerned about someone they know who may be a victim of these crimes. HAWCs services are available to all members of the community, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, or immigration status.
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Hawc: Dedicated To Helping All Survivors Of Domestic And Sexual Violence Build Safe And Healthy Lives
The #MeToo movement has given new visibility to the epidemic of sexual violence, an issue that impacts nearly every community. Anyone can be a target of sexual assault. In the state of Texas alone, two in five women and one in five men will experience sexual violence in their lifetime.
Established in 1977, the Houston Area Womens Center has supported survivors of domestic and sexual violence throughout the Houston community for over 40 years. As #MeToo elevates the voices of survivors, now more than ever, they need to know they are believed, they are not alone, and help is available.
Violence prevention and education outreach
Raquel Fatiuk: Ms. Houston 2018 and HAWC victims advocate
Raquel Fatiuk
Raquel Fatiuk, Ms. Houston 2018, has worn several different crowns. In May, she competes for Mrs. Texas US. Fatiuk is also a survivor of rape and a HAWC victims advocate.
When Fatiuk first began competing in pageants, she had to choose a platform for which she would advocate. For her, the choice was deeply personal. She chose ending victim blaming in sexual assault as her message. Hers was a powerful voice. Today, it serves as her lifes work. Her quest to shift the blame didnt end on the pageant stage. As a HAWC victims advocate, Fatiuk visits local hospital emergency rooms offering the emotional support she knows only too well survivors need.
To learn more about how to get help or how you can help, please visit www.hawc.org, or find us on Facebook at
Persevering Through The Challenges

In order to reach survivors in light of a global pandemic and stay at home-orders, HAWC launches a citywide #NOCOVIDAbuse Awareness Campaign in collaboration with city leaders and domestic violence partners. In 2020, HAWCs professional staff soared to 162, the largest year over year growth in its history.
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Counseling And Mental Health Services
Trained counselors offer individual and group counseling for a variety of issues, including domestic violence and addiction. Supportive services are also offered for managing mental health issues.
The women who come to the Houston Area Womens Center for help often times have many different needs. One of those needs is counseling and mental health support. The staff at the Center are trained to provide individual and group counseling for a variety of issues, including domestic violence and addiction.
Additionally, they offer support services to help women manage mental health issues. The counseling and mental health services offered at the Houston Area Womens Center can be an essential part of the healing process for many women.If you or some-one you know is in need of these services, please reach out to the Center for help.
What To Expect When You Reach Out To Us
Clients access crisis support as soon as they walk through our doors, call our 24/7 hotlines or go to the hospital.
Highly trained HAWC advocates provide survivors with information and resources to assess their danger, make a safety plan, find shelter and access services such as legal help and housing options. Survivors and their children fleeing violence and trafficking can receive safety on demand at HAWCs 120-bed emergency residential facility, the only one of its kind within the Houston Metropolitan Area.
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Who We Are
The Houston Area Womens Center embraces the feminist belief that ALL individuals should have equal access to political, legal, economic, and social rights. We strive to create a community, especially for women, that embraces diversity, recognizes oppression, promotes empowerment and supports the right of all individuals to self-determination.