Update: Battered Women and Children’s Shelter of San Antonio, Texas.
22/1/22
Team Mills Co-founder, Alyssa Mills with Marta Prade Pelaez, President/ CEO of Family Violence Prevention Services - Battered Women and Children’s Shelter of San Antonio, Texas. Photo: Regan Perez
This month, co-founder of the Team Mills Foundation, Alyssa Mills, caught up with the CEO of family Violence Prevention Services - Battered Women and Children’s Shelter of San Antonio, Texas, Marta Pelaez to re-visit the shelter and hear more about the services provided in 2021 for families in Texas. In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic members of the Team Mills Foundation partnered with 8 local San Antonio coffee shops for a #givemamacoffee Mother’s Day Coffee Drive raising almost $104,000 for Family Violence Prevention Services.
Photo: Regan Perez
The Battered Women & Children’s Shelter (BWCS) is a shelter complex that accommodates 220 people with a variety of residential and supportive services. These together provide a cost-efficient synergy of services, and expand options and choices for clients. BWCS has grown extensively over the last 42 years, what was once a three bedroom facility offering only emergency shelter today has a 60,000 sq. ft. emergency residential facility, a 15,000 sq. ft. non-residential facility, Court & Military Liaison Program at the Bexar County Civil District Courts, Community Based Counseling Program at Haven for Hope and the first accredited Batterer Intervention Program in San Antonio. With a professional team of licensed counselors, case managers and attorneys, BWCS provides their residential and non-residential clients supportive and life-saving programs that together give options and choices for families.
Inspirational messages lining the hallways of BWCS. Photo: Regan Perez
“Do not let what you are going through define you. You are strong and you are loved. Always know there are people here to help. You’re a survivor”
Touring the facility with Marta, it is clear helping women and children is her purpose, her passion. One of the main reasons for the success of BWCS is the all-encompassing holistic nature of care they provide. The shelter is equipped with school rooms, day care services, dog care, health services, and recently as of 2021, a full indoor basketball court and gym for the children to play in. This full-spectrum care allows the victims of domestic violence to limit the rate of return and allows the victims to be set up for future success.
Click here to donate
Click here to find out more on the BWCS donation center.
Photo: Regan Perez