Typically when you hear about domestic violence you think about battered women, but House of Ruth Maryland (HRM) aims to change the narrative and dismantle the stigma around domestic violence by acting as a resource to all those who are experiencing interpersonal violence. Best known for its robust shelter, HRM offers survivors holistic, low-barrier, and trauma-informed support coupled with wrap-around services. This is particularly key for survivors who have to relocate based on the level of danger within their homes. “It really means meeting individuals where they are at and recognizing that they have experienced a level of trauma in their lives or some sort of incident that led them to a place where they need support or services directly related to the trauma they have experienced,” said HRM Associate Director of Residential Services Gabrielle Millard. 

As the Associate Director of Residential Services, Millard is charged with maintaining the day-to-day operations of the shelter and ensuring that survivors have a safe, clean, and welcoming environment in which they can seek refuge after fleeing an abusive partner and incidents of violence in their home. Along with shelter, HRM also provides other supportive services including rapid rehousing, diversion, legal aid, trauma therapy, and more. 

Millard also shared with MOHS some staggering statistics about the impact that domestic violence has on homelessness. Domestic violence is four times as likely to increase a person’s risk of homelessness and is one of the leading factors for women experiencing homelessness. Studies have also shown that violence has a direct impact on economic stability. A person who is experiencing violence may have to forfeit their income due to harassment from their abusive partner at their job and no longer feeling safe at their place of work. There are other factors including various forms of power and control that may cause a person who has stable housing to withdraw from that stability due to safety issues within the home. This connection and interdependency is especially prevalent in high risk situations. 

Those high risk situations can be very dangerous and oftentimes survivors are left with serious injuries and it is not safe for them to return. “We really focus on trying to divert homelessness as much as we can, recognizing that our shelters are a very small part of what HRM does, but it is an important piece as well that definitely highlights and supports some of our most at risk individuals,” said Millard. 

Once a person is moved from an unsafe situation to a safe and stable space, they are able to think clearly and assess their basic and non-basic needs. HRM is more than happy to assist survivors in meeting those basic needs by providing safe housing, food, access to a hot shower, a clean bed, quiet spaces and more. HRM also provides supportive services to help survivors rebuild their lives.  

It is important to note that HRM offers services to men, women, transgender, and nonbinary individuals, especially when spreading awareness about domestic violence and intimate partner violence. “I wish more people knew about how small the window of opportunity for placement is for a survivor who is experiencing intimate partner violence and the importance of conneting them to services quickly,” said Millard. “The most dangerous time for an individual who is experiencing intimate partner violence is right after they leave their partner so it is really important that we connect them to services and respond to the need as quickly as possible.” 

If you or someone you know is located in the State of Maryland, or Baltimore City, and is experiencing intimate partner violence, reach out to the HRM emergency hotline at (410) 889- RUTH (7884) or if it is not safe for you to call please utlizie HRM’s online chat found on www.hruth.org.