Healing at Black Dog Hill Shelter

Cathy was with her abuser for 8 ½ years. “I didn’t want to admit that I was being abused,” she said. “I was scared to leave. I kept thinking, ‘Tomorrow is another day. I’ll wait until tomorrow,’ and then I would drink my troubles away.”

The turning point for Cathy, now 32, came the night her abuser put a gun to her ribcage, after hours of arguing in the trailer home they shared in rural Chisago County. Cathy’s 7-year-old daughter was asleep in the room next to their bedroom. A neighbor called the police and six officers surrounded their home and apprehended the abuser as he fled the trailer.   

"This time it was clear to me that I had to leave for myself and my daughter,” said Cathy. She and her daughter have been residents at the new Black Dog Hill Shelter in Cambridge, Minnesota for three months.

Dave Ellis, United Way community impact manager in the area of domestic violence prevention, recalls a 2001 report to the legislature by the Minnesota Center Against Violence and Abuse discussing the need for strategically placed shelters in several regions of Minnesota, including the region of Chisago and Isanti counties.

With help from donors and community partners, United Way has answered the need for this region. As part of our efforts to create pathways out of poverty and reduce family violence, United Way provided grants totaling $250,000 to The Refuge Network, a United Way partner agency, to support Black Dog Hill Shelter—the first shelter for battered women in Isanti and Chisago counties.

Colette Gandelot and partner Suzanne Butzow donated their “lovingly restored” 100-year-old farmhouse and 10 peaceful acres of land to The Refuge Network for a safe shelter. “It’s a good place to heal,” said Colette. “We wanted to break the cycle of abuse through our gift.” The shelter is named for a black dog that used to enjoy sleeping in the sun in a farmhouse window. It’s one of the few shelters in the state that allows pets. Victims often won’t leave home—even if they are in danger—if they have to leave their pets behind.

Because distance to services in rural areas often keeps victims like Cathy from seeking help, satellite shelters such as this will allow more battered women to seek services and keep themselves and their families safe. The shelter opened in February 2009 and served 48 women and children during the first quarter, including a 72-year-old woman who had been battered for 50 years.

At the shelter, a children’s advocate works with Cathy’s daughter and Cathy has received support to address her drinking problem. “I’ve been sober for 69 days. I’m stronger for myself and my daughter,” said Cathy. Shelter staff members provide transportation to medical appointments and access to programs for employment and education. Cathy is working and getting credits to become an R.N. “Now, when I open my eyes in the morning, I’m excited for the day!” she exclaimed. “It’s a long road, but I can finish it. The people at Black Dog Hill Shelter are my angels.”

Innovative Partnerships

Supporting new and existing shelters is just one way United Way is helping to reduce domestic violence in our region. Domestic violence has a devastating physical and psychological cost for families, but it costs our state as well. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that U.S. women lose 8 million paid days of work a year due to violence against them by current or former intimate partners. For Minnesota, that means roughly 81,500 lost days of work.

In August 2008, United Way and the Department of Public Safety-Office of Justice Programs partnered to release a detailed report examining the impact of domestic violence in the State of Minnesota. Domestic Violence: Results from the 2008 Minnesota Crime Victim Survey (PDF) was based on more than 5,500 survey responses by residents, some of whom were self-identified victims. Results indicate that some 57,000 women and 18,000 men experienced domestic violence in Minnesota in 2007. The report will help domestic and family violence programs and experts better understand current realities and address gaps in services.

Building Awareness

In June, United Way sponsored Bridging Perspectives: Intervening with Men Who Batter, a four-day, international conference held in Minneapolis, designed to build awareness about domestic and family violence issues and their impact on individuals and our community.

Dave Ellis believes in hope. “Give folks the idea that there is hope on the other side and they will grab for it,” he said. Through these kinds of multifaceted efforts, United Way is providing hope to victims of domestic violence for a better and safer life for themselves and their families.  

United Way’s Agenda for Lasting Change is a 10-point plan devoted to creating pathways out of poverty that focuses on education, income and health. Reducing family violence by increasing access to services 20 percent by 2012 is one goal.

To learn more about United Way's efforts in reducing domestic violence, contact Dave Ellis.

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