Through the COVID-19 public health crisis, Women Aware succeeded in keeping our 24/7 hotline and emergency shelter open.

As always, our services evolved to meet survivors wherever they are in their journey beyond abuse. Pre-pandemic, when the need for emergency shelter for victims in Middlesex County surpassed our safe house capacity, we would collaborate with out-of-county domestic violence agencies to secure shelter for survivors. Today, staffing shortages and pandemic-related capacity restrictions prohibit many out-of-county shelters from providing refuge for Middlesex County’s homeless survivors and their children. Women Aware removed this barrier to supplemental shelter by launching our own hotel placement program, expanding the capacity of our safe house to 125% in 2021. We provided life-saving shelter to 250 women and children, more than ever before in a single year.

We continue to shelter victims in our safe house and in hotel placements as the need for Women Aware’s services in 2022 is outpacing that of 2021. You can help. Clients in hotel placement need financial support for the essentials of daily living, including transportation and food. Gift card donations provide that support. The most useful gift cards are: VISA, MasterCard, Uber, Target, Walmart, CVS, Walgreen’s, ShopRite, Amazon and gas cards.

If you would like to donate, you can drop off gifts cards at 250 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm. You can also put gift cards in the mail to Women Aware, 250 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick ,NJ 08901. If you have questions, please call the Development Office at 732-249-4900 x 0428. Thank you.