Overview
The shelter, located near Be'er Sheva, is designed to assist girls aged 13-22 who find themselves in acute crisis situations at home, by providing them with physical protection and emotional support that is immediately available. Until the shelter was opened in April 2001, girls from the south who needed an urgent solution had to travel as far as Jerusalem or the north, where it was difficult to keep in touch with their families and community agencies (teachers, social workers etc). Sometimes there was no place for them to go, due to overcrowding in the other shelters.
The shelter can accommodate about 10 girls at a time. The girls stay for a maximum of two months (sometimes longer, if no placement is available). During their stay they are diagnosed and the staff tries to find a suitable long-term framework for each one. The staff includes a director, social worker, housemother, counselors and a secretary. They maintain regular contact with the people who work with the girls in the community. To date, some 200 girls have passed through the shelter.
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