About Us

Vision

Equality, justice, and well-being for all individuals of our community through the elimination of domestic violence.

Mission

To partner with the community to improve the quality of life in our three-county area by providing a safe, healing environment and support services to those affected by domestic violence.

Philosophy

We are all working together to end all forms of violence in personal relationships and within the community. We recognize that violence in the home is a significant crime impacting the whole community’s health and well-being.

We believe inequities in the distribution of power within a relationship can result in violence. These inequities are often reinforced by sociocultural factors such as sexism, racism or ageism.

We believe abusive relationships experienced in families and witnessed by children tend to be perpetuated in subsequent generations. The Shelter attempts to break the cycle of domestic violence.

Our goal as an organization is to ensure that victims, survivors, and their families receive the services in which they have an interest, need or are eligible to receive. We are committed to providing quality services—easily accessible, supportive, and timely. We believe services should be delivered in a manner that is client-centered, non-judgmental, and culturally sensitive. We strive to protect the dignity and right to self-determination of the persons served.

We recognize that services alone are just one step in the solution to the problem. Our education and advocacy efforts are part of a long-term movement influencing the cultural attitudes and institutional practices to end violent behaviors and hold the perpetrator accountable. By partnering with other human service organizations and the legal system, we work within our community to address these issues in a collaborative spirit.

History

The Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter Home has offered services to domestic violence victims and their children for over 40 years. The idea for the Shelter began when a local woman provided a safe place in her own home for those she knew to be abused in her community. When the State of Michigan offered funding for domestic violence shelters in 1980, this agency was one of the first five domestic violence shelters in the state to obtain the funding.  In 1983, Herman Gundlach purchased the Agassiz House and donated it to the Shelter in memory of his wife, Barbara Kettle Gundlach, who had been an activist in women’s issues in the area, advocating for women and children’s rights. In April of 2021 the shelter moved to another location in the community. The Barbara Kettle Gundlach Shelter Home continues to be a 10-bed shelter. In our new facility, we have a non-resident area separate from the residents living space. This created a confidential space from others in the building.

Funding

Funding for the operation and services of the Shelter comes from local, state, and federal grants, as well as donations made by local community donors. The Shelter’s main funding source is the Michigan Division of Victims Services (MI-DVS). Grant-secured funds are bolstered by local contributions through Friends of the Shelter, a direct mail campaign as well as community fundraising events. The Shelter also receives funds from United Way campaigns in Marquette, MI and Milwaukee, WI and other private foundations and corporations.