In 1977, Margaret Langfeld, Lexi
Selvig and Mary Zagaros formed the Anoka County Task Force for
Battered Women. Within a year the Task Force established a
24-hour crisis line providing support, information and referrals
to battered women. The Task Force quickly determined that women
needed more than a crisis line, they needed a safe place to go
and ongoing services for themselves and their children.
Alexandra House, the only shelter
for battered women in Anoka County, opened in 1980. Alexandra
House, which means “defender of womankind,” was located in
Fridley and housed 12 women and children. In 1983 the shelter
moved to a new site in Blaine that provided space for 17
residents. In 1994, having outgrown the second shelter, the
organization built a new facility in Blaine capable of housing
35 women and children.
Alexandra House has long
recognized that assisting battered women and families goes
beyond providing emergency shelter. In 1999 Alexandra House
opened a community office providing on-site health care
advocacy, community support groups, crime victim advocacy and
assistance in filing orders for protection.
In the same year, Alexandra House
created the Day One Project, a collaborative effort among
battered women's shelters throughout Minnesota. If Alexandra
House is full (or any other Minnesota shelter), the Day One
Project finds emergency shelter for battered women and children
in just one call.
In recent years Alexandra House
has continued to expand its services through community education
and training programs and violence prevention in schools and the
community, aiming to stop the cycle of violence before it
begins. The work of ending domestic violence for women,
families, and communities continues to be our highest priority.
IF YOU ARE BEING HURT:
You are not alone - There
is help
Call Alexandra House for Safe and Confidential
Services 24 HOUR CRISIS/TTY: 763-780-2330
To be connected to your local shelter, call the Minnesota Domestic Violence Crisis Line at 1-866-223-1111
