Laura's House

Changing social beliefs, attitudes and the behaviors that perpetuate domestic violence while creating a safe space in which to empower individuals and families affected by abuse.

Laura’s House is a nonprofit organization that was established in 1994 to provide domestic violence-related services to the residents of south Orange County, California.  Today, the organization serves as the only state-approved comprehensive domestic violence agency in the south county area, serving over 915,000 residents in 22 communities.  Over the past 30 years, Laura's House has provided shelter and support services to more than 7,000 abused women, men and children and counseling, life skills education and legal assistance to over 80,000 persons.  The mission statement of Laura’s House is as follows: Changing social beliefs, attitudes and the behaviors that perpetuate domestic violence while creating a safe space in which to empower individuals and families affected by abuse.  Laura’s House successfully provides a comprehensive and effective range of accessible programs and services that address the issue of domestic violence and promote community health and safety.

Laura’s House domestic violence emergency shelter and supportive services provides a comprehensive range of services that address the issue of domestic violence and promote community health and wellness, including an Emergency Shelter, a Counseling and Resource Center, Legal Advocacy, Children’s Therapeutic Programs, a Transitional Living Center, and Community Outreach, Prevention and Education  Programs. As domestic violence is a prevalent social issue affecting a growing number of people (with the majority of domestic violence victims being low-income women and children who have limited or no financial resources and access to support services), we strive to break the cycle of violence through empowering clients with the knowledge and tools to change to live out healthy relationships.

Domestic violence is a pervasive social and health problem and continues to be the leading cause of injury to women nationwide. Domestic violence crosses all geographic and socioeconomic boundaries, involves all communities, and is perpetrated through physical, verbal, mental, emotional, financial, sexual, spiritual, and digital/cyber abuse. The impact of domestic violence includes physical and psychological trauma, isolation from family and friends, harm to children witnessing or experiencing violence in their homes, homelessness, reduced employability and lost work productivity, substance abuse, and a host of other physical and mental health issues. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 10 men in the U.S. have experienced domestic violence by an intimate partner. The California Criminal Justice Statistics Center documented 7,975 domestic violence related calls received by Orange County law enforcement agencies in 2022. The 2022 Orange County Homeless Point-In-Time Survey found that at least 515 adults plus their minor children on any given night in the County are experiencing homelessness because they are fleeing domestic violence, although it is likely that many more are uncounted. However, there are only four domestic violence organizations in Orange County (with a total of 416 emergency shelter beds) serving a population of nearly 3.2 million. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic created and intensified domestic violence as abusers were triggered by isolation, economic instability, and job losses, and current stressors including the high cost of housing and other basic living expenses, lack of childcare, and social tensions and inequities are now driving the alarming rise of abuse. As a result, Laura’s House is currently experiencing a significant increase in the demand for our services that correlates with the escalated incidence of domestic violence.

Laura’s House is proud of our ability to provide valuable and effective services to domestic violence survivors and the community, making a life-long impact on those we serve. However, we are currently facing a possible 30% reduction in federal funding received through the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), which is a primary source of support for domestic violence programs nationwide and would severely curtail our ability to effectively fulfill our mission. The generosity of private grants and donations will provide potentially lifesaving assistance to our clients and ensure our financial sustainability, so we can serve an increased number of individuals and families in 2024 and beyond.

Our primary service areas are Orange County, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego Counties and also nationwide with our 24-Hour Crisis Line and Emergency Shelter services.

Our success as an agency relies on our commitment to constantly appraise our services, review our results and search for opportunities to improve and expand.  We are pleased that our programs and projects have been seen as meritorious and worthy of funding and we appreciate the continued involvement and support of the individuals, business and agencies that make up the community we serve.

I was introduced to Laura’s House in 2012 and promptly joined the board of directors, at the invitation of Wayne Pinnell, a long time board member and committed advocate for the agency. Since my joining, I have had the privilege to meet a group of very dedicated individuals, all united by the passion they have to serve victims of domestic violence and their families. Having a young family myself, I feel particularly compelled to address the devastating impact of domestic violence not only on families, but also affecting our local communities where we live and work.  I was honored to take on the role of Board Chair in January 2017, at a very exciting time for
Laura's House , as we continue to grow and expand our capacity to serve and meet the needs of our community members.Throughout my time spent on the board, I have seen the increasing prevalence of domestic violence in the national media, affecting pop stars, sports figures and many horrific stories ending in tragedy. Laura's House has been active in breaking the silence of domestic violence since its inception in 1994, and now more than ever playing an active role both locally and nationally, uncovering the dynamics of this issue, breaking down misnomers, and making a commitment to the education and prevention of domestic violence. As just a few examples of our recent initiatives, we have taken an active role as advocates by: - Assuming leadership positions on the California State led partnership to end domestic violence (CPEDV) and being active in public policy; - Engaging in strategic corporate partnerships with national brands, to further our message to a broader audience; and - Innovating, developing and expanding programs that meet the immediate needs of our clients through various therapeutic techniques, practices, resources and education, as well as eliminating barriers such as transportation. The ability to meet these needs effectively comes from the support of generous individual and corporate donors, family foundations, civic organizations and our long-term gifts left through legacy estate planning. Laura's House is grateful for these long-time partnerships and continues to strive to ensure that funding sources are diversified and sustainable. During my tenure on the board of directors, we have achieved many important milestones, including opening a new North Orange County location, which houses our expanded Legacy Advocacy Program, as well as significantly expanding our Prevention and Education department and efforts, educating now nearly 15,000 youth in OC about teen dating abuse, red flags and the elements that make up a healthy relationship. Our Board of Directors works tirelessly to support Laura's House, through their volunteerism and service on various internal Committees, through financial support, serving on our Speakers Bureau and lending their skill sets to improve and propel the mission of Laura's House forward. At this stage in the agency's life-cycle, there are so many ways for people to get involved - from plugging in to help through the various volunteer opportunities, to service on the board of directors, to financial support. The staff and board at Laura's House can provide a wealth of information to anyone who is looking for a worthy cause with which they can share their time, talents and financial resources. I encourage you to get involved and be an active advocate and voice for those affected by domestic violence. Laura Khouri, President, Western National Property Management