To ensure the protection of those it serves, the location of the safe house is kept confidential. The new shelter, located in Monmouth County, is slated to open by year’s end, and will be able to house 45 women and children at a time, up from 25 at its current location.

“Over the past five years, we have had to turn away more than 400 women and their children who needed our help. We simply don’t have the room,” said Anna Diaz-White, Executive Director of 180. “By doubling our capacity, we are in a position to help so many more people in our community.”

When violence forces individuals, children and families to leave their homes, the shelter is a safe haven. Families stay for a period of 30 to 60 days in this temporary home where adults and children can begin to heal, recover, and rebuild their lives. It provides residents with counseling, advocacy and assistance in finding permanent housing. Art therapy and counseling are available for children.

The new facility is designed with 12 individual family bedroom suites with private baths, a communal kitchen, dining and living areas, a teen “rec” room, creative art studios, counseling rooms, and a computer/library resource room. A children’s play area and serenity garden complement this new serene environment.

The shelter will serve victims of domestic violence in Monmouth County, which continues to rank third in the state for reported domestic violence incidents. In New Jersey, an act of domestic violence happens every 7.29 minutes, and is the largest cause of homelessness in the United States.

The State of New Jersey has been a long-time partner in addressing domestic violence and sexual assault through strong laws and funding services for victims and their families. The Christie Administration has been a strong supporter of domestic violence and sexual assault programs throughout New Jersey.

“As a former Monmouth County Sheriff, I have seen the terrible toll domestic abuse takes on families firsthand. Today, we are taking strides to show those affected by domestic abuse that they are not alone at this difficult time, that there is a place where they can find safety, support and the tools for self-sufficiency,” said Lt. Governor Guadagno. “As we work to combat domestic abuse and assault, 180’s steadfast dedication ensures that shelter is available when the unthinkable happens.”

“I am extremely proud and thankful to our Board of Trustees, supporters and donors. Their tireless efforts have made this day possible,” said Diaz-White. Among the major donors of the Capital Campaign are Verizon Foundation, the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, the James and Faith Knight Foundation, and New Jersey Natural Gas.

180 Turning Lives Around is pleased to once again partner with Verizon Wireless – a relationship that began over 15 years ago through the HopeLine from Verizon program.

“Verizon Wireless is proud to support the construction of the new safe house, and in turn, continue its support of the great work of 180 Turning Lives Around which serves so many families in Monmouth County,” said Andrew Testa, Public Relations Manager, Verizon Wireless New York Metro. “This partnership will help us continue our efforts to end domestic violence by supporting local agencies and ensuring that domestic violence survivors in the New York Metro region are getting the support and safe housing that they need.”

HopeLine from Verizon connects survivors of domestic violence to vital resources, funds organizations nationwide and protects the environment. Since the program launched in 2001, HopeLine has collected more than 10 million phones, donated more than $21 million in cash grants to domestic violence agencies across the country, and distributed over 180,000 refurbished phones to domestic violence survivors.

The Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation has partnered with 180 for over a decade, providing funding for 180’s 2NDFLOOR® Youth Helpline, and assistance to 180’s clients through the JBJ Soul Kitchen.

“The JBJ Soul Foundation’s purpose is to ease the burdens of homeless families and provide funding for programs that help those affected by poverty achieve independence and self-sufficiency,” said Jon Bon Jovi in a prepared statement. “180’s Safe House provides the tools for homeless victims of domestic violence to begin to heal and recover. We are proud to support the building of a new safe house in a community in which we already work that will help ensure that families who reach out for shelter aren’t turned away because of lack of space.”

NJNG and 180 Turning Lives Around have been working together since the charity’s earliest years in the 1970’s with funding support provided for 180’s programs, lending executive staff and leadership to the Board of Trustees and Advisory Board, and volunteers for fundraising events.

“For far too long domestic violence has been something that people didn’t want to talk about,” said Kathleen T. Ellis, Chief Operating Officer of New Jersey Natural Gas. “But when one in four women suffers from domestic violence and three out of every four people knows someone who is a victim, we can’t stay quiet any longer. Thankfully there are people like Anna and exceptional organizations like 180 Turning Lives Around that are doing something about it. They are making a difference where it is needed most – in the lives of individuals and families who need help. That is what today is all about, and New Jersey Natural Gas is proud to support their important work to end domestic violence in our communities.”

The Faith and James Knight Foundation are long-standing supporters of 180’s services for survivors of sexual assault. Their ongoing commitment has allowed us to provide rape survivors with a 24-7 hotline, counseling, and accompaniment at all area hospital emergency rooms and police departments. They were among the first to come forward and support our safe house capital campaign so that victims of domestic violence have a welcoming place to begin to rebuild their lives.
“The Faith and James Knight Foundation is committed to improving the lives of women and children in our community,” said Fran Lobl, Vice President of the Faith and James Knight Foundation. “As a supporter of 180 Turning Lives Around for over 15 years, we are pleased to contribute to the building of a new safe house that will accommodate more survivors of domestic abuse and violence.”

“Participation in our Capital Campaign has been tremendous. We have already raised more than three-quarters of our $7.65 million campaign goal,” said Diaz-White. “It is our hope that the rest of the funding will come through members of our caring community who believe, as we do, that everyone deserves a safe place to call home.”

180 Turning Lives Around, Inc. is the sole provider of domestic violence and sexual assault prevention and intervention in Monmouth County for nearly 40 years. Its mission is to end domestic violence and sexual assault in our community by providing crucial and comprehensive services to individuals and families affected by these issues by providing advocacy, leadership, shelter, counseling, art therapy, transitional housing and access to an extensive network of community resources. For more information visit 180nj.org

180 Turning Lives Around, Inc. is the sole provider of domestic violence and sexual assault prevention and intervention in Monmouth County for nearly 40 years. Its mission is to end domestic violence and sexual assault in our community by providing crucial and comprehensive services to individuals and families affected by these issues by providing advocacy, leadership, shelter, counseling, art therapy, transitional housing and access to an extensive network of community resources. For more information visit 180nj.org

The relationship between Northern Children Services and the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation began back in 2004 when the Philadelphia Soul Arena Football team built a beautiful playground on the campus. Throughout the last decade the partnership has continued – culminating in JBJ Soul Foundation’s support of the renovation of Merrick Hall.

“From day one on the campus of Northern Children’s Services some ten years ago, I marveled at the history and hidden beauty of that old building – Merrick Hall,” stated Jon Bon Jovi, Chairman of the JBJ Soul Foundation. “When this project came about, it was a natural fit for us to provide one of the lead donations for this building. It is wonderful to see it now fully restored to glory and in use for such a purposeful cause – addressing the needs of young mothers in this community.”

Not only does Merrick Hall stand for the successful future of the Generations program, it represents the rich history behind the past 161 years of service of Northern Children’s Services. Thanks to this newly renovated building, the organization will be able to change the lives of more young women and children in the community who need it most, just as it was able to do in 1853 for orphans described as “innocent victims of social poverty during an era of unparalleled economic luxury.” Learn more about the history of Northern Children’s Services and how it has evolved from an orphanage to now being one of the only accredited facilities of its kind in the Philadelphia area by clicking here.

“The (Merrick) building will now expand our capacity to serve the needs of the Generation programs. In addition, it will provide 4 permanent housing units for our homeless Mother/Baby population. This is a tremendous accomplishment for Northern and the community that we serve. I am extremely proud and thankful to our Board of Directors, supporters and donors. Without their support, this would have not been possible,” Mr. Lavallias said.

A current resident of the Generations program, Brittney, gave a tearful speech to the crowd explaining the significant impact Northern Children’s Services and Generations program has had on the life of her and her son, Rashee.

“With all of this love and support given I was able to graduate from high school on time despite the fact I had my son at a young age. Furthermore, NCS as a team was very helpful and a huge blessing in making my prom a vigilant success,” Brittney said. “Ms. Cherenne (Peoples), Ms. Rasheedah (Small), Ms. Isis (Polard) and Ms. Nakia (Gordon), thank you for never turning your cheek. When times got rough – those times when I felt like giving up – your words of encouragement helped me through.”

Ribbon Cutting at the Merrick Hall Grand Opening Celebration

For details about the Generations program and the impact of Merrick Hall on the lives of these teenage mothers, who are either homeless or transitioning out of foster care, please click here.

In addition to the JBJ Soul Foundation, IKEA and Wawa were huge contributors to the success of this project. For the past 27 years, Wawa has been an invaluable partner and a huge component to the success of Northern Children’s Services. Because of Wawa’s great generosity, a day care was created on campus and many donations were given to aid with events and projects. Thanks to their lead commitment of $430,000 towards the Generations Campaign for Merrick Hall, the building was able to undergo a complete renovation and open its doors up for the first time today. The relationship between Wawa and Northern Children’s Services is a special one and one that continues to grow.

Thanks to IKEA, furniture from the store was not only donated to the building but over the course of three days, employees from the South Philadelphia, Conshohocken, and their Corporate Office came and assembled all of the furniture for each and every room.

“IKEA is proud to support Northern Children’s Services, an organization that has great value in the communities it serves. Our expertise in home furnishings was a natural fit to donate and furnish the residential living spaces (including apartments, dorms, and shared living and dining rooms) at the newly renovated Merrick Hall. The IKEA team of talented designers from Conshohocken and New Haven were able to bring in all their home furnishing knowledge to support a better everyday life for the young mother and babies living at Northern Children’s Services. In addition, Urban Express supported the transportation and assembly of over 100 pieces of IKEA furniture. At the final phase, over 50 co-workers from IKEA Conshohocken, IKEA South Philadelphia, and the IKEA Service Office, along with support from our friends at Philadelphia University, came together for three days to transform Merrick Hall into a warm and inviting home,” commented Camilla Meiby, Store Manager IKEA Conshohocken.

Now that the doors have opened, Tracey Lavallias, CEO and President of Northern Children’s Services, is able to say that the same vision he had when he stepped into this role in 2008 has finally come true.

“One of the first buildings that caught my attention was Merrick Hall, not only because of its appeal but the history behind this building. I distinctly remembered the children occupying the building when I was first employed in 1997, including about 30 adolescent boys residing in the dormitory style housing that Merrick consisted of. I distinctly remember one troubled resident completely turning his life around. He is currently a part-time employee and remains a part of the Northern family. These experiences prompted the resurrection of Merrick Hall, with the goal of helping more children and families overcome obstacles and achieve their goals,” Mr. Lavallias said.

To see more images from the Grand Opening Celebration, please visit our Photo Gallery

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About Northern Children’s Services

Founded in 1853, Northern Children’s Services (formerly Northern Home for Children) is a comprehensive social service agency providing a continuum of behavioral health and child welfare services to children and families throughout the Greater Philadelphia area. Through the provision of family, school and community-based programs and supports, Northern Children’s Services directly affects the lives of nearly 3,000 children a year. For more information about Northern Children’s Services, visit northernchildren.org or call 215.482.1423.