This is one of the most commonly asked questions and it is a good one!

Having shelters in secluded, undisclosed locations was the "old model" of shelters, in general. The premise was one of "hidden sheltering." The primary problems with this model were the fact that few people - including victims and even DV counsellors knew that the shelter(s) existed. Persistent batterers, however, would inevitably find the shelter location. And the secluded shelters were rarely close to Police stations, creating vulnerable situations.

The "new model" for sheltering is to be out in the open, but highly secured - and very close to the Police and Fire Departments. Keep in mind that, unless the situation is highly volatile, victims frequently must keep their jobs, and their children must attend their same schools. "Hiding" is simply not an option.

In extremely volatile cases, victims are often removed from the community altogether, and are shletered elsewhere by family or shelters in other towns.

Concerned citizens of Lincoln County met regularly for about a year as the Lincoln County Community Collaborative for Violence Against Women (LCCCVAW), a program administered by COPE of Alamogordo. A small “steering committee” grew from that initial group forum, sensing the need to address the problem with local citizens and resources. This effort had strong community support, and formally organized as H.E.A.L., Inc. in June of 2005 to effectively fight the serious problem of Domestic Violence.