Agency Details:

FAMILY VIOLENCE LAW CENTER

The mission of the Family Violence Law Center is to end family violence and abuse in our community by providing legal, counseling and prevention services primarily for women and children. Last year, the Family Violence Law Center (FVLC) provided crisis intervention services to more than 10,000 women and children victimized by domestic violence. As one of California’s oldest agencies serving battered women and their children, FVLC has a long and distinguished record of working to create safety and justice for women and their children in Alameda County.

Description:
Family Violence Law Center (FVLC) is dedicated to eliminating domestic violence. We provide services in Alameda County. All of our services are strictly confidential and are available regardless of ability to pay. Below is a brief description of the services we offer our clients:

*Crisis Line Assistance, referrals, legal information and advice.
*Legal assistance in obtaining restraining orders.
*CALWORKS assistance for domestic violence victims.
*Advocacy with law enforcement agencies.
*Support groups for abused or formerly abused women.
*Individual counseling
*Teen Violence prevention education.

History:
No safe emergency shelters, apathetic police officers, little or no legal recourse, and a community that watched, silently. That was the reality for battered women and their children in Alameda County in 1978. Appalled by the lack of emergency services available for battered women and their children, a small group of domestic violence survivors founded the Family Violence Law Center in 1978. These 12 volunteers came together to start a crisis hotline, help women prepare the legal papers needed for restraining orders, and assist fleeing victims and their children in finding emergency shelter. All services were provided in the kitchen “office” of the founding director, Carla Dimondstein. Collaborating with members of the Berkeley community, Ms. Dimondstein was able to get donations of shelter and supplies in order to provide these emergency services. Ms. Dimondstein recruited survivors to work in her home toward one uniting vision: a future that did not include violence against women.

Contact person: Lena Jeong, Intake Coordinator, (phone)

Address:

P.O. Box 22009 Oakland, CA 94623

Web Site: http://fvlc.org/

Last updated on June 2, 2009