40th Anniversary
🎊
#4DECADES4HER
🎉
Celebrating 40 years of help, hope and healing
🥳
40th Anniversary 🎊 #4DECADES4HER 🎉 Celebrating 40 years of help, hope and healing 🥳
Happy Birthday Genesis!
In 1985, Genesis opened the doors of the emergency shelter to create a safe place for women and children leaving abusive homes. Today, Genesis has expanded to include two outreach facilities, a long-term housing program and a thrift store! Not to mention the life-saving services we offer, like counseling, occupational therapy, and legal support. Learn how to celebrate with us all year long as we mark this milestone anniversary!
Providing life-saving services to women and children impacted by domestic abuse since 1985.
Genesis Women’s Shelter
& Support
Since opening our doors in 1985, Genesis has provided shelter, safety and support to thousands of women and children experiencing domestic abuse. Genesis is committed to removing every roadblock a woman might face as she heals from the trauma of abuse. All Genesis services are confidential and provided to our clients at no cost and with no strings attached.
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1985
Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support opened, giving victims of abuse a safe way out.
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1986
City of Dallas provided a 7-bedroom facility to house women at an undisclosed location.
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1987
Genesis Women's Shelter & Support was able to expand its services through the support of First Presbyterian Church of Dallas and the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas.
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1988
Genesis expanded its capacity and care with the opening of a new wing to the emergency shelter house and additional services like a 24-hour crisis hotline, counseling, group and individual therapy, positive parenting classes and professional casework.
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1993
Counseling and case management began to help those in need of help who were not fleeing immediate danger.
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1994
Genesis Outreach Office opened its doors to provide counseling and other services for women in the area.
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1995
Annie’s House was opened as a 12-month transitional housing program to give women more time to complete their goals and get back on their feet.
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2005
Genesis starts the Conference on Crimes Against Women.
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2016
Genesis starts its own in-house Legal Department to provide pro bono legal assistance in Family Law cases like divorce, custody and protective orders.
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2019
Genesis launches the largest capital campaign in the organization's history to build a brand new non-residential outreach center.
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2021
The Genesis Clinical Program expands to include a new, cutting-edge Occupational Therapy. Genesis was the first domestic violence agency in the country to add this service free of charge.
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2021
After significant growth and expansion over more than 3 decades of operation, Genesis becomes an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit organization - separating from its founding agency, Shelter Ministries of Dallas.
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2021
Genesis at South Oak Cliff opens, providing non-residential services like counseling, advocacy, childcare during appointments and legal services to women and children in 75216 and surrounding zip codes.
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![Genesis at Lucas Outreach Facility]()
2023
Genesis at Lucas opens. As the largest non-residential facility, Genesis at Lucas is the primary location for administrative staff like Fund Development and the Conference on Crimes Against Women, offers all non-residential services to clients and is home to the National Training Center on Crimes Against Women for community education opportunities.
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2025
Genesis proudly commemorates its 40th anniversary and launches the campaign, #4DECADES4HER, to reflect on its history and envision the future.
Why Does Genesis Exist?
Domestic abuse is a prevalent societal epidemic that affects individuals of every race, gender, religion, sexuality, orientation or culture. While abuse can happen to anyone it is predominately associated with women. In fact,
1 in every 4 women will experience abuse in their lifetime.
In Texas, that number is 1 in 3.
Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support exists to help uplift women who have experienced abuse. No one deserves to feel alone, and Genesis is dedicated to providing vital resources and services to the women and children affected by the epidemic of abuse. Genesis stands as a beacon to our community and nation that no one deserves to be abused and that there is help available and hope for the future.
Genesis Stats
Genesis has helped an estimated 3,700 women and children each year, totaling over 42,000 clients between 1984-2024.
Per year, Genesis provides over 12,000 hours of counseling and occupational therapy services to women and children.
In 2024, the 24-hour helpline received 18,840 calls and 7,757 texts.
In 2024, Genesis provided 385 clients with legal services, including:
Fully representing over 90 clients (est. client savings of $2,490,000)
Providing legal consultations for 218 clients (est. client savings of $65,400)
Serving over 200 hours in the courtroom (est. client savings of $86,400)
What Does Genesis Women’s Shelter Do?
Well known in the Dallas community for our Benefit Thrift Store and emergency shelter, Genesis also provides essential residential and non-residential services like counseling, occupational therapy and legal support. To do this, Genesis hosts a variety of fundraisers throughout the year and has volunteer opportunities for the community to come and offer support to our cause.
Genesis Services
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![Woman speaking with Genesis Counselor during Therapy Session]()
Counseling
Available at all locations
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![Group Therapy at Genesis Women's Shelter]()
Group Therapy
Available at all locations
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![What are the counseling services for kids at Genesis Women's Shelter?]()
School & Preschool
Available for Residential Clients (Annie’s House and Emergency Shelter)
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Legal Support
Available at Genesis at Lucas
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Occupational Therapy
Available at all locations
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24-Hour Helpline
Available any time by call or text
214.946.HELP (4357)
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Emergency Shelter
Undisclosed location. If you or someone you know needs support, call the 24-hour helpline.
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Advocacy
Available at all locations
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Childcare During Appointments
Available at all locations
Benefit Thrift Store
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Shop or Donate
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Benefit Thrift Store • Shop or Donate •
The Genesis Benefit Thrift Store, located on the corner of Knight Street and Lemmon Avenue, is a local gem in the heart of downtown Dallas, Texas. Selling gently used items like clothes, shoes, decor and more, the Benefit Thrift Store not only supports our community, but also our clients with all profits going directly to Genesis services. Plus, all Genesis clients are able to shop at the Benefit Thrift Store free of charge so they can acquire the items they need for their unique situation.
Genesis Special Events and Fundraisers
If you're looking for a meaningful way to give back to the community while enjoying yourself, consider attending a Genesis Special Event! These events are not only some of the largest fundraisers of the year for Genesis, but they also provide a powerful platform for raising awareness about the prevalence of abuse. So grab a friend and secure your tickets for one of our upcoming events—let's make a difference together!
Where is Genesis Women’s Shelter located?
The Genesis emergency shelter and Annie’s House are located at undisclosed addresses to ensure the safety of our clients and staff. Our outreach facilities, Genesis at Lucas and Genesis at South Oak Cliff, offer non-residential services to our clients and host community events.
Genesis at Lucas is a state-of-the-art facility intentionally designed to provide a calming atmosphere for women and children healing from abuse. With soothing colors, inspirational artwork and many other thoughtful details throughout, Genesis at Lucas has become the heartbeat of the Genesis mission and a cornerstone of the Dallas community.
Opened in 2021, Genesis at South Oak Cliff was established in the 75216 zip code which has one of the highest rates of domestic violence in the Dallas metroplex. By having a facility easily accessible to this community and offering services in English and Spanish, Genesis at South Oak Cliff aims to provide critical care at no cost in the 75216 neighborhood.
YOU can make a difference.
No matter how you participate, there are so many ways you can contribute to our cause!