A new shelter to house battered women and their children has opened up in Tracy. Capital Public Radio's Rich Ibarra has the story.
Serenity House in Tracy has opened, offering 12 beds and cots and cribs for women with children who are trying to escape domestic violence.
The shelter is operated by the non-profit Women's Center which also operates a larger facility in Stockton which assists over 500 women and children a year.
Center Director Joelle Gomez says having a local shelter in Tracy will help women find safety close to home.
"When individuals have a resource that they can access in their own community, they're more likely to do so," says Gomez.
Gomez says the women range widely in race and economic status, but they do have some things in common.
"They are generally afraid, that they generally want to keep their children and themselves safe, and they are usually at their wit's end in looking for somebody to help them," she says.
Gomez expects about 75 women with their children to seek shelter at Serenity House in its first year.
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