Women's Center of Montgomery County

These women, who run this center, give you their all...their compassion, their support and their love to walk you and guide you through your crisis. You feel like you are finally heard by those who care. They are wonderful and caring women. The organization and its women are a God-send for all of us women in need.

I came to this organization in fear of my life in May. I contacted the Elkins Park center. I was not offered a safety plan despite having my life threatened by multiple people involved with my abuser and the documentation to support my case. They barely went over safety tips with me, did not offer to assist me with relocation, and did not inform me of my rights to free legal services until a month after I was in contact with them. I was informed of shelters in the area a month after contacting this organization. Their director made excuses for the way her staff handled my case which is no wonder why the services are terrible. She is clearly as incompetent as her staff. I asked the director to inform me as to why I was not eligible for relocation assistance and she did not give me an answer. She also did not explain to me why I was not offered a safety plan. She simply stopped emailing me as if she did not care whether I lived or died. She said that I was offered all of the resources available but all of the resources available were offered to me weeks later. I would not recommend this center to anyone. Thank goodness I have a great family and great friends or I probably would have died. Do not use this organization and do not donate to them. Especially if you are a woman of color.

Yesterday I went to seek a pfa order to protect myself and my three son's from years of emotional abuse from my in- laws and my X husband's siblings. I was told this was not the right venue to do that. Unfortunately, I have had some financial difficulties do to wearing a Ostomy and I am attending school to become an LPN. I appreciate hearing that I am a courageous woman and was given a motivational speech. I was told to stay in this situation until I am finished with school. I guess It would have been better if my X's Family had physically beat me and my 3 children up. Then maybe I would of gotten the support and the resources to take myself and my children out of harm way. Emotional abuse is a real thing. It is just as dangerous as being physically assaulted. I left there yesterday feeling powerless. It's so ironic that years ago I worked with and gave talks to displaced homemakers and women leaving bad situations. To sit there yesterday only having my dignity and self respect left pleading my case to Rhea and voicing my concerns to her in regard to my children's mental well-being. I was not helped. Rhea was in agreement with me with my voiced concerns and yet she let me leave there yesterday feeling even more discouraged, stressed and dissatisfied with the system. Ladies, emotional, verbal and any physical violence is serious, it leads to poor self esteem, anguish, and the feeling of being powerless. I would recommend not dealing with Rhea at the Norristown Court House. She is not a legal person. It is her job to speak to women about there situation. It is not her job to decifer what a Judge may or not do. Everyone has different circumstances and cases. It is not uncommon for a Judge to make decisions based on different circumstances.