Long Beach's WomenShelter Named Assembly District 69 Nonprofit of the Month

WomenShelter of Long Beach, a nonprofit that has worked for more than 45 years to end domestic violence, has been named Assembly District 69's "Nonprofit of the Month" for August.

Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, and members of his staff visited the organization's Domestic Violence Resource Center on Friday, Aug. 16, to present the award. Lowenthal said the recognition is meant to highlight the efforts of people and groups working to improve quality of life in the community.

"So many of those people, like those at the WomenShelter, have a calling and their wiring tells them that they should volunteer their time for those who are less fortunate," he said. "The least that we can do is to honor those people and to educate others throughout our community of the good work that is being done on behalf of all of us." He added that the organization plays a vital role as a place where people experiencing domestic violence can find help and resources.

According to its website, WomenShelter of Long Beach has operated since 1977 and has helped thousands of families recover from the trauma of domestic violence. It supports victims and their children with safe housing and other services, including an emergency shelter, a 24-hour crisis hotline, counseling, social services support, and legal and health advocacy.

The resource center connects victims with specially trained domestic violence counselor advocates, who provide client-centered support, crisis management, resources and referrals. Other offerings include intensive case management, support groups, peer counseling, domestic violence education, family services, life-skills building, parenting education and self-esteem workshops.

During his tour, Lowenthal questioned board members and staff about how clients are assessed on arrival, how the community relates to the safety shelter, what obstacles arise in clients' legal cases, and which state resources could strengthen the nonprofit's work. Afterward, he described the visit as emotional. "When you stop and think about the individual cases and the unbelievable trauma that has taken place in someone's life to go toward a facility like the WomenShelter, it's very sad," he said. Still, he called it "remarkably encouraging that our community bands together and supports an organization like the WomenShelter, to protect our most vulnerable."

Executive Director and CEO Kent Wallace-Meggs said the award reflects both the organization's history and the dedication of its staff. He praised the empathy and professionalism employees show clients, helping ensure they are safe and have plans for moving forward. Board president Mike Vela said much of the daily work would not be possible without staff and volunteers, whom he described as dedicated professionals who care deeply about eradicating domestic violence and supporting survivors.

Outreach Specialist Kim Gomez, whose connection to the organization spans 20 years and who now works for the group that helped her mother and family, said the work is often thankless but is not done for recognition. "We do this job because we see that change in the clients and we're planting the seeds and hoping to break those cycles of abuse," she said.

Gomez also stressed that the services are open to everyone. Because of the organization's name, she said, people often assume domestic violence is a women's issue, "but really it's a human rights issue." Free services are available to any individual, including members of the LGBTQ+ community, youth exposed to violence, and men.

Organizers said they plan to keep widening the nonprofit's reach. Wallace-Meggs said he wants to build relationships with other organizations so people understand that the group's work extends well beyond what its name suggests, noting that domestic violence affects many people regardless of gender.