Changing the Tune
Posted on March 29, 2023“You’re the music teacher not the social worker, so this is not your concern.” This is the sentence that changed the trajectory of Maria Lagattuta’s life. Prior to…
24-Hour Helpline & Referral: 1.877.R.U.ABUSED
or 1.877.782.2873
Deaf/Hard of Hearing: Text 973.314.4192
Hablamos Español Interpreters Available
Chat or text with an advocate by going to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, click on “Chat Now”; or text LOVEIS to 22522.
JBWS is a private, confidential service welcoming ALL survivors of dating, domestic, or partner abuse (and their family members) regardless of severity of the abuse, marital status, income, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, or ethnicity.
Safety
Our 24-Hour Helpline, Emergency Safe House Shelter, and Transitional Living Program assist survivors on their path to safety.
Best practice guidelines are in place to keep our residents safe during Covid-19.
Please call our 24-Hour Helpline to talk with a counselor about all of your options.
Support
Our Center for Healthy Relationships offers specialized counseling programs designed to support adults, adolescents and children impacted by partner abuse.
Our Morris Family Justice Center, led by JBWS, provides support and legal resources through a coordinated collaboration of partner agencies.
Our Jersey Center for Non-Violence counseling services help people examine their use of control, force and/or abuse within intimate relationships and learn alternatives.
Survivors come to us with many experiences of power and control, whether in the form of interpersonal violence or racism or the many other forms of oppression, and they cannot be separated one from the other. We are here to support you across the breadth of your experiences. Read our full statement.
Solutions
Our professional training programs, community education presentations, and youth and school programs have been adapted successfully to online platforms during Covid-19. Become part of the solution. Invite us to speak to your group today. Learn more.
Our mission is the prevention of domestic violence. JBWS recognizes that all forms of violence and oppression are connected and stands with our Black community and Communities of Color as we work toward building a society that is just, equitable and safe for all.
Learn more about the impact of Domestic Violence in Communities of Color.
45 Years of Service
As we look back on 2021, our 45th anniversary of saving and changing lives, we marvel at how our staff, clients, and community persevered throughout the numerous challenges and complications brought on by COVID-19. An ability to overcome all obstacles to find a way to help others has always been a key element of JBWS' identity.
In 1976, before the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence was even formed, a group of women decided that enough was enough. They were going to take the matter of preventing domestic violence into their own hands and created JBWS. With little to no resources available to victims of domestic violence in Morris County, these women turned their own homes into makeshift safe houses. It was in these informal, communal spaces that the earliest JBWS clients were able to find shelter. Now JBWS is a multifaceted agency that provides services for all survivors of domestic violence. This report covers our history, outlines our 2021 accomplishments, and demonstrates how we've grown as an organization over these last 45 years. Thank you to all our generous donors and volunteers who consistently support JBWS. We couldn't do this without you.
Survivors Stories
Some of our brave survivors of abuse share their stories of perseverance, hope, and how they found their strength with help from JBWS.
If you or someone you know needs help, call our 24/7 confidential helpline: 1-877-R-U-ABUSED.
Candy's story
Margaret and Claire's story
Jaraun's story
Vanessa's story
News & Events
News
The Morris Family Justice Center Turns 7!
Posted on March 17, 2023Seven years ago this week, the JBWS-led Morris Family Justice Center (MFJC) opened! As JBWS’ first public location, the MFJC enables people to just walk in and be immediately connected…
A Life of Service: Fiorella Diaz
Posted on February 28, 2023Fiorella Diaz, our Director of Housing and Supportive Services, became a social worker because of an interaction she had with her grandfather at the hospital. He had come to…
Celebrating Black History Month
Posted onDear Staff, Community Partners, Volunteers and Supporters, At JBWS, we honor Black History Month to raise awareness of Black culture and recognize all individuals who continue to shape the…
Dear Santa
Posted on December 14, 2022Dear Santa, I realize I don’t usually write a formal thank you for my Christmas gifts, but this year required something special. You gave me a most precious gift…
The Holidays at the Shelter
Posted on December 14, 2022The account below was written by a former client in JBWS’ Emergency Safe House. Colored lights and fantasies. That’s what Christmas has always meant to me. As a child,…
Providing Resources for Hope
Posted on November 8, 2022“Too often, people experiencing domestic violence will drop off the path to safety because the process feels too complicated and overwhelming,” explains Robin Hughes, manager of JBWS’ Crisis Response Team…
How The Notebook Romanticizes Abuse
Posted on October 9, 2022In the early 2000s, Nicholas Sparks’ the Notebook was considered the pinnacle of a true love story. The intense and passionate relationship that Allie Hamilton and Noah Callhoun shared was…
The Real Terror in the Nightmare Before Christmas is Abuse
Posted on October 6, 2022Tim Burton’s the Nightmare Before Christmas is filled with ghouls, monsters, and gruesome representations of Halloween. However, one of the scariest elements of this movie is its depiction of abuse….
Domestic Violence in the South Asian Community
Posted on October 3, 2022“When you’re experiencing domestic violence, it can sometimes be hard to find people to support you in your family,’ says Sheetal Shah, a JBWS volunteer since 2019. “Especially in the…
Events
Support a life-saving cause while engaging in some of your favorite activities. Golf, tastings, shopping, games of chance, awareness raising, and more.
Help Us
Volunteer
Volunteers provide valuable services toward accomplishing the mission of JBWS. Each year, more than 200 JBWS volunteers contribute over 15,000 hours of services to our Morris County-based service.
Wish List
Your donations of food, toiletries, diapers, over-the-counter medicines, help to defray our costs and meet our residents’ most basic needs.
Arrange a Program
Invite us to speak at your school, college, workplace, club meeting, or house of worship. Call 973-267-7520 ex. 124
Fundraising Committee
Do you enjoy being part of a group? Brainstorming ideas? Event planning? Being creative and crafty? How about raising awareness and funds for a great cause? If you answered “yes”, then come join the JBWS Friends Fundraising Committee.
Recognitions
JBWS achieved the Platinum Seal of Transparency on GuideStar, once again in 2022. Of the more than 49,000 New Jersey Nonprofit Organizations listed on GuideStar, only 182 have received this highest rating!
For details, visit GuideStar.org.
Charity Navigator, America’s premier independent charity evaluator, has awarded JBWS a four star rating. For the second year in a row, JBWS was named to Charity Navigator’s Top 10 List of the most highly-rated charities in New Jersey.
For details, visit CharityNavigator.org.