Gateway Battered Women's Services (Gateway) has entered its third
decade of service provision to victims of domestic violence who live
within the City of Aurora and Arapahoe County. The development of
Gateway was initiated in 1977 with the merger of two grassroots
efforts--Aurora Community Mental Health Center's Battered Women's
Shelter Project and the Arapahoe Battered Women's Task Force. In
January 1979, the project received funding from the Law Enforcement
Assistance Administration, Aurora Community Development, and CETA, in
order to initiate operations. A nonprofit corporation,
Aurora-Arapahoe Battered Women's Shelter, Inc., was formed in February
1979, and the shelter opened for services on May 8, 1979, in a building
donated by the City of Aurora.
In June 1981, the shelter entered a transitional phase, going from a
project sponsored by the District Attorney's office to becoming a part
of the Arapahoe County Community Services Department. The Board
of Directors acted in an advisory capacity with major control and
responsibility being held by the County. In August 1983, the
shelter established independence from Arapahoe County by becoming a
private, nonprofit corporation.
In 1985, Gateway purchased a second facility, enabling the organization
to expand its bed capacity, as well as develop a comprehensive
nonresidential program for women and children who are victims of
domestic violence. In response to the need for expanded counseling
services in Arapahoe County, Gateway opened another nonresidential
counseling office in July 1993. In June 1996, Gateway purchased a small
office building to replace this leased space and to permanently house
nonresidential services in south Arapahoe County.
In March 1994, Gateway opened a second emergency shelter in southern
Arapahoe County to increase geographic accessibility and available bed
space for women and children fleeing family violence. It became evident
that women working towards independent living needed more than thirty
days in emergency shelter to achieve this goal. As of September 2001,
this facility is now used to provide a place for women and their
children to reside for up to three months while locating permanent
housing.
In 2004, Gateway changed its name to Gateway Battered Women's Services
to be more inclusive of all services provided by the organization.
Since its inception, Gateway has been a leader in the field of domestic
violence throughout the community, state and nation. Gateway was
the first shelter in the community to establish a comprehensive
counseling program for nonresident women and children. Gateway
remains a leader in the provision of services to children, both in a
residential and nonresidential setting. Gateway was also one of
the first shelters in the nation to establish a Court Advocacy Program,
designed to organize and coordinate the criminal justice and domestic
violence service systems in the City of Aurora.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, June 09 2007 )
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About Gateway 
