EMERGENCY SUPPORT SHELTER

What EMERGENCY SUPPORT SHELTER does

Emergency Support Shelter (ESS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1978 and headquartered in Longview, Washington, serving Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties. It provides free, confidential 24/7 services to victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and other crimes. The organization operates a 13-room emergency shelter offering up to 60 days of safe housing with private rooms for women and children, alongside a 24/7 crisis hotline, text line, and in-person advocacy services.

ESS delivers a portfolio of specialized programs: the Hope Project (sexual assault advocacy), the Crime Victims Advocacy Program (CVAP), the Resilience Project (sexual exploitation and labor trafficking advocacy), and a Youth Prevention Program (Peer Leadership & Healthy Relationships Skills for teens ages 14-18). Services include safety planning, court accompaniment, legal and medical advocacy, support groups, and referrals — all provided at no cost to clients regardless of income. The organization is the designated coordinated entry access point for domestic violence victims fleeing abuse in Cowlitz County.

The business model is a hybrid nonprofit funding structure. Revenue derives from federal grants (notably the Administration for Children and Families Emergency DV Shelter & Supportive Services Program, Grant #2412-56750), community donations (including an annual fundraising campaign with a $75,000 goal and a Red Hat Thrift Store social enterprise), and volunteer-supported service delivery. The Red Hat Thrift Store, a related 503(c)(3) nonprofit, generates revenue through resale of donated goods and provides residents with vouchers for clothing and household items. Leadership includes Executive Director Shira Lile, Development Director Sara Sánchez, Financial Director Deandra Weimer, and Operations Director Felina Gonzalez, with a staff of 11-50 employees.

Name

EMERGENCY SUPPORT SHELTER

Legal name

Emergency Support Shelter

Website

https://esshelter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Emergency Support Shelter is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1978 in Longview, Washington, providing free, confidential 24/7 emergency shelter, advocacy, and crisis services to domestic violence and sexual assault victims across Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Advocacy Services

NAICS

Temporary Shelters (624221), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC), Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

Keywords

• Domestic violence shelter
• Sexual assault advocacy
• Crime victim services
• Human trafficking advocacy
• Victim support nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

LONGVIEW, Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations supporting domestic violence and sexual assault victims. Donation methods include mail, phone, online via GiveButter, and PayPal.
2. Annual Fundraising Campaign: Annual campaign targeting $75,000 with current progress of $12,760 as of 2025-2026 campaign.
3. The Red Hat Thrift Store: 503(c)(3) non-profit thrift store whose profits support ESS and Parents' Place. Residents receive vouchers for clothing and household items. Generates revenue through gently used donations from the community.
4. Government Grants: Grant funding from Emergency DV Shelter & Supportive Services Program within Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (Grant #2412-56750).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Emergency Support Shelter is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides free, confidential 24/7 advocacy and emergency shelter services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other crimes in Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties, Washington. Core offerings include a 13-room emergency shelter with 60-day stays, crisis intervention, safety planning, court accompaniment, medical and legal advocacy, and community education programs.

Product overview

Emergency Support Shelter (ESS) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization established in 1978 providing free, confidential services to victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other crimes in Cowlitz County, Washington. The organization operates a 13-room emergency shelter with a 60-day stay policy and offers multiple specialized advocacy programs including the Hope Project for sexual assault survivors, the Crime Victims Advocacy Program (CVAP), the Resilience Project for trafficking victims, and a Youth Prevention Program for teens. ESS also runs The Red Hat Thrift Store as a social enterprise to support operations, and maintains a 24/7 crisis hotline alongside volunteer and donation programs. All services are provided at no cost regardless of client income.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Resilience Project: Sexual exploitation and labor trafficking advocacy program providing emotional support, medical advocacy, safety planning, court accompaniment, and community education.
• Hope Project
• Peer Leadership & Healthy Relationships Skills Program
• The Red Hat Thrift Store

Products and services

• Domestic Violence Advocacy & Shelter Provides 24-hour crisis intervention, safety planning, court support, and temporary shelter with 13 private rooms for female victims of domestic violence and their children. Services include personal support, legal advocacy, and connections to community resources; available free of charge to all victims regardless of income.
• Sexual Assault/Abuse Advocacy (Hope Project)
• Crime Victims Advocacy Program (CVAP)
• Sexual Exploitation & Labor Trafficking Advocacy (Resilience Project)
• Youth Prevention Program - Peer Leadership & Healthy Relationships Skills
• 24/7 Crisis Hotline
• The Red Hat Thrift Store

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• The Red Hat Thrift StorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Red Hat Thrift Store is a 503(c)(3) non-profit whose mission supports Cowlitz County non-profit agencies serving families and children, with primary focus on Emergency Support Shelter and Parents' Place. Profits from gently used donations help fund ESS operations. ESS residents receive vouchers for clothing and household items.
• Cowlitz County Mental Health CrisiscoreOthersReferral partner for mental health crises. Website directs individuals experiencing mental health crisis to contact Cowlitz County Mental Health Crisis at (360) 425-6064 for immediate assistance.
• Cowlitz County Coordinated Entry ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESS is a coordinated entry access point for victims who are fleeing domestic violence in Cowlitz County. Provides systematic access to housing and support services.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Safe Horizon: Safe Horizon is a New York-based victim-services nonprofit operating domestic violence shelters, crisis hotlines, counseling, and legal advocacy. Its mix of emergency shelter and wraparound support closely matches ESS's service model, albeit at a much larger urban scale.
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: The National Domestic Violence Hotline provides 24/7 support, safety planning, education, and referrals for domestic violence victims. It is a direct peer in ESS's core hotline, crisis-support, and coordinated-referral motion, although it is not a local shelter operator.
• RAINN: RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline and provides crisis support, referrals, and education for sexual assault survivors. It matches ESS's sexual-assault advocacy and survivor-support use case, but is more nationally focused and does not operate ESS's local shelter.
• Casa de Esperanza: Casa de Esperanza provides domestic violence shelter, advocacy, and bilingual support, with a national reach and local programs. It is a direct analog for ESS's shelter, crisis-intervention, and survivor-advocacy model.

Regional players

• The Network/La Red: The Network/La Red is a Boston-area survivor-led organization providing domestic violence advocacy, hotline support, and safe-home services, particularly for LGBTQ+ survivors. It is regionally comparable in mission and service mix, with a distinct survivor population and geography.
• Harbor House of Central Florida: Harbor House of Central Florida operates a domestic violence shelter, 24-hour crisis line, counseling, and legal advocacy in Florida. It is a regional shelter-services peer with a similar direct-service and emergency-response model.
• SAFE: SAFE in Austin provides domestic violence and sexual assault shelter, hotline, counseling, legal advocacy, and prevention services in Central Texas. It is a regional peer with a comparable integrated survivor-support offering.

Emerging players

• Polaris: Polaris operates the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline and supports anti-trafficking advocacy, referrals, and survivor resources. It is a partial peer through ESS's Resilience Project and trafficking advocacy, though it is not a local physical shelter.
• loveisrespect: loveisrespect provides teen dating-abuse education, text, phone, and chat support, along with prevention programming. It is an emerging peer for ESS's youth healthy-relationships program and broader victim-support mission.

Broad incumbents

• YWCA USA: YWCA USA is a national nonprofit network with domestic violence shelters, crisis support, advocacy, and survivor services across many local affiliates. It is a broad incumbent and ecosystem comparator because local YWCAs perform many of the same functions as ESS, but at substantially greater scale and geographic breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@emergencysupportshelter
• Facebookfacebook.com/Emergencysupportshelter
• Instagraminstagram.com/esshelter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/emergency-support-shelter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EMERGENCY SUPPORT SHELTER