Shelter Our Sisters

What Shelter Our Sisters does

Center for Hope & Safety (formerly Shelter Our Sisters) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Rochelle Park, New Jersey, operating as the primary private nonprofit agency dedicated to sheltering Bergen County families affected by domestic violence. Founded in 1976 and rebranded in 2014 to reflect an expanded program set, the organization delivers a vertically integrated continuum of care that includes a 24/7 crisis hotline (201-944-9600), a 40-capacity confidential Safe House emergency shelter averaging a 92-day length of stay, four transitional housing residences, and the Safe & Sustainable Futures rapid re-housing program launched in 2023. Specialized services include Bergen County's only free in-house legal services program (staff attorneys handling restraining orders, custody, divorce, and immigration matters), Project CHILD and Creative Connections art therapy for children ages 4 and up, Economic Empowerment (career counseling, ESL/HSE prep, housing navigation), the NJ DCPP Domestic Violence Liaison Program embedded in child welfare offices (serving 626 families in 2025), and multicultural outreach to Latinx and underserved communities. All services are provided free of charge to clients.

The organization is funded entirely through donations: individual contributions via credit card, Venmo, PayPal, check, and text-to-give; foundation and corporate grants (notably 24 consecutive years of support from The Community Chest totaling nearly $200,000, plus a 2025 Empowerment Grant from The Provident Bank Foundation and a $20,000 grant from the Greater Bergen Realtors CARE Foundation in 2022); and major fundraising events including the Evening of Hope gala, Annual Golf Classic, WALK TOGETHER Against Domestic Violence, and Light Up the Night vigil. Long-tenured corporate sponsors include the Inserra/ShopRite family (since 1999) and major regional partners across banking and healthcare. There are no technology products, proprietary software, or recurring revenue streams; operations rely on staffed facilities, case management, and clinical/legal expertise rather than a platform stack.

In 2026 the organization is celebrating its 50th anniversary under new CEO Kristine Pendy, LCSW, who succeeded Julye Myner, Ph.D. on June 25, 2026, bringing 30+ years of behavioral health leadership. The board is chaired by Cathy J. Pollak, Esq., with executive officers including a Chief Program Officer (S. Mira V.), Chief Development and Communications Officer (Elizabeth Campbell), and Chief Financial Officer (Marilyn Perez). Geographic scope is strictly Bergen County, NJ, and revenue, headcount, and detailed financials are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Shelter Our Sisters

Legal name

Center for Hope & Safety

Website

https://hopeandsafetynj.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Center for Hope & Safety (formerly Shelter Our Sisters) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Bergen County, NJ, founded in 1976, providing free emergency shelter, transitional housing, legal services, children's therapy, and rapid re-housing to domestic violence victims and survivors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Domestic Violence Social Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Domestic Violence & Abuse Support Services (BPAGAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

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

Keywords

• Domestic violence services
• Emergency shelter
• Crisis hotline support
• Victim advocacy programs
• Community outreach services

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochelle Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Monetary contributions from individuals via credit card, Venmo, PayPal, check, and text-to-give. Donors can give one-time or recurring gifts.
2. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations such as The Provident Bank Foundation, The Community Chest (nearly $200,000 over 24 years), Greater Bergen Realtors CARE Foundation, and corporate sponsors for events.
3. Special Events: Revenue from fundraising events including Annual Golf Classic, Evening of Hope gala, WALK TOGETHER Against Domestic Violence, and Light Up the Night vigil.
4. Elaine's Empowerment Fund: Named endowment fund for supporting women on their journey to self-sufficiency.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Shelter Our Sisters (now Center for Hope & Safety) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1976 in Bergen County, New Jersey, that delivers free, confidential emergency shelter and a full continuum of care for victims and survivors of domestic violence. Core offerings include a 24/7 multilingual crisis hotline, safe emergency shelter, individual and group counseling, in-house legal advocacy, children's services, sexual violence victim advocacy, economic empowerment programs, housing relocation assistance, and specialized outreach for Latinx and underserved communities and male survivors. All services are provided at no cost to clients and funded through donations, grants, and fundraising events.

Product overview

Center for Hope & Safety (formerly Shelter Our Sisters) is a nonprofit organization providing a comprehensive suite of domestic violence support services in Bergen County, NJ. The organization operates a multi-tiered service model consisting of residential programs (Safe House emergency shelter and Transitional Housing), community-based services (24-Hour Hotline, Community Services, Economic Empowerment Program), specialized children's programming (Project CHILD, Creative Connections art therapy), professional services (Legal Services, Domestic Violence Liaison Program), and housing assistance (Safe & Sustainable Futures rapid re-housing program, The Art of Survival creative arts therapy). All services are provided free of charge to domestic violence victims and survivors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergency Shelter
• 24/7 Multilingual Crisis Hotline
• Legal Advocacy Services
• Counseling and Support Groups
• Children's Services
• Sexual Violence Victim Advocacy
• Economic Empowerment Programs
• Housing Relocation Assistance
• Latinx and Underserved Community Outreach
• Male Domestic Violence Services
• Community Awareness and Prevention Education

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% of victims served reported acquiring more strategies for enhancing their safety
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Bergen County Division of Cultural and Historic AffairsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministers grant from New Jersey State Council on the Arts to support The Art of Survival program - art therapy workshops for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors.
• The Art School at Old ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for The Art of Survival annual reception and exhibit showcasing artistic expressions of Bergen County survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
• Target Circle Community Giving ProgramminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCenter for Hope & Safety selected to participate in Target's charitable giving program where shoppers vote to direct Target's donations to local nonprofits.
• Bergen County Department of ParksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in creating Pathway to Self-Sufficiency - a garden and walkway within Van Saun Park honoring survivors' journey and memorializing those who did not survive.
• Vantage Health SystemminorOthersKristine Pendy (incoming CEO) previously served as COO and VP of Clinical Services. Comprehensive community mental health center in Bergen County.
• Bergen New Bridge Medical CenterminorOthersKristine Pendy previously held senior leadership roles. Major Bergen County medical center.
• Care Plus New JerseyminorOthersKristine Pendy previously held senior leadership roles overseeing clinical operations, residential services and housing initiatives.
• Ramsey Golf & Country ClubminorOthersVenue for Annual Golf Classic event.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Womanspace: Mercer County, NJ DV service agency providing shelter, counseling, legal services, and children's programs. Closest comparable in size and service mix to CHS, and a fellow competitor for NJ state DV grants.
• Jersey Battered Women's Service (JBWS): New Jersey-based DV shelter and service agency operating in Morris County, providing emergency shelter, counseling, legal advocacy, and children's services. Directly comparable to CHS in operating model and service mix, and a primary competitor for NJ state DV funding.
• 180 Turning Lives Around: Monmouth County, NJ DV/sexual assault service agency with 24/7 hotline, emergency shelter, counseling, and legal advocacy. Closely comparable to CHS in program structure and community-based fundraising approach.
• Turning Point: Sussex County, NJ DV service agency offering emergency shelter, counseling, and advocacy. Operates an identical multi-program DV model centered on a county-mandate service area, directly comparable to CHS in scale and revenue mix.

Regional players

• YWCA Bergen County: Operates in the same Bergen County geography as CHS and provides DV-related services, sexual violence services, and housing. Comparable as a regional social services provider but covers a broader mission beyond DV.
• Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center: Massachusetts-based DV and sexual assault service agency offering shelter, counseling, advocacy, and youth programs. Comparable in mission and integrated service model to CHS, but in a different regional market.
• Harbor House of Central Florida: Florida-based DV shelter and service agency with emergency shelter, counseling, legal advocacy, and children's programs. Comparable in single-region DV agency model but operates in a different geographic market.
• Domestic Violence Crisis Center: Connecticut-based DV agency offering shelter, counseling, advocacy, and children's services. Comparable in program structure to CHS but operates in a different state, serving as a regional peer benchmark.
• Catholic Charities of Bergen County: Operates in the same Bergen County footprint as CHS, providing related social services including housing, emergency assistance, and case management. Comparable as a regional nonprofit social services competitor for donor and grant dollars.

Broad incumbents

• Safe Horizon: NYC-based DV, crime victim, and homelessness services provider offering shelter, hotline, counseling, and legal services. Comparable in service breadth but operates at significantly larger scale, serving as a reference point for what CHS could grow into.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses6 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CHSbergenNJ
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@hopeandsafetynj
• Facebookfacebook.com/hopeandsafetynj
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hopeandsafetynj
• Instagraminstagram.com/chsbergennj

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Shelter Our Sisters