Recent statistics pertaining to battered women are alarming. In the United States, every year two to six million women are battered. This represents 25% of all families. Domestic violence accounts for as much as 35% of all emergency department visits by women. Abused women stay in abusive situations because they feel they have no place to go or have no skills to help them survive. The Second Step (TSS) was founded to give these women a chance to begin a new life for themselves and their children.

The Second Step is a non-profit organization incorporated in 1988 to provide transitional housing and a wide variety of supportive services for survivors of domestic violence. TSS adheres to the principles of self-help, peer support, and empowerment. We are open to all survivors of domestic violence who are ready to leave crisis shelters or who are referred from other counseling programs or licensed individuals. Residents are expected to get a job or to enroll in school or a job-training program. Our goal is to help women find a way from violence to self-reliance.

The Second Step program is multi-dimensional, combining diverse community and in-house resources and counseling designed specifically for the problems confronting battered women. We are committed to working with women and their children, providing the support and skills necessary to help them break away from abusive situations while encouraging self-sufficiency and independence.

Our women come from the city and the suburbs. They are in their 20s, 30s, or 40s and are single and married. They arrive alone or with up to four children. They have minimal education and they have master's degrees. They are Caucasian, Afro-American, Hispanic, and Asian. They are Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim. They are receptionists, nurses, teachers, food preparers, bio-technicians, home health aids, switchboard operators, administrative assistants, computer technicians, day care teachers, draftsmen, and cashiers. They could be your mother, sister, daughter, friend, employer, or employee.