Shelter
Shelter traces the remarkable growth of the battered women's shelter movement in the U.S. — from the first shelter in 1974 to 1,200 today — and gives voice to four women currently seeking protection in a rural West Virginia shelter.
In 1974, three women opened the first shelter for battered women, in St. Paul, Minnesota. From this courageous act emerged a grassroots movement which saved lives and changed the way Americans think. A mere decade later, in 1985, there were 700 shelters and safe houses, growing to approximately 1,200 today. Shelter traces this remarkable evolution and gives voice to four women seeking protection in a rural West Virginia shelter.