North Wales Mayor Neil McDevitt, Co-Executive Director of Laurel House Beth Sturman, Laurel House Board Co-Presidents Jason Van Buskirk and Melissa Pilong, and Co-Executive Director of Laurel House Stacy Dougherty pose outside a newly refurbished home in North Wales. (Photo courtesy of Laurel House)
Domestic violence nonprofit’s latest safe space now open
Transitional housing space is now open in North Wales for women escaping abuse, the mayor told council this week.
Borough Mayor Neil McDevitt and several council members offered a warm welcome to Laurel House, the domestic violence nonprofit, which recently opened a new safe space in town. McDevitt reported on the house opening at a council meeting October 8 during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
“I was happy to provide a few words of welcome for Laurel House; they had the opening ceremony for their Nehemiah’s Way transitional home here in the borough,” McDevitt said.
Founded in 1980 as an emergency shelter and hotline to help women in need, Laurel House has grown into a nonprofit that provides a range of services, including counseling, emergency response teams, a “Laurel’s Loft” thrift shop in Hatfield that opened in 2012, and shelter rooms at an Upper Gwynedd ‘Safe Haven’ headquarters that opened in 2022.
Laurel House Development Director Brad Smith, board Co-President Jason Van Buskirk, Co-Executive Director Stacy Dougherty, Co-Executive Director Beth Sturman, board Co-President Melissa Pilong, and Director of Shelter and Housing Melinda Himes cut a ribbon to mark the opening of a newly refurbished home in North Wales. (Photo courtesy of Laurel House)In the late 1990s, Laurel House merged with Nehemiah’s Way, a transitional housing program that assists families trying to get back on their feet. A building in North Wales was gifted to Laurel House over 20 years ago and used as individual apartments for survivors of domestic violence. Laurel House now owns and is aiming to refurbish the site. So far a mom and son have been identified who will be the first residents of the building, and a fundraising campaign is aiming to raise enough to refurbish each unit; those interested in helping can make donations online.
“We are thrilled to finally open our doors to more survivors of domestic abuse. Thank you to the borough of North Wales for welcoming us into your community with open arms. We look forward to moving in our first residents,” Laurel House said in a post on Oct. 2 marking the ribbon cutting.
Drew and Bryce Mininger of H Mininger and Son contractors; Stacy Dougherty, Co-Executive Director of Laurel House; Jason Van Buskirk and Melissa Pilong, Laurel House Board Co-Presidents; Beth Sturman, Co-Executive Director of Laurel House; Ash Abedin; and Catherine Derbyshire with Lezenby Architectural firm, pose outside a newly refurbished home in North Wales. (Photo courtesy of Laurel House)McDevitt added Tuesday that he, borough Manager Christine Hart, assistant manager Alex Turock and councilman Sherwin Collins were able to tour the house during the ribbon cutting, and all came away impressed.
“It’s a beautiful new house. They’ve done a great job creating a safe, happy and healthy place for the families who are going to make this a stop on their way to independent lives,” he said.
In a post on his Facebook page, the mayor added an excerpt of his comments at the ribbon cutting, asking followers to imagine leaving an abusive relationship and, with it, leaving behind one’s finances, identity, and support network.
Co-Executive Director of Laurel House Beth Sturman, Montgomery County Commissioners chairwoman Jamila Winder, Laurel House Board Co-Presidents Jason Van Buskirk and Melissa Pilong, and Laurel House Co-Executive Director Stacy Dougherty pose outside a newly refurbished home in North Wales. (Photo courtesy of Laurel House)“That’s what the families that are served by Laurel House have done. And Nehemiah’s Way, this transitional housing program, is that step between the initial scary moments in an emergency shelter and a happy and self-sustaining family in their own home. North Wales is proud to open its arms to these families — showing them they can be part of a community as well as be sustained by a community of people that care.”
For more information on Laurel House and the services they provide, call (610) 277-1860 or its 24-hour hotline at 1 (800) 642-3150, visit www.Laurel-House.org, search for “Laurel House PA” on Facebook or follow @LaurelPA on Twitter.
