The Bernie House

The Mission

THE BERNIE HOUSE’s mission is to reach out with love and understanding to provide a safe home without violence for a family in crisis.

The Objective

We strive to provide a safe haven for families fleeing domestic violence. We firmly believe that helping one family at a time is the best possible way to affect real and positive change.

Through accepting weaknesses and encouraging strengths, promoting peace and harmony we are able to provide a new future for a child/children and the non-offending parent through extensive case management, and by providing financial relief through our transitional housing program.

The Concept

The Bernie House is a single family transitional housing unit, specifically designed to aid victims of domestic violence. The House was established to assist the non-offending parent and children in their rehabilitation, specifically we house and empower the abused so they can become self-sufficient and enjoy a bright future.

Often victims of domestic violence stay in abusive situation because they have no where to go and no one to help them, The Bernie House seeks to change this scenario.

Our program allows the parent and children to live and grow in a safe environment, enabling them to become confident, independent, and self-sufficient.

Through our partnerships with several local agencies and organizations we are able to provide counseling, job training and placement assistance, adult education, child advocacy and day care. But that’s not all!

Our program differs from others because we teach the parent how to handle financial commitment. We require the adult to make monthly payments on utilities and to pay a minimal fee for rent. We teach the adult to balance their checkbook, budget for necessities, and plan for the future. In so doing we equip them with the necessary tools to become financially independent.

The best part is that at the end of their term their rent monies will be given back - similar to a forced savings. These funds will then be used as a down payment or rent for their own home.

A two-year maximum stay is allowed per family. At the end of each term The Bernie House Board of Directors approves another family. They will then move in and have an opportunity to rise above their hardships.

The Results

The current family has lived in The Bernie House for 18 months. In this short time their lives have been completely transformed. The Bernie House has taken this family out of a shelter, provided them with a safe home and the means to build a bright future. Our program helped break the family’s dependency on the abuser, taught them to live without fear, to feel comfort in a safe home and to know that they have the right to flourish and prosper without violence.

In September of 2005 the family fled their abuser and was living in a local shelter. In the past 18 months, Nicole, our current Bernie House mother, has obtained her GED and taken several courses offered through Montgomery Works. Her perseverance and hard work enabled her to land a modest job and I’m proud to say Nicole has rapidly moved up in the company, within three months she was promoted to supervisor and today she is now manager of Dream Dinners. Her marked success even earned her recognition from Montgomery County , Maryland !

On October 31, 2006 Nicole received an honorable mention at the Montgomery County 2006 Work Force and Economic Development Awards Breakfast, thus receiving a $500 grant for higher education.

Nicole never could have accomplished all this without the support from our many friends. Because of the generosity from the community we have been able to provide her the time, shelter, an opportunity to learn a profession and give her the encouragement she and her girls needed to heal from their severely abusive past.

We are helping her break the chain the violence ! But most important of all, by giving her a helping hand-up instead of a hand-out -- she has played a prominent role in helping herself. Nicole has become a wonderful role model for her four daughters and has built a better life for her family.

As previously mentioned, Nicole is required to pay rent (set on the sliding scale of section 8 housing) and her utilities. The monies collected for rent was set aside to build a nest egg account (forced savings). The monies set aside will be given back to her this September as she moves on to more permanent housing; these funds will be used as a security deposit or first month’s rent.

I have shared Nicole’s story so you know; The Bernie House and our programs are truly working.

The Bernie House was once a dream. Nicole is living proof our program works – especially when we have the money and “gift in kind” support to keep our work going. Please remember The Bernie House when considering supporting local charities. We are always in need!

For more information please visit us at www.theberniehouse.org