It is with a heavy heart that HAVEN shares news of the passing of Yvonne Allen, HAVEN co-founder.
In 1977 when the term "Domestic Violence" was still only a few years old, Yvonne Allen and Pat Paul founded the Stanislaus Women's Refuge Center. It was a crisis line and rental of a three bedroom house with a closet for a counseling office. At a time when you still had to EXPLAIN to most folks why a man shouldn't be able to beat his wife in the privacy of his own home, Pat and Yvonne saw a need for safety in Stanislaus County and worked with others to fill it. A battered women's shelter was founded and was one of the first six such shelters to receive funding by the State of California.
Over 45 years later, HAVEN has expanded its scope to include survivors of sexual assault and human trafficking, restraining order assistance, housing assistance, youth programming, prevention programming, and sits on multiple community collaboratives. Today HAVEN serves survivors of all genders, gender expressions, and sexual orientations at eight locations throughout Stanislaus County.
Yvonne was a fierce advocate for women's rights and reproductive freedom, and that sentiment has always been core to HAVEN's work and values. We will continue to honor her vision in serving our community.
Rest in Power, Yvonne. What is remembered lives.