Executive Summary

Raphael House of Portland serves a diverse community of domestic violence survivors in Oregon, a state where 1 in 3 women and 1 in 7 men experience abuse in their lifetime. Further, 1 in 5 homicides statewide are related to domestic abuse, and 75% of deaths occur immediately after leaving an abuser. Domestic violence also contributes to houselessness—with 38% of survivors becoming homeless in their lives.

Raphael House interrupts these dangerous impacts, offering interconnected services that address domestic violence at the individual and systemic level. We're helping families end the cycle of violence and rebuild their lives, while simultaneously working upstream to prevent future abuse. Annually we serve 5,700 individuals.

Operating uninterrupted since 1977, our emergency services—including confidential shelter and 24-hour hotline—meet the urgent need for safety for families in imminent danger after fleeing abuse. Meanwhile, our ongoing supportive services—focused on safe housing, economic empowerment, addiction recovery, and holistic wellness—are a resource for families long-term. We couple these with Prevention Education programming in all 9 Portland Public high schools, building a culture of consent by teaching youth about equitable relationships, while providing them with confidential support in the wake of dating and sexual violence (a first of its kind partnership in the US).

All our services are gender-inclusive, LGBTQIA+ affirming, and accessible to survivors with disabilities, and our bilingual/bicultural staff lead culturally-responsive programming that support a large community of Latinx families.

Key to our effectiveness is that Raphael House is a survivor-led agency. 75% of staff and 60% of our board identify as survivors themselves, four team members are former participants and shelter residents, and survivors’ self-identified goals and priorities guide our work.

Organizations may provide budget and employee data based on this proposal or the organization as a whole. For more information on this proposal or organization, please email us.