OUR STORY

The Refuge Story

Our Mission: Refuge serves children and their caregivers who have experienced the trauma of abuse, neglect, and violence through counseling, caregiver support, and education.

Our Vision: Changing the trajectory of a child’s life, their family, and the community for generations to come.

Refuge exists to address and prevent childhood abuse and violence exposure on every level – individual kids, families, schools and our whole community.

We were founded in 2014 to meet the needs of children and families in Madison County, Illinois that are impacted by exposure to trauma through child abuse and neglect, domestic violence and substance abuse.

Since our inception, Refuge has served hundreds of families with children, helping many flee domestic violence and relationships and build healthier futures for their children.

Children often have difficulty talking about painful things that they have witnessed or have happened to them. At Refuge, kids are encouraged to play and learn, to create art, and to learn games—all while processing trauma in the care of our specially trained staff. They come with their families and are given tools to heal and build resilience together.

We also believe that everyone in our community has a part to play in this mission and with every person’s participation, we will be able to provide the safe surroundings and refuge that all children deserve. As a non-profit organization, Refuge exists solely because of money raised throughout our very own community.

That is the only way we can provide services free of charge to those who need them.