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In the Beginning...

Our history began 30 years ago...

In 1978, a small group of concerned Lubbock citizens came together to confront the global problem of domestic violence. From this group came the beginning of Women's Protective Services, Inc. (WPS).

Armed with 3 goals, they set out to educate the public, provide shelter, and provide support services for those in need. They began by employing one of their own, Joe Love Nelson, and getting office space donated. Later that same year, the 1st Board of Directors was formed. Among other achievements, they provided what could be considered the 1st "shelter" ... motel rooms or their own homes. If the need arose and they had the money, they provided a bus ticket for women to leave town.

In 1980, the Junior League of Lubbock used their resources to help WPS grow. Along with providing numerous volunteers, they furnished salaries for 2 positions: an executive director and a shelter supervisor. At that time the lnterethnic Parish of Methodist Churches loaned WPS a 3-bedroom house to use as a shelter. A young couple lived there, unsalaried, to manage the house and whatever needs arose. This home was located where Ramirez Elementary now stands.

By August 5, 1985 the need for more space was provided in the form of an apartment complex at 1918 5th Street. The agency had grown from a staff of 2 to a staff of 6. As space increased, so did our resources and services we provided. In 1987, we employed: 1 executive director, 2 shelter supervisors, 1 program director, 1 children's coordinator and 1 regional outreach coordinator. In addition, there were 60 active volunteers. A memory Rebecca Wilson, former Children's Program Coordinator, has of this time is that no matter what your official "title" was, you did It all. WPS quickly outgrew it's new facility as it averaged 65-70 people living there at one time. This facility also posed other challenges, making the desire for a newer, safer place a great need. "We usually worried more about what was going on outside of the shelter than inside," remembers Rebecca Wilson. The only security was a fence and one camera that watched the front door (which wasn't installed until 1986). The surrounding neighborhood was dangerous, with gangs, available drugs and prostitution. So the shelter staff faced the challenge of protecting the women and children not only from their batterer, but also from what waited outside the fence. This location had 16 apartment units with 2 women and their children staying in each one. There were night and daytime supervisors and one staff member lived on the property. However, the administrative offices were off-site, the first two on 23rd Street and the last one in the Pyramid Plaza.

The Kingsbery Era...

Through generous donations and a successful capital campaign, WPS moved into its current location, Kingsbery Haven on May 17, 1999. This facility includes 24 apartments with beds for 204 women and children. It was designed with cooperative living in mind. Each woman has access to laundry facilities, a free clinic on Thursdays, children's playrooms, group counseling rooms, individual counseling, group meetings, legal services, and much more. The goal of this living arrangement, beyond safety, is to help the women build self sufficiency, independence and freedom.  All of these basic human skills are all to often stripped from victims by oppressive abusers!

Our staff has grown significantly. There are 24 full-time and 15 part-time staff. These positions include everything from maintenance and a nutrition specialist to the hotline advocates to the executive director. Add to this the numerous volunteers that serve here. In this past year, they gave over 16,000 hours to the cause of WPS!! Even though there is still much to do, we are much better equipped to meet the variety of needs that come our way.

The Future of WPS...

 While looking back reminds us of how far we've come, we must keep looking ahead to grow in our efforts to confront domestic violence. Thank you all for joining us on this journey.