Society / Giving Back / APRIL 09 - giving back

Jenesse Center

Ending the Silent Suffering

Forming the Jenesse Center in 1980 wasn’t so easy for its five African-American, female founders. As victims of domestic violence, it took a great deal of courage for them to come together. They sought to provide that which was unavailable to them during their times of crisis—safety and shelter—so that other women do not have to endure the same silent suffering.

What started as a mom-and-pop center in South-Central L.A., has turned into a full-fledged nonprofit organization, with six shelter facilities and two administrative sites. It has the capacity to assist more than 200 individuals at any given time.

To ensure clients’ self-sufficiency, the organization provides a diverse range of programs—from counseling, to vocational education classes and legal services. Executive Director Karen Earl explains, “Every able body gets up in the morning, gets dressed, leaves the shelter, goes to our other shelter for classes, and talks with our counselors.”

Each shelter has trained nurses, psychologists, case managers, and interns. “You can’t give people bus tokens and make appointments. These services need to be brought to them while they are in a crisis situation,” she says.

In partnership with Verizon, the Jenesse Center is now the first shelter-based program enabling its clients to take virtual classes. Upon completing a course, the women receive certificates from Rutgers University, and are prepared to join the workforce.

“We present some self-sufficiency options and we let the clients know, ‘Yeah, it’s hard to get an education. Yeah, it’s hard to hold a job. But it’s hard for everybody, and people have to learn to deal with that,” Earl says.

For the last nine years, Halle Berry has been the center’s biggest advocate and quietest humanitarian. She has encouraged celebrity friends such as Jennifer Hudson and Wanda Sykes to help with the fund-raising. The organization’s 2008 auction was hosted by Jay Leno. Such high-profile figures lead to more awareness and involvement for the charity, as well as possible donations.

The Jenesse Center’s needs are so vast that Earl and her staff have created an Adopt-a-Shelter program, which encourages donors to earmark their donations to underwrite the costs of items such as linens, beds, children’s toys, and transportation. Donors recognize that their contributions make a profound impact, enabling women and children to sleep safely at night.