Nation’s First Transitional Housing for Deaf and Deaf-Blind Victims of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault to Open in Maple Leaf

SEATTLE -- Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services (ADWAS) announced the receipt of a $500,000 capital challenge grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help create “A Place of Our Own,” the nation’s first transitional housing complex for Deaf and Deaf-Blind victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. 

“The challenge is designed to help us reach our campaign goal of $7.7 million by December 2005,” said Marilyn J Smith, Founding Executive Director. “Community support continues to be overwhelming. Since March alone, we’ve received over $2.35 million in new pledges putting us at 85% of our goal and just $1.1 million to go in the next 15 months to meet the Gates Foundation challenge.”

Plans include a 2005 groundbreaking for A Place of Our Own’s 19 apartment units and program offices for ADWAS. The new facility is located in Seattle’s Maple Leaf neighborhood. All services, including independent living skills and job placement classes are conducted in American Sign Language. Operating funds for the new facility will come from Section 8 funding, residents’ program fees, grants, donations, and fund-raising events such as the annual ADWAS auction, to be held in late October.  The capital drive’s community campaign begins this fall and runs through December 2005.

In addition to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, donors since March include $1.4 million from The Washington State Housing Finance Commission Tax Credits Program , $250,000 from the Paul G. Allen Foundation and leadership gifts from The Joshua Green Foundation, The McEachern Foundation, and The Medina Foundation.

Among the organizations energizing the campaign funding are members of the Deaf and Deaf-Blind communities. “We have groups as far away as Washington, DC making efforts to raise money and awareness about this valuable project,” said Smith. “The Phi Kappa Zeta sorority sisters of Gallaudet University are now building a $50,000 pledge through nation-wide house parties and walk-a-thons.” Leading the charge in the local community with a three-year financial pledge of $10,000 is SignOn, a sign language interpreter referral service.  Karen Carlson, SignOn founder, states: “It is our hope that this backing will help ADWAS leverage additional contributions from the other businesses which serve this community.”

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ADWAS was founded in 1986 to provide much needed services such as – advocacy (legal and systemic) for Deaf and Deaf-Blind women and their children escaping from abuse.  For more than 18 years, the agency has expanded to include education and consultation, therapy, positive parenting, and a national 24-hour crisis line for Deaf callers.  This last spring, Ms. Smith, a Ford Foundation award recipient was named Business Person of the Year by Gallaudet University where she also received an honorary PhD.