| History
Originally formed as a program of the city of Fort Wayne, the Fort Wayne Women’s Bureau moved toward nonprofit agency status in 1976 and received its 501(c)(3) designation shortly thereafter. Since its inception, all Bureau programs and services have focused on its mission to “promote equity and opportunity for all women.” The Bureau is unique in that there is no other agency in the immediate area that is dedicated to advocacy on women’s issues and to providing services to women and their families. Over its 31-year history, the Bureau has provided services to over 400,000 persons in northeast Indiana. These services have included displaced homemakers programs, support groups for teen parents, life skills training, advocacy for incarcerated women, peer counseling services, and employment and training programs. Today, the Bureau has three major program areas in operation, as outlined below: Women’s Enterprise
This women’s business center, partially funded through the Small Business Administration, provides entrepreneurial assistance and advocacy to women through business counseling and mentoring, technical assistance, networking, and business-oriented classes and workshops. Women’s Enterprise, implemented in 1999, is the first Women’s Business Center in the state of Indiana. Transitions
Transitions is a drug and alcohol treatment program for women and their children (up to age 10), offering up to a two year continuum of services including residential treatment, semi-independent living and continuing care (aftercare). Opened in 1996, Transitions is the only long-term facility for recovering women and children in northeast Indiana. The program is certified by the Indiana Division of Mental Health as an “Addictions Service Provider.” Rape Awareness Program
The Rape Awareness Program was started in 1981, and is the only multi-service program of its kind in northeast Indiana. The program includes a Rape Crisis Hotline providing services 24 hours/day, 7 days/week. Crisis Intervention Services provide emergency counseling to victims. Counseling services also are provided to survivors of sexual assault, childhood sexual abuse and domestic violence. Programs designed to prevent sexual assault are also offered. -
Assault Awareness for Teens, designed for middle and high school students, educates young men and women about rape and teaches techniques to avoid, recognize and react to dangerous situations. - radKIDS, a comprehensive safety program for children ages 5 to 10, teaches children to recognize, avoid and, if necessary, escape violence and abuse.
- Get Ready for College, a program for college-bound women which provides both personal safety information and individualized information pertinent to the participant's college.
Other agency services include support groups and a speaker’s bureau. The Bureau also serves as a host site for free HIV testing and a registration site for the Children’s Health Insurance Program and as an enhanced 911 registration site. The Fort Wayne Women's Bureau is committed to equal opportunity and nondiscrimination in all programs and services and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion, color, national origin, age, ability, sexual orientation, political beliefs or socioeconomic status. The Fort Wayne Women’s Bureau is accredited by CARF, a national accreditation organization for agencies providing rehabilitation services. This ensures that agency programs have met the highest standards of quality in their respective fields. Transitions is accredited for residential substance abuse treatment and community housing. The Rape Awareness Program is accredited for assessment and referral counseling services and prevention services. This agency also meets all standards for charitable accountability of the Better Business Bureau. Fort Wayne Women’s Bureau IRS 990 report
Fort Wayne Women’s Bureau Annual Report |
