Laurel House is a comprehensive domestic violence agency in Montgomery County. It offers an array of services to support those impacted by domestic violence, while also providing prevention and education services to the general community. Laurel House services include a 24-hour confidential hotline and emergency shelter services. Each year, around 200 adults and their children receive shelter and more than 500 calls from hospitals and police departments mobilize Laurel House’s Domestic Abuse Response Teams. Laurel House also provides individual counseling, support groups, medical advocacy, children’s programs, and legal services. 

Prevention is as important to Laurel House as treatment. The organization employs two community educators who conduct workshops on recognizing and responding to domestic violence for law enforcement and human services personnel, faith communities, schools (from middle school through college), and other community organizations. Emphasis is placed on becoming trauma informed, defining healthy relationships, and learning conflict resolution. To speak appropriately to faith communities, the community educators rely on material from the Faith Trust Institute https://www.faithtrustinstitute.org which provides unique resources for more than 90 religious traditions. In recent years, two of the interfaith organizations that have been working closely with Laurel House are the Huntingdon Valley Faith Leaders and the Main Line Indian Association. 

The work Laurel House does to support victims, to bring awareness to domestic violence, and to work tirelessly to end domestic violence is outstanding. The depth and breadth of their work is indisputable. The staff is devoted to their work while also being very aware that domestic violence will never go away. With that realization, they continue without judgement to work tirelessly to support victims and bring awareness to the community.
Whether the staff and volunteers from Laurel House receive those in need or go out to meet them in the community, they create zones of peace.