What is Lewis House?

The only 24-hour safe home for women and children in Dakota County and so much more…Lewis House provides safe refuge, caring support, safety planning, and legal advocacy for thousands of victims of domestic violence and sexual assault each year.  But services go beyond crisis assistance and advocacy by also providing criminal justice intervention, individual and group support services and personal development to provide long-term independence for all victims of domestic violence.  In an effort to meet the individual needs of all families, services also include outreach to families in need of assistance to stay safe while they remain in their own homes. 

To help our community’s youth grow up to become violence free, every year CAC’s Violence Prevention Education makes presentations to over 10,000 students and members of service organizations, faith communities, businesses and child care centers.   Age-appropriate presentations are tailored to meet the specific needs of the audience and cover a wide range of topics such as bullying, safe touch, developing peace-making skills, discrimination, healthy relationships, dating violence, sexual harassment and the effects of domestic violence on children. 

Did you know…

Ø       500 women and children received safe shelter and advocacy support services through Lewis House in 2006
Ø       Last year, CAC’s domestic violence intervention and prevention services helped over 2,000 victims of domestic violence and sexual assault
Ø       CAC provided violence prevention education to 11,000 students and community members in 2006 

Why is this important?

Ø       1 in 4 girls will become a victim of domestic violence during their lifetime
Ø       13% of teenage girls in a relationship are hurt or hit
Ø       20% of teenage girls report their boyfriend threatened violence or self-harm when breaking-up
Ø       Women age 16 – 24 have the highest rate of domestic violence - 16 per 1,000 vs. 6 per 1,000
Ø       Men who witness domestic abuse as children are twice as likely to abuse their own partners and children as those who did not witness violence
Ø       Up to 10% of the elderly population have been abused and the rate of abuse rises as the victims age rises
Ø       Domestic violence accounts for 25% of all violent crime in MN
Ø       1 in 4 girls and 1 in 5 boys will have at least one experience of sexual assault before reaching age 18
Ø       One in six sexual assault victims are age 12 or under

Ronald McDonald House of Minnesota www.rmhmpls.com

Our House It's called “The House That Love Built”… On any given night, 48 families from across Minnesota, the United States, and the world call the Ronald McDonald House of the Twin Cities their home-away-from-home. Families whose children are receiving medical care in the Twin Cities are eligible to stay at the Ronald McDonald House if they have a child, 19 and under, with a life-threatening illness and if their primary residence is greater than 60 miles from the Twin Cities. Families are asked to pay a nominal fee per night, if they are able. However, families are never turned away because of an inability to pay. It is not uncommon for families to live at the Ronald McDonald House for more than six months and it is not unusual for a family to live with us for one full year. The strong sense of community that develops among families living at the Ronald McDonald House is what makes the House special. To build this feeling of community and to lessen the burden of an extended stay away from home, we have developed many unique and innovative programs that encourage and enable families to stay together. Our programs are designed to reduce the financial burdens and increase the opportunities for emotional support during this very difficult time in their lives. Our Mission The mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities, Upper Midwest, is to keep families together and strong while facing the stress of serious pediatric illness or disease. We serve families through our cornerstone program, the Ronald McDonald House of the Twin Cities—a home-away-from-home for families whose children are being treated for life-threatening conditions, as well as through outreach programs that extend support to families who do not live at the Ronald McDonald House.