History
Sojourner Project, Inc. began
in 1977 when two Hopkins residents, Kitty Alcott and
Jenny Arimond, documented domestic abuse in their community,
west Hennepin County. As they spoke out, Kitty and Jenny
gave a human face to the issue of family violence in
our own community; subsequently, others joined their
quest. For the next two years, Jenny, Kitty, and their
supporters lobbied for support and educated the public
about the need for a domestic violence program in the
area. In 1978, with the support of agencies such as St.
Joseph’s, Hennepin County, Hopkins Interchurch
Council, West Hennepin Human Services Council, and the
Hopkins City Council, one of the first battered women’s
shelters in Minnesota opened in a former single-family
home in downtown Hopkins.
Then known as the Hopkins Project,
the organization initially kept its focus on providing
a 24 hour emergency phone line, legal advocacy and support
groups for the shelter’s residents. The organization
expanded its reach beyond the shelter walls in 1982,
when it began partnering with the Hopkins Police Department
to provide support, information and referrals to victims
immediately following a domestic assault. Soon, hundreds
of additional women and children began connecting with
the organization, requesting information, support, counseling
and advocacy in the legal system, and our community-based
services were firmly established.
Today Sojourner Project, Inc. commonly
known as Sojourner, maintains working
relationships with many police departments serving the
west Hennepin Community, and our programs serve more
than 1,000 battered women and children each year through
our shelter and community-based services. |
