1978 – Sojourner Truth House was incorporated as a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. After receiving a grant from the Community Development Agency, Sojourner Truth House opened Milwaukee’s first shelter for battered women and their children. The shelter, which accommodated 200 women and 300 children annually, was located in a renovated duplex on Wisconsin Avenue.

1980 – Sojourner Truth House purchased its current, larger facility. Local foundations and individuals provided funds for this purchase. The capacity was increased to 38 beds in 1999 but subsequently lowered to its current capacity of 37 beds in 2004 when the shelter became wheelchair accessible.

1981 – In response to the need to help abusers change their destructive behaviors, Sojourner Truth House established Batterers Anonymous-Beyond Abuse (BA). Participation in the confidential 23-week program increases each year as professionals working in the criminal justice system and other social service agencies become more familiar with the tragedy of domestic violence. Through education and support from other group members, BA has helped thousands of individuals to stop hurting themselves and others.

1984 – Kathie Stolpman was named Executive Director of Sojourner Truth House. She served the agency in this capacity for twenty-five years, until her retirement in 2008.

1986 – The City of Milwaukee Police Department implemented a mandatory arrest policy for domestic violence battery incidents and designated Sojourner Truth House to oversee and operate the 24-Hour Domestic Violence Hotline. The Hotline works directly with victims referred by police to assess safety, legal alternatives and community resources.

1989 – The State of Wisconsin enacted a mandatory arrest law for a wide range of domestic violence situations. Law enforcement officers from throughout Milwaukee County also began calling the 24-Hour Domestic Violence Hotline.

1990 – Sojourner Truth House presented the first Brewers Wives Tailgate Party at Milwaukee County Stadium. The annual pre-game get-together, which gives concerned individuals the opportunity to demonstrate their support for victims of family violence, features a cook-out dinner, a chance to meet wives of the Milwaukee Brewers, and attendance at a Brewers baseball game.

1993 – Sojourner Truth House was invited to staff a Domestic Abuse Victim Advocate program in the Domestic Violence unit of the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office. This program provides advocacy, support and referral services annually to over 4,000 victims of domestic violence.

1993 – Sojourner Truth House participated in a collaborative five-year domestic violence study, entitled the “Safe at Home Violence Against Women Prevention Project,” sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This program targeted abuser intervention and education, and serves as the model for our BA program.

1996 – Representatives from Sojourner Truth House joined representatives from law enforcement and the judicial system to form a local contingent of experts that discussed domestic violence issues with their counterparts from four provinces in South Africa. Individual presentations were made in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban.

1997 – Sojourner Truth House established the Belle Resource Center for Women and Children, a program services facility located next door to our shelter. The Belle Center provides group support and advocacy services to the victims of domestic violence from throughout the greater Milwaukee metropolitan area. Children’s program services and the After School Homework Tutoring program also operate from this facility.

1999 – Milwaukee County was named as one of three sites involved in a collaborative five-year U.S. Department of Justice, Judicial Oversight Demonstration project, a national effort geared toward the development of an effective and coordinated judicial response to domestic violence. This greatly enhances abuser accountability and increases the likelihood that abusers will undergo effective treatment. This effort also attempts to identify and address gaps in victim services. Sojourner Truth House is a prominent partner in the Milwaukee component of this project.

2003 – Sojourner Truth House celebrates its 25th anniversary of providing domestic violence victims and abusers with effective program services.

2005 – Sojourner Truth House institutes a Partners in Parenting pilot program that that focuses on domestic violence as a family issue and emphasizes that each parent has a responsibility to create a healthy environment for their children. The ultimate goal of this program is to break down the violent and controlling patterns existing within the family so that children experience a healthier environment that adequately addresses their developmental needs.

2007 – Sojourner Truth House plays a role in a large-scale Milwaukee County collaborate effort entitled Grants to Encourage Arrests. This effort results in police district-based domestic violence prosecutors and Advocates and a pin-point focus on efforts to ensure the successful prosecution of domestic violence perpetrators.

2008 – Angela Mancuso was elected Executive Director in February. Angela had served as the Associate Director since 2006, and prior to that was the agency’s Development and Public Relations Director since 2001.

Page Last Updated: 05/20/2008