About Us

OUR HISTORY

1975 – The Task Force on Battered Women was founded by the Women’s Coalition.

1976 – The Task Force on Battered Women organized the fist Wisconsin conference on battered women. This conference led to the creation of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence in 1978.

1977 – The Task Force on Battered Women developed the Advocates for Battered Women Project, housed in the District Attorney’s Office, in collaboration with the Junior League of Milwaukee.

1977 – The Task Force on Battered Women was instrumental in the founding of the Wisconsin Coalition Against Women Abuse.

1978 – Sojourner Truth House, the first shelter for battered women in Milwaukee, was created by the Women’s Coalition and the Task Force on Battered Women. Sojourner Truth House was incorporated as a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. The shelter was located in a renovated duplex on Wisconsin Avenue.

1980 – The Task Force on Battered Women assisted in writing and publishing “Survival: A Handbook for Battered Women” in collaboration with the Milwaukee Young Lawyers Association’s domestic violence committee and Milwaukee Insurance company.

1980 – Sojourner Truth House purchased its current, larger facility. Local foundations and individuals provided funds for this purchase.

1981 – The Task Force on Battered Women organized the “Battered Women: A Moral Dilemma”, the second national conference on domestic violence.

1981 – In response to the need to help abusers change their destructive behaviors, Sojourner Truth House established Batterers Anonymous-Beyond Abuse. Participation in the 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.

1982 – The Task Force on Battered Women and the Junior League of Milwaukee produced and premiered the film, “Domestic Violence: The All-American Crime”.

1986 – The Task Force on Battered Women moved the Advocacy Program to its current location at the Milwaukee County Courthouse.

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.

1987 – The Task Force on Battered Women established the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project, an 18-week educational program for batterers.

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.

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.

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-Beyond Abuse program.

1997 – The Task Force on Family Violence established the Legal Emergency Assistance Project (LEAP) in collaboration with Legal Action of Wisconsin.

1997 – The Task Force on Battered Women changed its name to the Task Force on Family Violence of Milwaukee, Inc.

1997 – Sojourner Truth House established Belle Resource Center for Women and Children. Belle Resource Center provides group support and advocacy services to the victims of domestic violence from throughout the greater Milwaukee metropolitan area. 1999 – The Task Force on Family Violence established the Children’s Advocacy Program in collaboration with Legal Action of Wisconsin.

1999 – Sojourner Truth House increased the capacity of its emergency domestic violence shelter to 38 beds.

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 enhanced abuser accountability and increased the likelihood that abusers would undergo effective treatment. This effort also attempted to identify and address gaps in victim services.

2002 – The Task Force on Family Violence became an official member of Milwaukee’s Child Abuse Response Team (CART) and began providing advocacy services at the Child Protective Center of Children’s Hospital.

2004 - Sojourner Truth House equipped its emergency domestic violence shelter to be wheelchair accessible.

2007 – Sojourner Truth House and the Task Force on Family Violence participate in a large-scale Milwaukee County collaborative effort entitled Grants to Encourage Arrests. This effort resulted 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.

2009 – Sojourner Truth House increased its bed space from 37 to 42 beds to address the increased demand for emergency shelter.

2009 – The Task Force on Family Violence, Inc. merged with Sojourner Truth House, Inc. to form Sojourner Family Peace Center, Inc.