Before 1981, a man who routinely beat or hurt his wife or children often was ignored. For centuries, an unwritten law had been followed that a family was the man's personal property to treat as he wished.

After years of arguing about it, the Georgia General Assembly passed the Family Violence Act in 1981. Within a few months, a safe haven for women and children was opened in Gainesville. It was Gateway House.

Like many other aide programs in Gainesville, Gateway House has become a state model and often is visited by people from other counties who are seeking a way to build their own shelter.

All assistance at Gateway is free. Last year, 1,397 different people from all walks of life came for help, a 2.3 percent increase over the previous year. Cook believes the increase reflects the increase in population.

"We have more awareness of domestic violence; more people are educated about the problem and willing to come forward. Also, it's no longer a taboo subject," she said.

The emergency shelter at Gateway offers a private room for a mom and her children. Food is provided, but the women have to prepare their own meals in a single kitchen and eat together in a common area. The shelter is staffed 24 hours a day; last year, it provided 4,455 guest nights at an average of 24 days per guest.

Among the services offered is a 24-hour crisis telephone line operated by trained volunteers who fielded 3,300 calls last year. The crisis line provides intervention as well as referral services, including information on medical, legal, housing, educational and other social services.

Individual counseling was provided for 107 women each month in 2004. An average of 24 women attended group counseling provided in two support group meetings each week.

More than 200 children were involved in a children's program which is offered two times a week. More than 50 percent of the children sheltered at Gateway have been physically abused by the father or stepfather. The children can share their fears and worries at the same time they are learning that violence is not the way to solve problems.

One young man who was living at Gateway House got in trouble for fighting at school. He was asked why he had attacked a much larger student. He answered that he wanted to learn how to beat up bigger people so he could fight his father. He was taught that fighting was not the answer, and now as an adult he visits the staff occasionally.

Gateway's trained volunteers and staff made 282 presentations to middle and high school students on the dynamics and dangers of abusive relationships. A total of 6,929 students heard the program, and intervention was provided to 131 middle school students.

Gateway has the equivalent of 12 full-time employees and 76 active volunteers. Frequently women and children who have made the transition to a safe home condition come back for years as volunteers. The Gateway House services are supported by several sources, including private donations from almost 400 community members.

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