HOUSTON¯Through funds made available by the Tenet Healthcare Foundation, Park Plaza Hospital recently presented $10,000 to the Houston Area Women’s Center (HAWC).

"Park Plaza Hospital is dedicated to supporting our surrounding community," said Lex Guinn, chief executive officer of Park Plaza Hospital. "It is our goal to assist the Houston Area Women’s Center in their effort to stop violence by providing intervention and encouraging survivors to get help."

Due to the ever-increasing number of domestic violence victims, the Board of Directors of HAWC embarked on a capital campaign for $8 million dollars to build a 125-bed shelter with space for all services and activities. The community met the challenge and the new shelter was opened in the spring of 2002, offering clients not only a safe haven, but a private room for each family. The shelter affords families counseling, job training, offices for legal and housing advocates and a health center staffed by volunteer nurses and doctors.

"The cornerstone to stopping violence is community-wide advocacy," said Ellen Cohen, president and chief executive officer of HAWC. "We are grateful to Park Plaza Hospital for their continued support of our mission to empower women to advance their roles, rights and well being."

The HAWC serves people without regard to age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, color or ability. They educate and inform children, youth and the community at large to prevent and eliminate the causes of domestic and sexual violence. For more information on HAWC, call 713-528-6798 or visit them on the World Wide Web at www.hawc.org.

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