Founded in 1991, The Advocates has been operating in the Wood River Valley for more than 30 years, providing a range of services, including a crisis shelter, transitional housing, legal advocacy, and educational programs. It’s extensive programming has touched Wood River Valley lives in many ways, whether through its retail shop, The Advocates Attic, or with its prevention curriculum for children. Domestic violence and sexual assault do not discriminate—meaning the work of The Advocates is just as critical in this small corner of the world as anywhere else.
The Advocates’ mission promotes healthy relationships by providing safety, healing, and resources to people impacted by abuse. To work toward that mission requires a staff of 61 who provide a variety of free, confidential services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Funds to support the organization come from a mix of fundraising efforts, foundation grants, government grants, The Advocates Attic sales, and programming income.
The Advocates’ extensive programming can be divided into four categories: services, support and transition, education, and empowerment programs.
Services include a 24-hour helpline and emergency shelter.
The support and transition program offers transitional housing, counseling and support groups in English and Spanish, and free legal advice and advocacy. Providing transitional housing is perhaps one of The Advocates’ most valued service, as the demand is constantly outpacing what is available. The shelter currently has 28 beds and an additional 18 rent-subsidized transitional housing units, which last year housed 69 adults and children. The average length of stay in these units is 16 months.
“We are committed to never turning anyone away due to lack of spaces,” says Shannon Nichols, director of development and engagement at The Advocates. “When we are at capacity, that may mean placing someone in a hotel or in a studio transitional unit for a night or two until a bed becomes available. This kind of flexibility has significantly changed how The Advocates can provide support, allowing us to respond more effectively to each individual’s needs.”
Education programming focuses on prevention for all ages, including the Every Teen Counts initiative to promote healthy dating behaviors; Live Respect and Teen Titans, two initiatives to engage boys in learning how to stand up against abuse; and prevention specialists providing violence prevention programming in local schools.
In 2025, 651 local middle school students took part in the prevention curriculum, with training sessions on topics like boundary setting and communication.
“Our long-term goal is to work ourselves out of a job,” says Nichols. “While we know that’s ambitious, it’s what drives our commitment to prevention.” The THRIVE Kids Early Learning Center, opened in June 2024, also provides quality early learning and a strong foundation in the form of teachers, parents, advocates, and community support.
Empowerment programs include the Skills for Success and Smart About Economic Empowerment classes to help survivors achieve financial independence as well as enrichment, skills, and connections through classes in Zumba, cooking, or art.
The Advocates is currently building a new THRIVE Center to both increase transitional housing options and provide more space for current programming.
The organization bought it’s first four-unit building in 2017, which filled immediately, as did a large wait list. At the time, the organization thought this would meet the Valley’s needs, but with population growth in the area and unprecedented housing costs, the length of stay in transitional housing has increased and the wait list continues to grow.
The new THRIVE Center will provide an additional 20 units of transitional housing apartments, for a total of 38 apartments, as well as an Early Learning Center for up to 71 children ages 0–5, and four off-site units of employee housing. There will also be private consultation rooms, spaces for teaching and training, a youth and teen engagement space, a playroom, a community kitchen for classes and events, a food and essential needs pantry, and a Dress for Success closet. As of now, the project is on budget and ahead of schedule for opening in November 2026.
Being able to provide longer-term transitional housing can be the difference between someone staying in an abusive relationship and feeling stable enough to leave. “That level of support makes it possible for survivors to not just escape abuse but build a sustainable, violence-free future,” says Nichols. “I wish people understood how difficult it is to walk through our doors or make that first call to the helpline. No one expects abuse to happen to them or imagines they’ll need our help.”
THE ADVOCATES’ 2025 STATS
- 1,391 survivors were helped. The Advocates provided services to 1,067 adults and 24 children.
- 1,948 helpline calls were answered.
- 82 people received free legal services.
- 8,799 hours of “face-to-face” advocacy were provided.
- 126 people, including 43 children, called The Advocates Crisis Shelter home.
- 88 sexual assault victims were assisted.
- 1 in 3 women in this community will experience verbal, financial, physical or sexual abuse.