Founded in 1983, Chez Hope began as a grassroots safe home project, with founding members opening their personal homes to offer emergency assistance and refuge for victims of domestic violence. At the heart of this effort was Elizabeth Richmond, a Mennonite missionary working at Teche Action Clinic in St. Mary Parish. Recognizing the urgent needs of women and children fleeing abuse, she established Chez Hope and remained deeply involved until her passing in the early 1990s.

For many years, Chez Hope provided vital nonresidential services to survivors. In 2007, we opened our first Emergency Shelter the first noncommunal domestic violence shelter in Louisiana. It offers survivors private, apartment-style living and a trauma-informed environment. This shelter has since expanded to eight apartments.

In 2022, we opened a second shelter in Iberia Parish, based on the same trauma-informed model. It provides seven individual living apartments, continuing our commitment to safety, dignity, and healing for survivors.

Today, Chez Hope has grown into a robust, multi-parish domestic violence program serving communities across the region. Our services include:

• Two Emergency Shelters

• A Safe Exchange / Visitation Centers

• A Technology Education Advocacy and Resource Center

• A Batterer Intervention Program

For over 40 years, we have remained dedicated to empowering survivors, promoting safety, and advocating for a future free from violence.