In 2000/2001, the state of Georgia saw there were such high numbers of domestic violence and child abuse cases in Toombs and Emanuel Counties. It was decided a new shelter needed to open in this area.  The Toombs County office opened in March of 2001 through April 2003 as an Outreach Satellite Office for WINGS, Women In Need Of God’s Shelter out of Dublin, Georgia. The Toombs/Emanuel Project started with one board member and one part-time employee going out in the five county service area speaking about the issue of domestic violence and the need our communities had for a shelter. We started with one full time and two part-time employees. With great support from our communities, plans were underway to build the new facility.  As of May 2003, we became our own 501© 3 and began to operate as The Refuge Domestic Violence Shelter, Inc.  At that time, we had four full-time and two part-time employees.  Today, for domestic violence we have 9 full-time and 6 part-time employees and the  sexual assault center has 3 full-time and 1 part-time.

The Refuge Domestic Violence serves five rural counties, Toombs, Treutlen, Montgomery, Emanuel and Wheeler and the Sexaul Assault Center serves those 5 with additional Candler and Tattnall Counties.

The Refuge Domestic Violence Shelter, Inc. has 14 Board of Directors from the 7 county areas we serve.