The Vision
Ann Whitehead, a local social worker, realized the pervasiveness of domestic violence in San Antonio. She envisioned an environment where victims of abuse could find respite from fear. Whitehead enlisted the help of Reverend Don Baugh, Director of the San Antonio Community of Churches, and together with faith, determination, and $400, opened the Battered Women’s Shelter of Bexar County. The three-bedroom house on San Antonio’s north side was immediately filled to capacity. Concerned citizens raised money, collected food, clothing, and diapers, and operated the shelter on a day-to-day basis for the first year. The Battered Women Shelter of Bexar County later relocated to a converted church building, where it remained for 23 years.
