SEAL BEACH : Interval House: Way Station for Women

According to experts, many women in abusive relationships stay there because they simply don’t know where to turn for help.

For more than a decade, the Seal Beach-based Interval House has served as a way station for abused women and their children, providing them with temporary shelter, counseling and a sympathetic ear. It is one of three such shelters providing help to battered women in Orange County.

More than 6,000 women have relied on Interval House for help at one of the organization’s two primary shelters and more than half a dozen “safe houses,” shelter officials said.

Up to 55 women and their children can live in Interval House’s facilities at one time. Stays range from a few days to several months, depending on each woman’s situation.

Inside, they receive counseling designed to help them come to terms with the abuse. Assistance is also offered in finding jobs and dealing with the legal maze of divorce and child custody.

Interval House officials said living among other victims of abuse makes the healing process easier as the women offer each other support and advice.

The organization was honored earlier this year by President Bush, who awarded Interval House with the Daily Point of Light award for offering Orange County women “a safe place to live and hope for the future.”

For more information, call (310) 594-4555.