HEAL and the Nest were started by local community members in an effort to eliminate domestic violence in Lincoln County and to provide safety, healing and hope to those affected by it.
HEAL’s most critical operation is the Nest, the women’s domestic violence shelter in Ruidoso Downs. All of the client services come from within the Nest and from the staff who oversee it. It is there that safety and security are provided to survivors and their children, ranging from comfy beds to legal advocacy to classes to community networking and counseling to help them reclaim their lives. The Nest is staffed around the clock by highly-trained, empathetic, compassionate and professional Advocates who dedicate their blood, sweat and tears every day.
Beyond services meant strictly for residents, the Advocates at the Nest also provide survivor support groups for current residents, past residents and the public as well. The public support group is held at Sweet Charity every Wednesday at 2pm.
One of the most popular groups at the Nest is Faith Hour, a spiritual exploration based on teachings found in the Recovery Bible. It is provided in collaboration by a Nest Advocate and HEAL Board Secretary and minister, Julie Gilliland.
The staff at HEAL & the Nest pride themselves on being able to connect people within the community who can help the survivors in less typical ways. Together, Advocates have spent thousands of hours meeting people, interviewing them, finding support and resources for clients and constantly broadcasting a list of client needs. Through this action, survivors are helped with services like legal advocacy, housing and daycare arrangements and job and educational opportunities that result in true hope for change.
Advocates work closely with the community because it takes a village – our village – to help survivors create lives free from violence, which HEAL & the Nest believe is a basic human right.
Sweet Charity is a resale boutique whose proceeds benefit the Nest. It is located between Jorge’s and Walmart on Highway 70. Besides hosting events like the weekly public survivor support group, the store has thousands of high-quality items that are donated by members of our community and organized by top-notch retail experts. The boutique also helps survivors by providing furniture, clothing, supplies and household items for the women at the Nest when they transition from shelter life to getting back on their own two feet.
Finally, HEAL provides educational services and outreach programs to our community in an effort to define what domestic violence is, what it looks like and where to find help. In doing so, the Advocates hope no one will ever suffer the tragedy of needing help and not knowing where to find it. They focus on hope and change – and the life that can be fulfilling once a person learns how to live again – as a survivor, not as a victim.
If you or anybody you love is in need of protection or education, please contact HEAL and the Nest at 378-6378.
Pictured is one of the 14 bedrooms at the Nest Domestic Violence Shelter at 26374 US Highway 70 in Ruidoso Downs.
