Jennifer Salzman signs her correspondence “with hope.”
And that’s exactly what her organization offers. She is the executive director of The Heights Ellis County Family Resources in Midlothian.
The organization offers assistance for victims to escape domestic violence and create a new life. The uniqueness of The Heights, however, is getting the most out of everyone working together.
Their motto is: “Guiding victims of family abuse to safety and hope by connecting them to the services of many different agencies all together in one place.”
The Heights began services in 2021 and has helped over 1,000 individuals, adults and children. Salzman said the numbers are increasing as in the first six months of 2024, they have already served the same number of clients in 2023.
Salzman shared what motivated her to establish The Heights, “My family has dealt with domestic abuse in multiple ways. Our family owns a cabinet company and has put cabinets in several women’s and children’s shelters – Union Gospel Mission, Hope Mansion, and The Family Place. We were planning to help renovate the shelter in Ellis County, however, quickly discovered that an emergency shelter for domestic violence did not exist. We decided we could invest in establishing such a shelter.”
“In our discovery process, we were introduced to One Safe Place in Fort Worth and learned about the Family Justice Center model. The FJC model is a multi-agency resource center to provide wrap-around services for victims of domestic abuse. Once introduced to this model and learning that it is identified as best practice for victims of domestic abuse under the President’s Family Justice Center Initiative, we decided to shift our focus to establishing a family justice center in Ellis County that includes an emergency shelter at an undisclosed location. This is when the plan for The Heights began.”
The Family Justice Center model is different from a traditional nonprofit because it is a multi-agency organization that provides co-located comprehensive support services. The Heights has 15 on-site partnerships and over 100 off-site partnerships. On-site partnerships include Ellis Christian Women’s Job Corp, Believing Restoration is Attainable, God’s Arms of Hope, UnitedWay, North Texas Behavioral Clinic, North Texas Behavioral Health Authority, Manna House, Ellis County Homeless Coalition, North Texas Food Bank Benefits Assistance, Care Portal, Anchor Home, Celebrate Recovery, The Bee Hive Salon, Soul Flight and Unite Ellis.
Salzman pointed out that men are also in need of services, as “one in seven men will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime.” They also have male clients.
They are fortunate to have diverse funding sources, including state and federal grants, foundation grants, county and city line item budgets, businesses, churches, and individual donors.
Power of We Luncheon
The Heights has an upcoming fundraising luncheon, “The Power of We,” highlighting the importance and significance of collaboration. “No single organization can possibly cover all the diverse resources needed to assist those most vulnerable. When we root for our partner agencies and value them as partners instead of rivals, we are building a stronger, more resilient community for all. Together, we can and will make a difference in Ellis County”, Salzman said.
“We have the honor of hosting The Gabby Petito Foundation to be a part of our luncheon. Both of Gabby’s parents and stepparents, Nichole and Jim Schmidt, and Joseph and Tara Petito will be attending. Their story underscores the importance of our work and the impact we can make together.
Gabby’s story has touched so many lives, and their attendance at the luncheon affords a unique opportunity to discuss and shed light on the possible impacts of having a family justice center in assisting victims of domestic abuse.”
The Heights is honored to partner with The Gabby Petito Foundation in developing an educational curriculum. Prevention is imperative for breaking generational cycles, and we are grateful for the opportunity to make a difference alongside Gabby’s family.
For more about the luncheon and all The Heights offers, visit https://www.theheightselliscounty.org/
