National Women's Shelter Network

06/01/2026

A safe shelter is where healing begins, but long term stability requires more than safety alone. Well resourced shelters, financial literacy, job training, and sustainable employment opportunities are all essential to helping women rebuild their lives and achieve lasting independence.

Our Track 4 breakout sessions were built around one question: what does it actually take to help a woman build a life after shelter?

Swipe to see the sessions, from culinary programs and beauty salons to resale shops and a paid health worker apprenticeship. These are not theories. They are replicable models created by practitioners who are doing the work every day.

Registration link in bio.

September 21–25 | Tucson, Arizona

Early Bird Registration has been extended for a limited time only!

Members get free Early Bird registration with code
MEMBER2026! used at checkout.

05/21/2026

Safe sleep changes everything. 🌸🌸🌸

This month, together with our philanthropic partner , the NWSN gave 136 women and families across the country a bed worthy of the fresh start they’re working toward.

🛏️ Sister Jose Women’s Center - Tucson, AZ
54 beds · frames, sheets, linens & pillows

🛏️ The Women’s House - Houston, TX
52 beds · sheets, linens & pillows

🛏️ Breakthrough Urban Ministries - Chicago, IL
30 beds · frames, sheets, linens & pillows

Because a trauma-informed shelter starts with the basics of dignity, safety, and a real place to rest.

Thank you for making this possible. This is what a meaningful partnership looks like. 🩷

05/20/2026

We are beyond excited to announce that Piper Kerman will join us as a Keynote Speaker at the 2026 NWSN Conference.
From inspiring the globally acclaimed Orange Is the New Black to becoming a leading voice for criminal justice reform and incarcerated women, her work continues to spark powerful conversations that matter. Join us this September 21-24th in Tucson, Arizona for a conference filled with impactful voices, meaningful conversations, and unforgettable moments.
REGISTER HERE: https://thenwsn.coalitionmanager.org/eventmanager/trainingevent/details/100

04/29/2026

Last week, the NWSN team attended the 2026 Engage for Good Conference in Palm Springs, a four-day event centered on social impact in business. From building new relationships to hosting a dynamic session and winning a Gold Halo Award, it was a rewarding and impactful week.

In our session, “From Six Causes to One Mission: How Mattress Firm and the National Women’s Shelter Network Build a 360° Partnership,” our Executive Director, Constance Collins, and our Director, Grettel Jiménez Singer, were proud to present alongside Colleen Wright, Social Impact Manager from Mattress Firm, spanning Safe Sleep Makeovers, point of sales, product donations, and nationwide corporate volunteering, which has resulted in over $1 million in customer giving, a 58% growth in NWSN membership, and over 70 million impressions through our national awareness campaign. Safe Shelter Saves Lives!

We’re honored to have received the Gold Halo Award for the category of Best Gender & LGBTQ Equality Initiative alongside Mattress Firm and look forward to what’s ahead.

04/27/2026

The National Women’s Shelter Network is profoundly honored to be recognized alongside our partner, Mattress Firm, as the Gold Halo winner of Engage for Good’s Best Gender & LGBTQ Equality Initiative. Through our award-winning Safe Shelter Saves Lives initiative, Mattress Firm and the National Women’s Shelter Network have hosted Safe Sleep Makeovers and brought restful, safe, and dignified sleep to women and children nationwide.

THANK YOU to the Engage for Good 2026 Halo Awards team for this amazing honor and to our partner, Mattress Firm, for making this all possible through their generosity and dedication to helping women, children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness!

Together we are stronger ♥️

04/24/2026

What happens when some of the most influential voices in our field take the stage? Our whole movement moves forward ▶️▶️▶️

Join us at the “Safe Shelter Saves Lives” 2026 NWSN Annual Conference in Tucson, Arizona this September and learn from keynote speakers who are shaping the future of this work every single day. Check out our visionary keynote speakers and spark change this fall with the leaders moving our field forward. 

Early Bird Registration has been extended for a limited time only! Reserve your spot today at theNWSNconference.org.

Members get free Early Bird registration with code MEMBER2026! used at checkout. 🌸

04/19/2026

04/09/2026

Children and youth experiencing homelessness often face trauma, instability, and developmental challenges that can impact their mental health and well-being.

In Volume 3 of Beyond Housing, Shana Cox of Lotus House discusses how shelters can help connect children and youth to the supports they need.

Read the full Q&A: https://bit.ly/3M4fTqB

04/09/2026

Launched earlier this year, the NWSN provides a toll-free national HelpLine connecting women, children, youth, and families to safe shelter and critical resources through our nationwide Member Network. Led by the NWSN’s Director of Program and Victim Services, Laura Klinefelter, LMHC, CAP, the HelpLine has already helped place women in shelters all across the country, including coordinating shelter transfers and providing community-specific resources through our Network.

Now you, too, can explore ways to help your community’s most vulnerable individuals through the “Victim Services – Trauma-Informed Care for Survivors and Staff” panel at the 2026 NWSN Annual Conference.

This panel will dive deep into the current state of victim services, including ongoing funding challenges, survivor-centered practices, trauma-informed care, the experiences of marginalized communities, and insights from research and policy on both the strengths and gaps in the current approaches.

Have you registered yet? Go to theNWSNconference.org to secure your spot today 🌸

NWSN Members, take advantage of the extension of free Early Bird registration with code MEMBER2026! used at checkout.

04/08/2026

The NWSN was back on the road in March visiting shelter programs all over Arizona, with even a stop over to New Mexico!

In Chinle, the NWSN met with .healing.shelter before heading to Kayenta to visit the Tohdenasshai Committee Against Family Abuse. Next, the NWSN team headed to Safford to visit the before crossing state lines to visit the in Navajo Nation. After that, the NWSN team headed to Sacaton to visit in the Gila River Indian Community and then headed south to Tucson.

The Tucson stopover was particularly special as the NWSN team is preparing for the 2026 NWSN Annual Conference happening in Tucson this September! The NWSN team visited the Pio Decimo Center at , to check out their Youth Center and transitional housing services for families. The next visit was to NWSN Member, , to see their Casa Paloma Women’s Shelter and Hospitality Center, a wonderful emergency shelter and transitional housing program. The NWSN team also stopped by the to see their Hospitality House, a 24/7 emergency shelter with 104 beds and 2 family apartments. And for the last two stops of the trip, the NWSN team visited the to see their shelter program for individuals and families, and the to learn more about their daytime center providing rest, food, laundry facilities, and showers.

Thank you so much to everyone who hosted and welcomed us on this very special trip to Arizona! We thoroughly enjoyed getting to see such wonderful and diverse programs, as well as connect with inspiring shelterleaders doing meaningful work in their communities. And a special thank you to for her assistance in planning this amazing trip and bringing us into community with indigenous programs across Arizona, New Mexico, and Navajo Nation.