Domestic Violence Survivor Advocacy and Emergency Shelter Program
(100+ domestic violence survivors helped in 2025)
The Korean Women’s Association (KWA), founded in 1972, began as a grassroots effort by a group of compassionate women who encountered Korean domestic violence survivors stranded in a foreign country without resources, language skills, or support, often living in fear of deportation and separation from their children. These survivors faced a wide spectrum of abuse—verbal, financial, physical, and psychological—with some bearing severe injuries such as broken bones, ruptured eardrums, and burn scars. In response, KWA’s founders mobilized their community, raising funds by cooking and selling traditional Korean foods like kimchi, bulgogi, and japchae to help survivors secure plane tickets and escape unsafe situations. Over time, KWA’s dedication drew broader community and institutional support, leading to its first public grant from the City of Tacoma in 1996 and the establishment of its domestic violence shelter, We Are Family Home (WAFHOME), in 2004 through government and private funding. WAFHOME provides a safe, stable, and supportive environment with essential resources such as shelter, food, and care, reflecting KWA’s evolution from a volunteer-driven rescue effort into a vital organization committed to protecting survivors and empowering them to rebuild their lives free from abuse.
We Are Family Home (WAFHOME)24 Hour Hotline
☎️ 253-359-0470
For domestic violence, emergency shelterservices, safety planning, or referrals.
If you are in immediate danger orexperiencing a life-threatening emergency
Please call 911
Domestic Violence Emergency Shelter
WAFHOME offers a safe and supportive communal environment for survivors of intimate partner violence and their dependent children to begin their healing journey. Residents receive a 45-day stay in private rooms with access to communal facilities. Our caring and well-trained staff provide support, encouragement, and services such as direct client advocacy, case management, safety planning, employment, legal advocacy, support group, and referrals to various resources.

Access and Scheduling
For Domestic Violence emergency shelter services, safety planning, or referrals, please contact the WAFHOME 24-hour hotline at.
253-359-0470
All programs and services require a phone screening.
Domestic Violence Coordinated Entry (CE)
Domestic Violence Coordinated Entry (DVCE) is a supportive program designed to ensure that all Domestic Violence (DV) survivors experiencing homelessness in Pierce County have fair and equitable access to housing resources. KWA Domestic Violence Coordinated Entry Specialists specialize in assisting DV survivors navigate community housing programs and complete the county’s Coordinated Entry Intake in a trauma informed way. Specialists work with survivors to identify barriers and discuss the most appropriate potential solution.

Eligibility Criteria
Please contact KWA Coordinated Entry if you are:
- Actively Fleeing
- Attempting to flee domestic violence
Access and Scheduling
To determine eligibility or schedule an appointment, please call 253-389-2002, Monday to Friday, between 8:30 am to 10:30 am.
Process
During a scheduled appointment we have a housing solutions conversation with you to determine if a plan can be developed. If successful, a DVCE Specialist works with the household for 30 days toward that solution. We will partner with the household to identify next steps and resources that the household will follow up on. Households that may need more than 30 days are placed in the priority pool for 90 days. The priority pool prioritizes households based on barriers and vulnerability for the next available resources. When a household is placed in priority pool for 90 days a referral is not guaranteed. Households entering the priority pool are encouraged to work on other housing solutions.
Pierce County uses a system called Coordinated Entry to connect people experiencing homelessness or who are at imminent risk of homelessness to an available bed or safe place to stay.
A Coordinated Entry Specialist will help families and individuals access services, information and a housing wait list that can only be accessed through Coordinated Entry.