In a quiet corner of Gladwin, Michigan, a powerful mission is gaining momentum; one rooted in compassion, dignity, and the unwavering belief that every woman deserves a safe place to land. The Human Rights Vision Group (HRVG), a nonprofit known for its work in education and community empowerment, has turned its full attention to a cause that founder Dr. Josephine Stegeman calls “urgent, essential, and deeply personal”: establishing a Temporary Women’s Shelter to support women and children in crisis.
While HRVG has long championed educational access and human rights across underserved communities, the organization’s leadership has chosen to focus their current efforts on one goal at a time. “I believe in going deep, not wide,” Dr. Stegeman explains. “Right now, we need to be laser-focused on helping women who are in immediate danger or distress. That starts with creating a place where they can breathe, heal, and begin again.”
Why Temporary Shelters Matter
For women escaping domestic violence, homelessness, or sudden financial catastrophe, shelters are often the first and only refuge. These spaces don’t just offer beds and meals; they provide safety, legal support, trauma counseling, and the critical emotional relief of knowing one is no longer alone. Yet despite their life-saving function, shelters remain underfunded and overcapacity in much of the U.S., especially in rural regions like northern Michigan.
HRVG’s shelter aims to fill that gap. Plans include providing emergency housing, wraparound counseling, job readiness programs, healthy meals, and a stable, nurturing environment where women and their children can begin to rebuild.
Importantly, the shelter will focus on temporary care with transformative outcomes, giving residents not just a roof over their heads, but the tools to reclaim independence, reenter the workforce, and find long-term housing. It is this holistic approach that sets the project apart.
More Than a Roof: A Pathway to Recovery
The proposed shelter isn’t merely about addressing basic survival needs; it’s about comprehensive recovery. Services will include trauma-informed therapy, legal aid for navigating restraining orders and custody disputes, childcare support, and individualized case management. Education will also play a key role, with on-site literacy support, digital literacy tools, and career readiness training provided for all residents.
“Too often, shelters are viewed as holding spaces,” Dr. Stegeman says. “We want ours to be a launchpad; a place where women get the support they need to move forward, not just stay afloat.”
The campaign also envisions support for special populations often left out of the conversation, such as women reentering society after incarceration, those aging out of the foster care system, and survivors of human trafficking. Each group faces unique challenges, but they all need the same starting point: safety.
An Ambitious but Achievable Goal
HRVG has set a fundraising target of $2 million to bring the shelter to life. These funds will cover the purchase or renovation of a suitable facility, staffing costs for licensed professionals and counselors, operational expenses, and program development. The organization is seeking support from philanthropists, social investors, and local community members who believe in the power of second chances.
While the figure may seem high, Dr. Stegeman is undeterred. “You can’t put a price on saving someone’s life or helping a child sleep in peace. We believe people will respond, because everyone has a mother, a sister, a daughter. Everyone understands what it means to need help.”
HRVG is actively inviting donations, volunteer support, and corporate partnerships, with all contributions going directly toward the shelter’s creation and operations.
A Shelter That Empowers Through Education
Though the shelter is currently HRVG’s central focus, the group’s broader mission of educational empowerment remains deeply interwoven with the project. The organization plans to integrate its existing educational programming into the shelter environment, offering everything from resume-building workshops and interview coaching to micro-enterprise development and GED preparation.
Dr. Stegeman views education as more than an academic pathway; it’s a tool for reclaiming agency and purpose. “When women feel capable again… when they remember their skills, their dreams, their ability to contribute and that’s when real healing begins,” she says.
Community Support is Critical
As HRVG’s campaign builds traction, the organization emphasizes the power of collective action. Whether someone donates $20 or $20,000, shares the campaign on social media, or volunteers their time, each act of solidarity moves the project closer to reality.
“We don’t need one hero,” Dr. Stegeman says. “We need a chorus of people saying, ‘Yes, I believe women deserve safety. I believe children deserve stability. I want to be part of that.’”
The team is already forming partnerships with local healthcare providers, legal aid groups, and employment services to ensure a strong referral and support network is in place once the shelter opens.
Looking Ahead: From Shelter to Systemic Change
While the initial goal is to open a single facility in Gladwin, HRVG hopes this model can eventually be replicated across the Midwest, and beyond. By combining emergency housing with mental health care, education, and trauma recovery, the shelter aspires to become a national model for transformative temporary care.
In the long run, HRVG envisions influencing policy conversations about domestic violence, rural homelessness, and women’s access to transitional services. “We know we’re treating the symptom,” Dr. Stegeman notes. “But every shelter we build strengthens the case for systemic reform.”
Conclusion
In focusing its efforts on a temporary women’s shelter, Human Rights Vision Group is doing something both strategic and deeply human: offering women in crisis a soft landing and a strong start. The organization’s commitment to education, empowerment, and long-term recovery reflects a broader vision: one in which every woman, no matter her past, is treated as worthy of hope and capable of healing.
As the campaign gains momentum, one thing is clear: this is not just a shelter. It’s a promise that no woman should have to navigate crisis alone, and that with the right support, every life can begin again.
To learn more, visit: https://hrvgroup.org/
