- Home
- Departments
- Police Department
- Resources
- Sojourner Project
Sojourner Project
Helping Women & Children
Sojourner Project, Inc., commonly known as Sojourner, maintains working relationships with many police departments (including the Wayzata Police Department) serving the west Hennepin Community, and programs serve more than 1,000 battered women and children each year through their shelter and community-based services.
Increasing Safety
The Sojourner Project has been working in the communities of western Hennepin County to increase the safety of victims of domestic violence through shelter, advocacy, safety planning and community education.
The Sojourner Shelter
The Sojourner Shelter, a secure and confidential residence for battered women and their children, provides victims with a clean and safe environment, food, clothing, and transportation. The shelter provides advocacy for safety planning, parenting issues, resource networking and legal concerns. The shelter also operates and staffs a 24-hour crisis line.
Sojourner believes that strong community partnerships are crucial to raise awareness of and to prevent domestic violence. To that end, Sojourner provides the following services:
- Partners with the Wayzata Police Department - When a domestic violence arrest takes place in Wayzata, police officers contact Sojourner. An advocate then contacts the victim to offer support, safety planning, information and referrals to needed services. The advocate continues to work with the victim throughout any criminal court proceedings. In a further partnership, a representative of the Wayzata Police Department serves on the Sojourner board of directors.
- This program educates area middle and high school students about dating and healthy relationships, and provides education for parents on how to discuss these topics.
- Sojourner also trains law enforcement, prosecutors and attorneys, probation workers, social workers, teachers, medical clinic staff and first responders.
Services
Sojourner's services are free of charge and available to anyone. Services are confidential and can be accessed 24 hours a day by any women in the west metro area, not just those in the Sojourner Shelter. Sojourner can assist with issues including divorce, custody, child protection and restraining orders. To learn more, visit the Sojourner website or call 952-351-4062. For the crisis line call 952-933-7422, for legal and community advocacy call 952-935-1004. To schedule a group presentation, call 952-351-4066.