The WoMen’s Rural Advocacy Programs, Inc. (WRAP) is a non-profit tax-exempt organization which received its determination letter on May 29, 1997 from the Internal Revenue Service. The main purposes of WRAP are to provide safety options, shelter, and advocacy and referral services for victims and survivors of domestic abuse and their children, and alleviate domestic violence in the communities of Southwest Minnesota. This grass roots network of women helping women began in October 1979.
The Womanspace and Yellow Medicine Women’s Center programs were started in Lyon and Yellow Medicine counties in 1994. WRAP operated as a corporation, with the Committee Against Domestic Violence (CADA), Mankato, Minnesota as its fiscal agent, from July 1, 1994 until June 30, 1997 when it obtained its own 501(c)(3) tax-exempt determination. Services to Lincoln, Murray and Redwood counties were added at this same time.
WRAP operates Community Action Programs (CAP) for anyone affected by domestic violence in four Southwest Minnesota counties:
WRAP- Lyon, located in Marshall
WRAP-Lincoln, served out of Marshall
WRAP-Yellow Medicine, located in Granite Falls
WRAP-Redwood, located in Redwood Falls
WRAP also provides services in Murray County upon request by victims, law enforcement, or other agencies, even though this county is not included in the funding received from the State of Minnesota, Office of Justice Programs.
The mission of WoMen's Rural Advocacy Programs, Inc. (WRAP) is to provide safety; advocacy and assistance for those victimized by domestic violence in Southwest Minnesota; as well as community awareness though prevention and education. WRAP promotes social change through equality, honesty and an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect.
The WoMen’s Rural Advocacy Programs, Inc. (WRAP) was established to:
- Provide emergency housing, support groups, educational activities, information and referral services for individuals and their children.
- Seek to eliminate the roots of violence by confronting sexism, racism, classism, homophobia, ageism, and albinism within ourselves and the socio-economic and political systems.
- Act both as personal and group advocates.
- Develop and maintain associations with health, social service, law enforcement, criminal justice, and legal service providers, with the objective of alleviating the problem of domestic violence.
- Provide community education, volunteer opportunities, and training on domestic violence and related issues.
The WoMen’s Rural Advocacy Programs, Inc. (WRAP) believes violence against individuals and children is a learned behavior and results from the use of force or threat involving emotional, physical, sexual, economic, or other aspects of life, to achieve and maintain power and control over another person in intimate relationships. Societal abuses of power and domination includes forms of sexism, racism, homophobia, classism, anti-Semitism, able-bodyism, ageism and other opressions. WRAP recognizes that abuses of power in society foster battering by perpetrating conditions which condone violence against individuals and children.
2017 Audit Report