By David Vitrano

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – Bertha Bell sometimes seems like a one-woman army, and that is because in many ways she is.

Bell began her crusade to rescue women from abusive situations over 20 years ago. A survivor of an abusive husband herself, Bell said she had a vision of her current ministry sometime in the mid-‘80s. What would become the New Life Women’s Center opened its first shelter in Jefferson Parish on Feb. 1, 1990.

Then in 1995 Bell secured a building in LaPlace and moved the operation to St. John Parish.

“When we first came here, we had pretty much a zero budget,” said Bell.

To remedy that situation, Bell started the New Life Thrift Store Ministries to help fund the operation. Now located at 650 W. Fifth St. in LaPlace, the store has been closed for renovations since April 23, but Bell hopes to have a grand reopening next Saturday. She said the St. James Lutheran Church of Gonzales has been instrumental in making these renovations a reality. “Don’t think I didn’t talk to people in St. John,” she added.

The ministry’s current location, Bell said, has been made possible through the generosity of landlord Michael St. Martin and manager Ruben Keating.

“They both understand the plight of battered women,” she explained. “Not only are they landlords, but they’re supporters.”

Bell said she has been pretty much stonewalled when trying to attain funding through “official” sources, so she has had to rely on her faith in carrying out her mission. More often than not, that faith has seen her through. St. Martin and Keating allowed her to move into the present location without so much as a dime down. Since then, they have worked with her regarding rent. She said she can pay an entire year’s rent and insurance for just $6,000.

“Once that’s covered, the rest will come,” she said.

Regarding other expenses, she must once again rely on her faith.

During the 12-month program, New Life takes care of the women in its custody wholly. The program picks up any costs related to meals, housing, prescriptions and attorney fees. Some of these are handled through the generosity of hotels and prescription programs, but there is always a need for additional funding.

Bell said for a woman to be admitted to her care, the only requirement is they must have filed a police report against their abuser. This frees New Life from possible legal issues. After that, she or another volunteer can pick up the battered woman from a public street, and from then on the woman is under the care of Bell.

She said the first six months are dedicated to preserving the physical and mental health of the client. Part of this entails cutting off communication with family and friends for a time. The next six months are an effort to get the woman back on her feet. And after graduating from the program, New Life continues to care for the women by providing a place to live and furniture and appliances.

Bell’s total commitment to helping these women goes way beyond what many government agencies offer, and she seems to have a sense of urgency about her work that is lacking in the more traditional help outlets.

“When people come into this program, they are victims of physical abuse,” she explained. “I’ve had women sit here and call 211. In the end, you’ve spent an hour, and you’re still in the same place.”

With such an important mission, Bell needs a larger outpouring of support from the community at large. She said a couple of the local Catholic churches give her some help, and some local businesses and industries offer assistance, particularly around the holidays, but she said what would be most helpful to her work is financial assistance, which could come in the form of direct donations or gift cards.

She said to make donations one can just stop by the store Monday through Saturday between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. For more information, one can call 985-359-2398.

It may seem counterintuitive to advertise the location and contact information of a facility that extracts women from abusive situations, but that doesn’t worry Bell, who is about nothing if not empowerment.

“This is not a place abusers are comfortable rolling up on,” she said. “We’ve learned to protect ourselves.”