Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Emergency Housing Is Open!

The Refuge for Women Emergency Housing Pittsburgh program is designed to offer women immediate access to temporary housing, crisis intervention, and other support services. The emergency housing program provides emergency shelter for female survivors of sex trafficking and sexual violence/exploitation. Our program is free to our clients; we do accept payments from Medicaid through Managed Care Organization and other third-party payments. We are unable to serve women with children that also need housing or women in need of a medically supervised detoxification program.

About Refuge for Women Pittsburgh

What does sex trafficking look like in Pittsburgh? Click below to learn more about the need for Emergency Housing in our city.

Work With Us!

Refuge for Women Pittsburgh is currently hiring the following position(s).

Direct Service Worker

The Direct Service Worker’s duties in the safe house during the assigned shift is to maintain a safe healing environment for residents and provide consistent operations by upholding the program model and resident guidelines.

Events

Need to Know: Sex Trafficking in Pittsburgh

October 18, 2023 | Duquesne University Power Center | Refuge for Women Pittsburgh and Duquesne University present “Need to Know: Sex Trafficking in Pittsburgh,” a …

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Giving Thanks Celebration

November 16, 2023 | Station Square Sheraton | Join Refuge for Women Pittsburgh on November 16th for an unforgettable evening of gratitude and generosity at …

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Volunteer Training

Are you looking for a way to serve others in Pittsburgh? Looking for a way to give back by sharing your time and talents?  Refuge …

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Refuge for Women + DipJar

Do you or someone you know own a boutique, coffee shop, or store?  Join our efforts by hosting a DipJar on your Point-of-Sale counter! 

Invite Refuge For Women To Present

Awareness and prevention is key! Bring Refuge to your group, office, or school to shed light on the issues surrounding sex trafficking and exploitation. Contact theresa.golden@refugeforwomen.org.

Stories of Hope

Refuge for Women Pittsburgh’s Emergency Home is OPEN!

October 18, 2023 | Duquesne University Power Center | Refuge for Women Pittsburgh and Duquesne University present “Need to Know: Sex Trafficking in Pittsburgh,” a …

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Giving Thanks Celebration Honors

October 18, 2023 | Duquesne University Power Center | Refuge for Women Pittsburgh and Duquesne University present “Need to Know: Sex Trafficking in Pittsburgh,” a …

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Experts Illuminate Sex Trafficking Risks In Pittsburgh

On October 11, 2022 over 150 people gathered in East Liberty to hear a panel of experts discuss sex trafficking in Western Pennsylvania. The panel included FBI …

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House Needs

Thank you for helping us take care of our emergency home and our residents! We are so grateful for your generous heart! Refuge for Women Pittsburgh has an Amazon account – where we have two distinct items-for-purchase lists:

Everyday Essentials List – Our Everyday Essential List has items that we need on an ongoing basis. View our Everyday Essentials List on Amazon.com

Wish List – Our Wish List contains items that are bigger, one time purchases. View our Wish List on Amazon.com

Give. Shop. Serve.

Give monthly. Give once. Just give. All donations help restore hope.

Shop for artisan candles,  and leather goods crafted by our survivors.

Offer your time and talents for the benefit of our mission.

Give. Serve.

Give monthly. Give once. Just give. All donations help restore hope.

Offer your time and talents for the benefit of our mission.

Leadership

Theresa Golden

Executive Director

Sarah Medina

Emergency Services Director

Roni Milich

Community Engagement Coordinator

Michele Margittai

Development Director

Rachel Cornelius

Program Services Director

Stephanie Wolfe

Assistant Program Director

Katy Fleming

Nurse Manager

Karleigh Maide

Case Manager

Board of Directors

Linda Kricher
Chairwoman

Linda Kricher is the Chief Human Resources Officer of Net Health. She previously served as Vice President of Human Resources for McKesson Corporation. Linda earned an MBA from Regent University and a Ph.D. in Workforce Education and Development from Penn State University. She has extensive experience as an Executive Coach, holding PCC credentials with the International Coaching Federation.

Linda and her husband, Lee, are the parents of two daughters and they have four grandchildren.

Rocco Magnelli
Vice Chairman

Rocco’s vast amount of police experience includes twenty years with the Sharpsburg police department – five of those years as Sergeant and twelve years as a juvenile officer. Rocco spent three years with Gateway Rehabilitation Center serving in Peer Support He worked for five years with Corporate Security and Investigations (CSI) as a Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC)/Child Victims of Human Trafficking (CVHT) Investigator.

Currently, Rocco is the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Case Manager for Allegheny County Children, Youth and Families.

Katie Holler - Secretary

Katie Holler
Secretary

Katie Holler is the Confidential Advocate as well as a Social Work Instructor at Franciscan University of Steubenville. While completing her Master of Social Work degree at the University of Pittsburgh, she came to know and love both the city of Pittsburgh and its people. Katie is passionate about educating communities about the issue of human trafficking and believes that Pittsburgh will greatly benefit from Refuge for Women’s Emergency Housing.

After serving as both the Assistant Program Director and Program Director for the Long-Term Program House in the Ohio Valley, Katie now serves as the Secretary for the Pittsburgh Board of Directors.

Amber Blair

Amber Blair is a licensed social worker, board certified music therapist, and trained mediator with experience in nonprofit management and direct practice with diverse populations, including those vulnerable to human trafficking.  Amber is currently the Executive Director of TryLife Center, a pregnancy and parenting resource center located in Lower Burrell, PA.

Amber is excited to be involved with the Emergency Housing Pittsburgh program because she believes the faith and evidence-based approach to aftercare for these women will not only meet their immediate needs but will provide a safe place to begin restoring their health and well-being.

Marc Cosentino

Marc is owner of Cosentino Consulting, LLC, a Pittsburgh based CPA firm, and has been a partner in several local and regional CPA firms.  His focus is on taxation and outsource CFO projects.  He graduated in 1982 with a B.S in Accounting from Wake Forest University and later attained an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh.

Marc and his wife, Donna, are natives of Pittsburgh and have 3 adult sons.  He has served in leadership for several organizations as a member of the Board of Directors and CFO/Treasurer.  These organizations include Orchard Hill Church, Resolution Hope, Wesley Family Services and the Urban Impact Foundation – ManUp task force. He is now serving as a Board member at Refuge for Women.

Monique Jackson

Monique has held several leadership roles at a local medical center. Her clinical experiences include Family Based Therapist, residential counselor, and intake specialist.  She has an extensive knowledge of behavioral health operations, including program development.  Since January of 2021, Monique has served as the Chief Operating Officer at Familylinks Inc. In this role, she provides strategic leadership, development and oversight of programs.  Her devotion to whole person care has expanded integrated care models which bridge the gap between physical and behavioral health services in Allegheny County.

Monique is excited to share her expertise with Refuge for Women because she truly believes in the mission and values of the organization.  Empowering women, connecting them to resources and guiding their journey through faith-based interventions resonates with her soul.  Monique looks forward to her role in program and personal development by sharing her knowledge and love of Christ.

Brian Shivler

Brian is a native of Pittsburgh, PA and a 1985 graduate of The Pennsylvania State University with degrees in Telecommunications and Business Management. Brian currently serves as the National Sr. Vice President of Market Sales for ProgenyHealth.

In September of 2011, Brian led the launch of The Resolution Hope Project – a media driven nonprofit created to bring relief and safety to children in the United States who suffer under sexual exploitation and human trafficking.

Brian and his wife Kate have 2 daughters & reside in Pittsburgh, PA. He is active in the community and has served in various leadership and Board of Director positions for True Image Interactive, Imani Christian Academy, Urban Impact Foundation, Orchard Hill Church and currently with Refuge for Women.

Erroline Williams

Erroline Williams, PhD Erroline is an Executive Coach for The Bradley Partnerships. She coaches executives, managers, emerging leaders, and women in career transition. Erroline is a coach for the University of Pittsburgh Biomedical Program, a faculty member at the Pittsburgh Leadership Foundation, and an executive coach at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business for The Advanced Leadership Initiative. Erroline offer over 30 years of work in the corporate environment, leading and managing teams. Erroline holds a doctorate in Higher Education Administration from the University of Pittsburgh. She has a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) as designated from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and is a graduate of the Duquesne University Professional Coach Certification Program. Her certifications include: Emotional Intelligence EQI 2.0 and EQ 360, C-IQ Conversational Intelligence® for Coaches, and the ADAPT Career Coach Program from Duquesne University. She is a Certified Facilitator with Development Dimensions, Inc. (DDI). She serves as Vice-President of the International Coach Federation (ICF) – Pittsburgh Chapter. She created a robust coaching program for the Pittsburgh Promise, a nonprofit organization focused on urban youth.

Contact Refuge for Women Pittsburgh

Connect with our team to learn more or get involved.

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FREE Book Download: The Refuge For Women Story

Download a FREE PDF of the Refuge for Women Story by filling out the form below. 

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