Real People. Real Help. Right Here in the Tri-County Area.
We are the only emergency domestic violence shelter in Kaufman County — a faith-rooted, grant-recognized organization serving survivors across Kaufman, Henderson, and Van Zandt counties with emergency shelter, long-term residential support, and outreach services that meet people wherever they are.
Where We Are and Who We Serve
Celebrate Forever Families is located where three counties converge — Kaufman, Henderson, and Van Zandt — in a region that is markedly underserved compared to neighboring Dallas County, which regularly pushes overflow demand into our communities. We exist to close that gap.
We serve survivors of domestic violence who need emergency shelter tonight, survivors planning a safe exit, and survivors who want access to counseling, legal advocacy, and recovery support without entering shelter. We also serve their children — because healing a family means caring for everyone in it.
Our emergency shelter accepts clients for up to 45 days. Our residential program serves survivors statewide and, when needed, from outside Texas — offering stable housing and structured recovery for those who need more time and distance to rebuild. Our outreach program extends services into the community for survivors who are not shelter-ready but still need support.
We are not a homeless shelter. We are a domestic violence organization, and every service we offer is designed specifically for survivors of family violence and their children.
Recognized by the State, Trusted by the County
When a survivor finds us online for the first time, we understand the question underneath the search: can I trust these people?
We are backed by the state and the county. Our finances are open. Our work is documented. You can verify all of it.
Here is what we can tell you.
Celebrate Forever Families is a recipient of the Texas Governor's Victims Assistance Grant — a state-level recognition of our work and accountability to survivors.
We are also a recipient of the Kaufman County Commissioner's Victims Assistance Grant, awarded at the county level to organizations demonstrating demonstrated impact in the community.
Our Senior Case Manager was named Advocate of the Year by the Kaufman County District Attorney's Office — a recognition given to individuals who stand with survivors when it matters most.
We publish our IRS Form 990 so donors, partners, and the community can verify our financial stewardship directly.
Our Mission and Our Values
Our mission is rooted in faith — a belief that every person has inherent worth and deserves to be treated with dignity, compassion, and care. That conviction shapes how we show up for survivors every single day.
Faith-based does not mean exclusive. We maintain a published non-discrimination policy across all of our programs and activities. We do not ask about your religion, your background, or your circumstances before we help you. Survivors of every background, belief, and experience are welcome here. The only thing we require is that you need help — the rest we will figure out together.
What We Do for Survivors and Their Families
Our services are woven through every program we offer — emergency shelter, residential, and outreach. No matter how a survivor comes to us, they have access to the full range of support we provide.
We assist with safety planning from the first contact and help survivors navigate the protective order process with legal advocacy that walks alongside them — not just paperwork handed across a desk.
Safety and Legal Support
Individual counseling and children's play therapy are available to survivors and their kids. We recognize that trauma affects the whole family, and our therapeutic support is designed with that in mind.
Ministry Support
For survivors who want it, ministry support is available. For those who don't, it is never required.
Job readiness, financial empowerment, continuing education, and GED assistance give survivors the tools to build an independent future. We also provide transportation assistance, because a barrier to a job or an appointment should not be a barrier to recovery.
Our case managers work with each survivor on the practical and personal dimensions of recovery — housing stability, mental health support, substance abuse recovery, anger management, and parenting and life skills.
The People Behind the Work
Celebrate Forever Families is staffed by advocates, case managers, counselors, and support team members who chose this work because they believe survivors deserve more than a bed for the night. Our Senior Case Manager's recognition as Advocate of the Year by the Kaufman County District Attorney's Office reflects the standard we hold ourselves to across the organization.
We are also sustained by a community of volunteers and donors who make it possible to keep our doors open — and to keep the lights on, the pantry stocked, and the programs running for every family who comes to us.
If you want to know more about our team or our work, we welcome the conversation.
Serving Kaufman, Henderson, and Van Zandt Counties
We are the only emergency domestic violence shelter in Kaufman County, and we serve survivors across all three counties in our region. If you are in Kaufman County, Henderson County, or Van Zandt County and you need help, we are here.
Survivors in Athens, Canton, Kaufman, Terrell, Forney, Kemp, Mabank, and the surrounding communities can reach us any time of day or night. Our 24/7 crisis line is (844) 525-0160.
Celebrate Forever Families is a faith-based nonprofit domestic violence organization serving survivors in Kaufman, Henderson, and Van Zandt counties. We are a recipient of the Texas Governor's Victims Assistance Grant and the Kaufman County Commissioner's Victims Assistance Grant, and our Senior Case Manager has been recognized as Advocate of the Year by the Kaufman County District Attorney's Office. Our IRS Form 990 is publicly available. To learn more about our leadership and our work, visit our contact page or call our 24/7 crisis line at (844) 525-0160.
