National Projects
Daughters of Penelope National Projects
At the 2026 Supreme Convention in Philadelphia, PA, the Daughters of Penelope selected two mandatory projects and two voluntary charitable projects for the 2026-2027 National Obligations year.
Permanent Obligations:
- Domestic Family Violence Center: Penelope House, Mobile, AL
- Domestic Family Violence Center: Penelope's Place, Brockton, MA
- Penelopean Day Care Center - Athens, Greece
Mandatory Obligations:
- Water with Blessing (aka Water by Women)
- Community House Damaris – Athens, Greece
Voluntary Obligations:
- Interval House
- Yana
Description of Permanent Obligations
Penelope House Family Violence Center - www.penelopehouse.org - Penelope House, the first shelter for battered women and children in Alabama, was founded under the direction of the Daughters of Penelope Chapter in 1978. Penelope House was one of the first such shelters in the nation and has served as a model for many shelters in the U.S. Penelope House helps victims of domestic violence to gain social and economic independence through shelter, counseling, advocacy and referral to community resources and agencies. Click here to view a video presentation of Penelope House.
The 24-hour crisis lines provide counseling, information and referral services to families in abusive situations. Penelope House provides shelter for victims of domestic violence and their children. Victims are provided a safe place to stay while assessing their life situation and setting goals for the future. Financial support to Penelope House helps saves lives of victims of domestic violence's and their children and helps provide them needed services.
Penelope's Place Family Violence Center - Penelope's Place, a collaboration between the Daughters of Penelope and Health Imperatives (https://healthimperatives.org/ ) is a 24/7 emergency residence in the City of Brockton, MA, for women and children fleeing domestic violence. Residents live at Penelope's Place for an average of 90 days. During that time Penelope's Place staff provides a safe place for healing from the trauma of domestic violence. Each resident is assigned to a primary staff person, who works with the resident and her family to develop goals to achieve self-sufficiency upon leaving Penelope's Place. Services provided include counseling, housing, legal and medical advocacy, life skills, parenting skills, and job coaching. In addition, children receive services from a specialized child therapist. Penelope's Place can accommodate up to five families at any time Click here to learn more about Penelope’s Place.
Penelopean Day Care Center in Athens, Greece - Located in Nea Ionia in Greece, the center is a Nursing and Day Care Center for Children eight months to preschool aged children of underprivileged families with low or no income. Click here to view a video presentation of the Penelopean Day Care Center.
Description of Mandatory Projects
Water by Women (aka Water with Blessings) - www.waterbywomen.org - For remote/underserved communities in developing countries. We equip, empower and entrust mothers as Water Women who serve their families and neighbors by filtering water through Sawyer PointONE bucket filters.
In the USA they distribute filters to Native Americans, Appalachian communities, and survivors of natural disasters to ensure that their families are drinking safe water in any circumstance. In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Water By Women sent 6,500 water filters to Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee.
Community House Damaris - https://www.damaris.gr/about Community House Damaris (CHD) is a Christian organization that operates two safe houses based in Athens, Greece and offers a long-term recovery program (3-7 years) for women ages 18 to 35 and their children who have been or are at high risk of sexual exploitation or trafficking.
The program is designed to guide survivors into full rehabilitation and reintegration into society by addressing the following needs – Housing, Trauma and Mental Health, Vocational Training, Social Services, Personal Development including Parenthood and Health.
CHD works with a diverse array of women from various cultural backgrounds but takes on cases with the singular goal of providing an atmosphere – safe housing and therapeutic programming – that facilitates long-term restoration. The services offered at Damaris have been tailored to, but are not exclusive to, women who are considered of refugee status, internally displaced, or stateless and those who are pregnant or single mothers.
Description of Voluntary Projects
Interval House - www.intervalhousect.org Founded in 1977, Interval House is the largest agency in the state of Connecticut dedicated to ending domestic violence. From its inception in the basement of a Hartford church by women who wanted to help those who were suffering in silence, Interval House has long been committed to empowering its clients, providing a nurturing and encouraging environment for victims to heal and acquire the tools to move on. Interval House offers immediate and compassionate support to about 6,500 victims of domestic violence per year in 24 cities and towns both East and West of the Connecticut River—all at no charge.
The hotline and Safe House provide a lifeline to those in urgent need of safety, and Interval House’s advocates provide guidance for clients facing legal and financial obstacles because of leaving a violent home. Interval House’s robust network of partnerships connects clients with community resources aimed at helping them pursue higher education, start careers and live productive, self-sufficient lives in safety. Striving always to help all those in need, Interval House has reached nearly 250,000 people over four decades.
Yana - www.yanamom.com/ - Yana was founded in 2017 after the local community experienced two heartbreaking tragedies — two mothers who, in moments of deep despair, took their own lives and the lives of their children. Their stories ignited a movement to make sure no mom ever feels that alone again.
From that pain grew a mission filled with hope: to change the world, one mama at a time. At YANA, they believe that every mother deserves to feel safe, accepted, and valued. Through their programs — including the postpartum initiative, Strong Mamas, Thriving Babies — they walk alongside moms in their postpartum journey, offering emotional support, community connection, and practical resources for a full year after birth.