Providing Safety and Support for 45 Years

Alexandra House was established in 1976, when a group of concerned citizens (Lexi Selvig, Mary Zagaros, Margaret Langfeld, and Sharon (Coleman) Lawrence), formed the Anoka County Task Force for Battered Women. Within a year, the Task Force established a 24-hour crisis line, with the first emergency shelter opening in 1980. First located in Fridley, the original shelter housed 12 women and children.

In 1983, the shelter moved to a new site in Blaine that provided space for 17 residents. By 1994, the second shelter was outgrown and the organization built its current facility in Blaine, which can house up to 35 women and children (including males to age 18) at a time.

As the needs of the community evolved, Alexandra House has expanded on its services – adding legal advocacy, support services, violence prevention programs, elder abuse services, and community education and professional training.