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Shelter services
Shelter services
Our shelter provides protection against violence and helps to stop it. The shelter is open 24/7. This service is free of charge for you.
You may come to the shelter if you have experienced violence in a close relationship or a threat thereof. This particular type of violence occurs in close relationships, like in an intimate partnership or within the core family or the extended family.
Recognising violence is not always easy because it takes many different forms. Violence may include physical harming, coercion, subjugation, persecution or economic violence, such as preventing another person’s use of money or using someone else’s assets.
Children are particularly vulnerable in the midst of violence. Violence and the threat of it always make a child’s life insecure.
The clients of our shelter are people of different ages, genders and cultural backgrounds.
The staff are available around the clock, and you can call the shelter if you are uncertain about your situation and want to talk to an employee. You can come to the shelter at any time, day or night. If our shelter is full, we will find out if there is a vacancy elsewhere and refer you and your family to another shelter.
We have five rooms for individual clients and families. One of the rooms is fully accessible. Each room has a private toilet and shower. The living room, kitchen and dining room are shared among all customers. While the shared premises largely are accessible, some cupboards and equipment in the kitchen cannot be reached from the seat height. You will be provided with food, bedlinen and essential hygiene items.
You will be able calm down at the shelter and reflect on your situation and your future. The staff will provide you with professional support, advice and counselling in the event of an acute crisis.
You will get support in your parenting, and the children will be helped to go through their experiences and emotions, taking into account their age and level of development. The staff will help you to find solutions to your current situation and assist you and your family in finding the services you may need even after the period spent at the shelter.
While staying at the shelter, you can work or study, if feasible, and your children can go to day care or attend school.
As the length of the stays vary by individuals, the need for and the duration of your stay will be assessed together with the staff.
This is what you should do:
The shelter service is free of charge for the client and you don’t need a referral for it.
The staff is present 24/7, and phone calls are always answered. You can call the shelter day or night if you want to receive more information or if you are uncertain about your situation.
You can come to the shelter at your initiative either on your own or with your children at any time, day or night. If you don’t have a ride to the shelter, you will be instructed on the phone how to get here. If you cannot use the phone, you can come directly to the shelter and call us from the door phone at the front door.
If you have a pet, our staff can help you to find a safe care place for it, if you wish so.
You can also come to the shelter at the advice of a close person, a public authority, or a cooperation partner.
If possible, take with you the medication you will need, your identification card, bank card, online banking codes, toiletries, changes of clothes, house keys, wallet, phone and charger.
If you come to the shelter with your children, bring the necessary items also for them. For example, you should bring your child’s medication, bedtime toy, and clothing appropriate to the weather.
Kuopio Shelter
The staff is present 24/7, and phone calls are always answered. You can call the shelter at any time, day or night, if you want more information or if you are uncertain about your situation.
Tel. +358 17 183 393
Shelter services are intended for all individuals or families who have experienced violence in a close relationship or the threat of it. These services are free of charge for the client and available to anyone who needs them, regardless of their place of residence. If necessary, the client can also come to the shelter anonymously.
Address: Lastentie 1 A, 70620 KUOPIO