Alternatives to Violence was founded in January 1982 by Roxie Ellis and Pam Higgins as the Loveland Battered Women’s Task Force operating from the basement of First United Methodist Church. By July the organization was incorporated as Alternatives for Battered Women. The organization offered services to the community, including a support group for abused women in Loveland and education about the topic. During the first year of being open, they helped ten families escaping violence.

Pat Linson was made the first official executive director.

It was 1988 when Pat realized housing was a problem for victims of domestic abuse. She wanted a place for them to be able to go where they could make some real important decisions about what they needed to do for themselves without having to pay an exorbitant amount of rent or being pressed for time. Thanks to a $242,000 grant from the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development, they purchased a house that was converted into separate apartments, intentionally meant not to be like dorm-style housing which was typical of most shelters. Named the Transitional Learning Center, it was the first center of its kind in the state.

Organization name was changed to Alternatives to Violence. The change reflected the expansion of services to help not only women, but men as well.

ATV’s SafeHouse opened in October 2016 with 8 rooms and 22 beds to give clients a safe place to stay in times of crisis. Thanks to community support, ATV will be expanding the number of rooms in the SafeHouse this year to accommodate more clients.

Today, ATV helps over 1,600 clients with advocacy, resources and education to put them on a path to healing and independence, away from a life of fear and abuse.

Over the years ATV has been privileged to help women and men find jobs, safe and comfortable places to stay, learn a new skill and care for their children and pets.