2227 Payne Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
Phone: 216-479-0020
Fax: 216-479-0022

Named in honor of Norma Herr, a former resident of the shelter, NHWC is a program of MHS Inc, Cleveland, Ohio's premiere trauma and homeless services organization. In partnership with the community, NHWC serves over 1,000 women and families each year, seeking permanent housing solutions and providing compassionate care in the interim.

Norma's Story

We met Norma on the first day that MHS began operating the shelter in 2004. She was the oldest resident in the shelter, in her 70's, elderly, frail and alone. Untreated mental illness had ravaged her life. Schizophrenia destroyed her relationships with family and friends. Norma endured 17 years of homelessness and all that goes along with being a woman alone on the streets.

Despite Norma's attempts to isolate herself, the younger women were drawn to her. We watched them quietly pulling their chairs to where she sat in the corner to engage her in conversation. They asked her for advice. They shared stories together. On the days when Norma was most challenged, she would sit with her head lowered, shoulders hunched, as if she was trying to make herself invisible. The younger residents would sit next to her quietly. They would touch her gently, as if to say 'it will be okay soon'. They called her mom.

Norma was stubborn. She refused every attempt we made to engage her into treatment or to help her obtain housing. Despite the fact that she was in physical pain, she refused to talk with the nurse we brought to her. When she did talk, she told us about her children, two daughters, and how much she loved them; how much she missed them. She had not seen them in almost twenty years. She adamantly refused to allow us to contact them, to tell them that she was alive and safe with us, in Cleveland.

Norma remained resistant until we learned that she was dying from inoperable cancer. At that point, she gave us permission to try and find her daughters. And we did. When they heard the news about their mother, they came to Cleveland immediately. They were reunited as a family. They were joined at her beside by the women in the shelter who came to see the "mother" they had adopted. They would rub her temples, massage her feet and stroke her hair to ease her pain. Norma was surrounded by love the last weeks of her life. She died in the arms of those who loved her.

Norma's story is poignant; it's about loss and isolation, distrust and despair. Yet at the same time, Norma's story is about life and love, restoration and hope. We have renamed the shelter The Norma Herr Women's Center to remember the enormous challenges of homelessness, mental illness, poverty and addiction. At this center, we celebrate the resiliency of the human spirit and the capability that lives in each one of us to overcome obstacles, big or small, as we seek to transform our lives. Sometimes all it takes is a hand reaching out to help. For so many in our community, MHS is that hand.

The Memory Palace is a book written by Norma's daughter, Mira Bartok.  Due to be released 1/1/11, The Memory Palace is a breathtaking literary memoir about the complex meaning of love, truth, and the capacity for forgiveness among family. Through stunning prose and original art created by the author in tandem with the text, The Memory Palace explores the connections between mother and daughter that cannot be broken no matter how much exists - or is lost - between them.  Please visit www.thememorypalace.com for more information.

Norma Herr Women's Center Wishlist
The following items are greatly needed at NHWC. Please contact us if you can help!

Kitchenware Microwave Coffee Makers Flatware Dinner Service for Eight Kitchen Towels & Dishcloths Round Kitchen Table and Chairs (4)

Home Furnishings Area rugs Full Length Sofa Love Seats Bookcases

Mission Statement Reaching out to adults and children in Northeast Ohio to end homelessness, prevent suicide, resolve behavioral health crisis and overcome trauma.

MHS Client Characteristics and Program Outcomes: Norma Herr Women's Center - 2009 During the year 2009, the Norma Herr Women's Center served over 1,200 women and children.  Three-fourths were African-American, and 2% were Hispanic/Latina. More than one of five (22%) had a mental illness, including trauma-related mental disorders; 17% had an alcohol- or drug addiction; 10% had a physical disability; and 10% had experienced repeated episodes of domestic violence. Others had developmental disabilities, HIV infections, and other physical illnesses. Approximately 5% had income from employment, and 18% had Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Income. More than one of four (44%) had no source of income During the 2009 program year, MHS successfully housed over 150 women.