Frida Hartley Shelter

Frida Hartley Shelter (FHS) is a multi-award-winning non-profit shelter in the heart of Yeoville, Johannesburg — winner of Best Women's Shelter four years running (2022–2025). Founded with a deep conviction that every woman deserves a second chance, FHS provides a compassionate and structured home for women who have nowhere else to go: survivors of intimate partner violence, rape survivors, women experiencing homelessness, and mothers and children displaced by poverty, abuse, or crisis.

Their philosophy is summed up simply: "Frida Hartley gave me a second chance in life." Behind that sentence is an entire programme built around empowerment, healing, and walking toward independence with dignity.

What They Offer Survivors

Safe Residential Shelter FHS provides a safe home for women and their children who are fleeing abuse, homelessness, rape, or socio-economic crisis. Unlike shelters that limit stays to three or four weeks, Frida Hartley's approach recognises that recovery takes time — residents stay as long as they need to in order to establish safety and stability.

Psycho-Social Support and Counselling Individual and group psycho-social support helps residents process trauma, grief, and the complex emotions that come with leaving an abusive situation. Their support team works with women to rebuild their sense of self and plan for the future.

Skills Development and Employment Training FHS runs structured skills development programmes to help residents become financially independent. Their graduates have gone on to build careers in hospitality, business, and beyond. Employment assistance — connecting women to real job opportunities — is an active part of their work.

Food Security — GivingBackFridays Community Soup Kitchen Every Friday, FHS serves approximately 300 people in the Yeoville community through their community soup kitchen. For many, this is their only meal of the day. If you are in Yeoville and struggling with food security, this is available to you — not just to shelter residents.

Lunchbox Project School-going children in the community can receive packed sandwiches daily through the Lunchbox Project — ensuring children from impoverished households are fed and can concentrate at school.

Childcare and Nutrition for Children Children living at the shelter with their mothers receive childcare, nutrition, and age-appropriate support — ensuring their needs are met while their parent heals.

Community Outreach and Donation Drives FHS actively engages the public through blanket drives, toiletry drives, food drives, and sanitary pad drives — connecting community generosity directly to women and children who need it.

Frida Hartley is in Johannesburg. To access the shelter or get support, call 011 648 6005 or WhatsApp Cheryl on 076 186 4648.