Our History

Freedom House celebrates its first birthday on May 14, 1984. Shown are Nedda Simon, Freedom House Founder (middle) with Gwen Pearson, Lori Nelson, Mary Scott, Joyce Johnson, Dr. Robert Knol, Jeanne Workman, Marilyn Bean and Roxie Klingenberg.

Founded by Princeton resident Nedda Simon, Freedom House first opened as a walk-in shelter and was located in Wyanet. Two years later, Freedom House opened its Henry County Outreach Office in Kewanee Hospital.

Freedom House was moved from Wyanet to 314 N. Euclid Ave., Princeton, between December of 1988 and January of 1989. The handicapped accessible Children's Annex was completed in the new site in Princeton in 1995, and the Sexual Assault Program was added in 1996.

In September of 1999, the administrative personnel, prevention and sexual assault program staff were moved to 1702 W. Peru Street, Princeton, while the domestic violence program staff stayed at the 314 N. Euclid Avenue location.

The Marshall County Outreach Office as well as the Henry County Legal Advocate Office opened in 2000. The Marshall County Office has since closed, but the Legal Advocate Office remains open in the Henry County State's Attorney's Office at the Henry County Courthouse in Cambridge. Freedom House also houses an outreach office, first in Kewanee Hospital, second at Arrow Towers South in Kewanee, and as of August 1, 2007, at Suite 6, 716 Elliott, Kewanee.

In March of 2003, the administrative personnel, sexual violence and prevention programs moved to 440 Elm Place, Princeton. The crisis shelter opened at the same time, offering shelter to clients meeting the criteria for admittance. Among the criteria is saving one-third of any income, maintaining a job or going to school, involving oneself in their children's lives and donating 10 hours of volunteer service a month to Freedom House. There are 16 crisis shelter beds and three apartments, with an additional 12 beds.

Upscale Resale opened in October of 2006 at 214 W. St. Paul St., Spring Valley.

Freedom House continues to operate from its 440 Elm Place location, offering domestic and sexual violence programs, medical and legal advocacy, violence prevention programming, volunteer support, a phone-raising campaign, information and referral, and donations.

Freedom House is supported by the Illinois Department of Human Services, the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, the Bureau County and Kewanee Area United Ways, the Geneseo Community Chest, the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the Henry County 708 Board, the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, Freedom House Foundation, and individual and business contributions.