Our History

“Freedom House is my fulfilled dream to offer safe haven to all women and their dependents. Quiet comfort from chaos, violence, fear and threats is now a reality for anyone who seeks it.”

–Nedda Simon, Founder

Creating a Safe Haven
Nedda Simon was working as a family counselor when she realized that many of the women under her care were victims of domestic violence. At that time, the nearest shelters for battered women were in Peoria, Streator, and the Quad Cities, so Nedda made it her mission to open Freedom House.

“Making sure these women had time to think and a safe place to sleep became an obsession of mine,” Nedda said. “I had no source of funding and no support, but I went to every local radio station and asked for a house to rent. I asked friends, family and colleagues to support this cause, and they did.”

On May 9, 1983, Nedda opened the Freedom House walk-in shelter at a house in Wyanet. Her first client was a mother with five children. “I always found strength in the women’s courage,” Nedda said of the clients she worked with. “It takes a lot of courage to come out into freedom.”

Since then, Freedom House has grown significantly, assisting more than 30,000 clients over the past 40+ years. Today, Freedom House serves five counties—Bureau, Henry, Marshall, Putnam, and Stark—with offices in Princeton, Kewanee, Geneseo, Lacon, and Cambridge. Through comprehensive domestic and sexual violence programs, Freedom House provides free, confidential services to survivors and their families.

In July 2026, Freedom House expanded its residential services with the opening of a new shelter in Kewanee, increasing access to safe, supportive housing for survivors, particularly those in Henry and Stark counties. Together, our Princeton and Kewanee shelters, along with our 24-hour crisis hotline, ensure that help and support are available 365 days a year.

In 2018, Nedda said, “I never had any idea that what I was doing 35 years ago would turn into what it has. I just knew people needed our help.” Nedda passed away on Oct. 1, 2024.