Cornerstone was founded in 1983 by three women who met while serving on a commission to study domestic violence in South Hennepin County.  The commission found that, contrary to popular public opinion, domestic violence was a significant problem in suburban communities.  The founders recruited a small group of like-minded women and men.  Armed with a simple plan, they decided to take advantage of an untapped resource and created the first hotel/motel emergency safe housing program for individuals in imminent danger of domestic assault.  The agency then contracted with an answering service that forwarded a crisis line to volunteers working from home.

What followed was a series of program innovations that have led to the full continuum of services we now offer.  Cornerstone embraces a holistic approach to treating family violence.  We offer supportive services that allow victims to create emotional and financial stability, we treat their children as primary victims with complicated needs, we counsel the victim’s family system, whomever that might consist of, and we connect with the entire community.  Cornerstone serves anyone in imminent danger of domestic violence.  Located in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, our target cities include Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Edina, Richfield, and St. Louis Park, Minnesota.