A house fire. Flooding after a massive rain. An unexpected illness. The need for temporary housing catches most people by complete surprise. And yet, when the need arises, Gila House is there.
Since January 2010, GILA House, a 501(c)3, has offered General Interim Living Assistance (GILA) to families facing life-altering events threatening their housing stability. The organization has expanded over the years and today manages several properties that are used to house people in need. And in 2018, they expanded their services by taking over the local Domestic Violence Shelter operations after Horizon closed its doors.
“It was a perfect match in terms of mission and resources,” says Debbie Cox, GILA House Board President. “There have been times where we were able to help an individual first through the Domestic Violence Shelter and then transition them into one of our houses while they get getting on their feet.”
Claudia DalMolin, Executive Director of GILA House Inc., echoes that sentiment. “Each family, each person comes with their own story,” she explains. “There are countless reasons people need temporary housing or a safe place to stay. Both GILA House and the Domestic Violence Shelter are designed to help people regain stability and offer hope.”
“We see families coming to us after fires, floods, layoffs, foreclosures, or illnesses,” DalMolin says. “Even with insurance, many families still need help navigating the next steps—getting necessary documents, enrolling kids in school, applying for workforce development or low-income housing. GILA House helps with all of that.”
Debbie Cox is clear: “We’re not a homeless shelter. Our goal is to prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place.”
A local realtor and Globe City Planning and Zoning Committee member, Cox finds her work with GILA House a positive counterbalance to the challenges she faces professionally. “These families are under incredible stress,” she says. “Fortunately, it doesn’t stay that way.”
A typical stay at GILA House ranges from 90 to 180 days, though exceptions are made. One family, displaced by a house fire, stayed for a year. When the houses are full, GILA House can sometimes arrange for hotel stays or help people shelter in place by connecting them with essential services like food stamps and medical supplies.
Overcoming Challenges, One Step at a Time
“There’s a myriad of reasons that people get into predicaments, Dalmolin explains. Down on their luck. Addiction is just two of them. We help with what we can. GILA House partners with organizations like CAPS and whatever resources they have, to provide training, assistance, counseling and food stamps. “Sometimes people complete our program, find a job, and then fall back into old patterns—like addiction or returning to an abusive situation,” says DalMolin, reflecting on the challenges of her work. She is no newcomer to tough situations. She worked 32 years in law enforcement.
“It’s the people we can help that keep us going,” says Dalmolin.
She finds strength in the success stories. She recounts a grandmother raising two grandchildren who fell behind on rent due to illness. Or the veteran and his wife, whose house burned down. They had no insurance, and it was GILA House that stepped in to provide housing for the couple for a year. Or the young woman from a family of 12 who completed a workforce development program, while her family was being helped with housing through GILA house. Another woman, sheltered in the Domestic Violence Safe House for a few months, found a job, made her first car payments, and moved into her first apartment—with CAPS assisting in covering the move-in costs.
“She was grinning from ear to ear because she’d never had anyone help her before,” recalls Cox. “These small victories make our community stronger. When someone gets a hand up, they’re more likely to pay it forward.”
Addressing Domestic Violence
The GILA Safe Haven Domestic Violence Shelter, which GILA House has managed since 2018, is the area’s only shelter of its kind. The shelter has 11 beds, and over the past two years, it has provided refuge to about 100 people—most of whom are women aged 18 to 70, often with children and always fleeing abusive environments.
“It’s a difficult process,” says Cox. “We conduct thorough interviews to assess the needs of each domestic violence survivor and ensure they can benefit from our services.”
The shelter, located in a secure, undisclosed location, is closely connected to law enforcement. Officers carry information cards about GILA House, and both Globe Police Chief Dale Walters and Gila County Chief Deputy Mike Johnson serve on the board. Chief Walters calls GILA House a vital resource for the community and law enforcement. “Having a safe place for victims is invaluable,” he says.
Funding and Resources
Funding remains a constant challenge. “United Fund has been our lifeline,” says DalMolin. “Without it, there wouldn’t be a GILA House or a domestic violence shelter.”
We are fortunate to receive donations and grants from Freeport McMoRan, Resolution Copper, the Florence Prison and others that have gone to specific uses, largely to purchase or renovate our properties. These have allowed us to expand our housing inventory. And this last year the City of Globe recently allocated $8,000 to fund a part-time advocate at the shelter.
However, the lion’s share of the budget comes from small grants, donations, and the United Fund of Globe-Miami. It is these funds that support the everyday expenses. These include costs for utilities, internet, insurance, facilities maintenance, food, personal products, gas for driving people around, medical assistance, pest control, repairs and replacement of furniture and appliances..and more.
“We’ve piecemealed things together in the past,” says Cox. The costs—ranging from utilities to gas for driving residents—add up quickly.
This month is Domestic Violence Month, and the organization is launching its fundraising efforts. As a 501-c3, donations are tax deductible and may be sent directly to GILA House, PO Box 2174, Globe, Az
Ultimately, GILA House aims to be more than just a temporary shelter, says DalMolin, we are a place that strengthens and heals”

A traveler, Patti Daley came to Globe in 2016 to face the heat, follow love, and find desert treasure. She writes in many formats and records travel scraps and other musings at daleywriting.com.