SEATTLE -- The bad economy has put a trusted women's shelter in jeopardy.

The Elizabeth Gregory home is a safe haven for women in the University District. But donations are running thin and many women may soon be forced out onto the streets.

Every year the shelter in the city's University District helps hundreds of women in need. Some are victims of domestic abuse, some have been abandoned and others are simply down on their luck.

Whatever the reason, the women come to the home for whatever they need to get back on their feet, from a place to live to job training.

Teresa Rowland is one such woman. She's lived at the home for more than a year, taking classes and getting a life-skills degree so she can find a job and make her own way.

"We have a safe roof over our head and a bed to sleep in," she said.

But that could soon change. The shelter may be forced to close its doors. Rowland, who is no stranger to hard times, has already started packing.

"I'm losing my home. This is a very safe home. I've been in other shelters and programs and this is the one I've felt the safest at," she said.

The shelter's program administrator Jessica Silye says there's simply no money to stay open. The home is funded through private grants and individual donations. Those donations have dwindled. Silye blames the state of the economy.

"People need to make sure they're paying their own bills," she said. "We used to get donations between $200 and $300 and this year it's closer to $100."

If the shelter is forced to close, some of its residents will be left between a rock and hard place.

"Some of them have just moved in and are fleeing a dangerous situation and now might have to go back to a shelter where they might not be safe again," Silye said.

Rowland is trying to prepare for the worst, but the reality is tough to swallow.

"I don't think about it," she said tearfully, "because it's too hard, you know, you just don't want to think about it, so you push it away."

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