Between February 2 and April 30, 1998, a survey was administered to African-American women who were receiving services at an urban community health center in the northeastern United States. A total of 133 women who met the study criteria agreed to participate in the survey. A self-administered questionnaire was developed to collect information on demographic characteristics, current and past domestic violence experiences, sources of support, and perceptions about why men batter. To assess preferences in help-seeking, women were asked, "How comfortable would you feel getting domestic violence assistance from the following people?" The persons named were an older family member, a family member of about the same age, a friend, a clergy person or other spiritual leader, a doctor, and a Black community member. Over 70 percent of the women who had experienced abuse reported at least some comfort in receiving assistance for abuse from a friend, clergy/spiritual leader, Black community member, family member their age, or physician. Women who reported having never experienced physical or sexual partner violence were less likely to perceive feeling comfortable receiving assistance from their social support systems (both formal and informal) if they were abused. The authors suggest that learning more about developing alliances within neighborhoods and providing culturally sensitive services may help build the bridge to safe homes for all in the African-American community. 4 tables and 27 references