Click here to view and/or download a pdf version of the Antoinette's Angels Fund brochure.

Antoinette's Angels Fund
Archer Donation Brings Hope and Help
To Women and Children Fleeing Abuse

 “Janet” was a young mother trying to live independently for the first time in her life.  After fleeing an abusive marriage, Janet and her young son were living at The Umbrella emergency shelter while she attended job training to help her secure stable employment. For the first time in a long time, the future looked hopeful to Janet. 

After a few months, Janet was finally able to find employment that would put her on the road to self-sufficiency, but there was a problem.  Because the new job required her to work non-traditional hours, Janet was not eligible for assistance for childcare and was at risk of losing the job she had fought so hard to obtain.

Luckily for Janet, and so many others like her, The Umbrella program is now able to help victims of  domestic violence rebuild their lives thanks to Antoinette’s Angels - a special fund established by a $25,000 donation from Walter Archer in loving memory of his late wife Antoinette.

Antoinette’s Angels assists women and children residing in The Umbrella's emergency shelter by providing financial resources for services that are frequently unfunded, including:  job training, education, childcare, and permanent housing.

“Without assistance from Walter Archer and the Antoinette’s Angels fund, it would not be possible for women like Janet to start new lives, independent of their abusers,” said Susan DeLeon, Director of The Umbrella program. “We are so grateful to Mr. Archer for his help and for his (and his late wife Antoinette’s) commitment to helping victims of domestic violence escape their abusers and rebuild safe, self-sufficient lives.”

With assistance from the Antoinette’s Angels’ fund, Janet was able to place her child in a safe, secure childcare facility, keep her job and continue her journey on the path toward a safe, violence-free life for herself and her children. Janet’s success story is one The Umbrella staff hopes to see repeated more often, now that Antoinette’s Angels is in place.

Antoinette’s Angels continues to be supported by the generosity of the Archer Family. Most recently, Walter Archer’s children and grandchildren donated an additional $1,300 to the fund during the holiday season. For more information about Antoinette’s Angels, or how you can help support victims of domestic violence, contact The Umbrella at (203) 736-2601.