"Annie's" Story

In the late spring of 2007 "Annie" entered our domestic violence shelter frightened and depressed.  Her older son often cried and clung to his mother for reassurance.  Annie was unemployed and questioned how she and her children would survive.  She had difficulty sleeping, and although she fed her children well, she had little interest in eating. 

After several weeks of meeting with her advocate for domestic violence counseling, attending support group and living in a safe and supportive environment, Annie looked rested and relaxed.  One day she remarked that she had no idea how stressful her life was until she left her abuser. 

With the help of her advocate, Annie the learned how to access community resources to begin her journey.  By the end of two months, she had applied, and was approved, for state assistance and began receiving food stamps, cash assistance and medical coverage for herself and her children.  She also applied, and was approved, for the WIC program, which provided her with nutritional counseling, as well as supplemented her family’s dietary needs.  During her third month, she found employment and applied to Care4Kids to help cover the cost of day care.  Women live at our shelter rent free but agree to save whatever income they receive to enable them to successfully transition to independent, violence free living.  Soon after she began working, she had enough money saved to rent an apartment. 

This young mother is no longer frightened or depressed, but instead, happy and confident.  Her son is no longer emotional and clinging to Mom; he’s talkative and enjoys playing with other children.  Her youngest learned how to walk and spoke her first words while living in our shelter. Today, Annie continues to do well and her children are thriving. 

"Maria's" Story

A Spanish speaking woman entered our shelter this summer.  "Maria" had fled her subsidized apartment because her abuser stalked her relentlessly and had no fear of police intervention.  Not only did she leave her subsidized apartment, she left a number of community services that were vital to her survival.  Our Latino advocate assisted her in navigating her new community for the necessary services. 

Unfortunately, Maria's abuser found another target – Maria's young adult daughter.  The police were involved but unable to protect her daughter from his escalating violence.  After careful consideration, it was decided that it was in the best interest of both for her to enter our shelter. 

Domestic violence counseling, advocacy and support group fostered Maria's and her daughter's healing and empowered them to pool their financial resources and move into an apartment together.  This past December, mother and daughter celebrated their first Christmas in their new home without fear.

A Letter From An Umbrella Client....

I first knew about The Umbrella six years ago when I received a fund-raising letter for an annual event that was taking place. I soon joined as a supporter of the program and did what I could as a citizen to help. Little did I know that just a few short years later they would be supporting me.

When I finally could no longer handle my situation, I called The Umbrella. It took patience, kindness, and understanding from my counselor to give me the courage to disclose what was going on in my marriage. Eventually, I joined the support group. At first I felt that I did not belong there. Some of the women were brutally beaten, had been stabbed, or thrown out of cars, and had repeatedly gotten broken bones. I was encouraged to speak and felt safe enough to be honest that I was emotionally, mentally, and verbally abused and felt that I didn’t belong there. The entire group of women rallied around and assured me that no form of abuse is okay as all had experienced emotional abuse. They made me feel that I did belong; I did deserve to be loved; I did deserve to be treated with respect and that NO ONE had the right to treat me otherwise. One woman who had been physically abused told me that the devastation of verbal attacks left lasting scars and took much longer to triumph over. She was right.

I continued going to the group for about two years until I felt as though I was beginning to recover from my ordeal. The Umbrella gave me the tools and knowledge that I needed not only to get out…but to get out safely. Since my abuser was a prominent business professional, I had to take safety measures to ensure a smooth transition out of my relationship. I had all the help that I needed day or night. When it was time for me to finally make my move, I was encouraged to call anytime on my journey and I must admit I did call when I finally left. As I was driving away, a wave of fear came over me and I heard my counselors voice in my head, “Just call, one of us will be here for you.” And they were.

Bonded in a way that not many others can understand, The Umbrella family are part of me and will always be in my heart. For this, there are no words good enough to say thank you. No words for gratitude. No words for the appreciation, respect, and support that I have for The Umbrella. I will be indebted to the staff, and the women who supported me on this journey of awakening. My only hope is to pass along what I have learned and to help others as they have helped me.

With Sincere Appreciation,

An Umbrella Client

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