YOUR DONATION MATTERS: SURVIVOR STORIES
Most days I just want to give up, but the Survivor Fund shed a little light into my dark existence. The money wasn’t enough to solve all of my financial issues, but it was indeed helpful, and I am forever grateful to this fund for granting me such an opportunity. Things are far from perfect but for the first time in a LONG time I feel hopeful. Thank you so very much from the bottom of my less stressed heart.
The Survivor Fund really helped me at a time when my family really needed help. It’s hard to go through domestic violence and even harder to financially care for your family. The Survivor Fund was [the help I needed] at the right time. Thank you, Survivor Fund.
[Funding] helped me with rent. It came just on time. I was behind on my rent, as a matter of fact, on all my bills. I was behind after the [domestic violence] situation. It also helped me get around to find a job. This money made me feel like there is hope.
The Network is such a GOD send! I received information about this program from a friend when I was at such a low point in my life, the funding and resources that they placed in front of me were unmatched! I still use the services provided to me after the funding.
This funding allowed me to pay for the registration, title, and plates on a car that I had previously purchased but was not able to drive until now. Being able to drive has allowed me and my daughters to be able to finally leave the house safely. My ex-husband lives nearby, and he constantly drives down our street and sends me [threatening messages]. I have always been afraid to leave home, as walking down the street and waiting for the bus has felt very unsafe. Being able to use the car allows us to leave the house and to do so with a greater feeling of safety. Because of this, I have been able to enroll my daughter in soccer again, and I have seen it completely change her. She is much happier, more social, and has a better outlet for her energy. I can’t tell you what a big difference this has made for me and my girls.
This funding came at a time when I was really struggling, wondering how I’d figure things out to be able to do better for my daughter after leaving a domestic violence situation. I was able to get transportation, food, and diapers, wipes, and clothes! I am truly thankful to see there are resources to help when you are going through such a hard time. This fund lifted so much off my shoulders. I will always appreciate the help I got!
A lot of times, as survivors, we are overlooked for help financially while trying to get out of unsafe situations. This helped me stay safe away from my abuser whose financial support was removed once I decided to leave for good. Thanks so much, I could have been in a worse situation or even returned [to my ex] because of financial insecurities. God bless all that donate to this cause.
I’m in a situation where everyone and everything treats me like I’m nothing for being both a survivor of abuse and a sex worker. It has affected my ability to be deemed human enough to receive opportunities and care…but the Network has been there for me and has humanized me like no other. It’s hard feeling like you’re worthy of respect and care when everything crumbles around you, I don’t think I would still be persisting to exist if the Network didn’t help me. Thank you for saving my life, and the community love and care, I’ve never received it like this from anywhere else.
I received a call from a man who was a victim of domestic violence. The person causing him harm was leveraging his legal status against him and, as his boss, used it to financially abuse him by “garnishing” his wages. With only a minimal amount of income for his personal expenses, he had no way of saving up to be able to leave. He also did not speak English which made it even harder to find assistance. After assessing his safety, I commended his bravery for calling and seeking assistance. I continued with the referrals that would help him leave, starting with shelter. After a quick search, I was able to find an available space at a domestic violence shelter and transferred his call for an intake.
A man called the Hotline seeking transportation to a DV shelter he had recently been accepted into. I confirmed his place at the DV shelter and then ordered him a Safe Ride through Uber Health. While waiting for the ride, he told me that he could not believe he was finally going to a domestic violence shelter. Before he was accepted into this shelter today, he was losing hope and thought no one believed he was a domestic violence survivor. Over the last few weeks, he’d called the Hotline repeatedly and received lots of support. He said that he always felt believed by our staff and that we are what kept him motivated to keep looking so he could flee his abuser. As he arrived safely at the shelter, he said thank you again and again.
I received a call from a woman going through an abusive relationship with her husband. She wanted a divorce and was home all the time, enduring the abuse while suffering from PTSD. She was feeling stuck and really needed to talk about all that she had been through over the years. I listened empathetically and began to walk her through resources that may be helpful for her, including a legal advocate. She expressed concern about not knowing her rights, so I also provided information for a nearby DV agency that offers community education, counseling, and other supportive domestic violence programs that she thought would be helpful. Knowing that she might want to talk again, I let her know she can always call us or the Illinois Warm Line to receive the emotional support she deserves.
I received a call from a survivor who was currently safe at a shelter. She had been there for 14 days but needed to leave in January. She’d been too afraid to leave the shelter during her stay, or even to allow her children to go to school, because the person causing her harm had told everyone she knew that when he found her, he planned to kill her. Her ex-fiancé was in the military, had access to multiple firearms, and knew how to stalk someone without getting caught. Given all of this, she was hoping to be transferred to another shelter as far from Cook County as possible and safely begin again with her children. I listened closely while she shared her story, validated her feelings, and inquired about her ex’s access to firearms. We discussed how to transfer to a shelter further downstate and options available for transportation. After she decided on a shelter further from home, I provided her warm transfer to the shelter for an intake and encouraged her to call again if she needed further assistance.
A woman reached out to the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline at the beginning of the month, along with a service provider from an agency for people experiencing human trafficking. The caller shared that she was a survivor and that she and her baby had escaped a high lethality human trafficking situation with nowhere to go and few belongings. There were no shelter beds available for them, but the risk of being found by her abuser loomed, so I placed her in The Network’s Crisis Housing Program. She worked with a case manager from a partner agency for legal and counseling resources. She was also assessed and matched by The Network’s housing team for an apartment by the end of the month. She needed to get funds together quickly to pay the deposit, so her case manager worked with The Network’s Survivor Fund team to get the funds she needed the very same day. The survivor and her baby were able to move into their new housing by the end of the same month.
The mother of our client, a 10-year-old Latina sexual assault survivor, recently experienced the loss of her car due to the inability to afford maintenance after becoming unemployed.
This situation immediately prevented the client from attending weekly in-person therapy sessions due to the financial strain of commuting with the children to and from the therapy office. In-person therapy sessions are essential for the child’s therapy effectiveness and engagement.
When the client’s mother communicated the situation to the therapist, the therapist provided Ventra cards to the family. With these Ventra cards, the mother was able to bring the client to therapy consistently by taking the CTA bus.
Additionally, the Ventra cards supported the children’s daily commute to school during the period before the mother secured a new job. The client’s mother expressed appreciation for the additional resources, which significantly helped their family through a tough time.
A nurse reached out to the Hotline in need of assistance. A Spanish-speaking patient of hers had come in with bruises as a result of domestic violence. After speaking with me, the survivor was linked to a shelter for an intake to secure a bed. The shelter did not have Spanish-speaking staff, so I mediated a dialogue between the intake coordinator and the survivor, making sure that the survivor was aware of the shelter’s requirements and expectations. Once the intake was complete, the shelter coordinator confirmed that the survivor could stay there. I relayed this news and coordinated an Uber Health ride to take the survivor from the hospital to shelter safely.
I received a call from a survivor who reported feeling distressed and being in need of resources. During the call, she cried and shared she was fearful for her safety. Through our conversation, I learned that the person who harmed her had been incarcerated for several years following an incident that nearly killed her. The State’s Attorney on her case said she would be notified one year prior to his release date, so that she could prepare and safety plan. Instead, she received a call that he had been released earlier that day. The survivor said she felt let down by the system and needed legal advocacy and counseling services to help her cope with the situation. We talked through a safety plan and I provided a list of resources she could explore when she was ready, including looking for shelter a far distance away. At the end of our call, she thanked me, not only for the resources but also just listening, saying she felt much better after the conversation.
I received a call from a woman seeking help after fleeing her abuser from another state. She and her 7 children left their home after the person causing her harm had threatened to kill them. She had come to stay with a friend but quickly found that the conditions at the house were not safe for them. There was no shelter space available within a 150-mile radius and the family had nowhere else to turn. Together, we safety planned for the night and reconnected in the morning, only to find that there continued to be no shelter room for a family of 8. Instead, I was able to connect the survivor with an emergency hotel stay through the Hotline’s crisis housing program and coordinated two Uber Health rides to transport the whole family and their belongings to the hotel. The survivor continues to work with the Hotline to find a shelter that can accommodate the whole family.
I appreciated this training because it made me reflect on how systems are made to make you feel. Now every time that I stop speaking up because I feel exhausted and hopeless. I remind myself that this is how the system is meant to make me feel and that I need to continue to speak up. I also appreciate that you provided the space to talk about what is currently happening in our society as this is all very connected to how we may be feeling in our workspace. Thank you!
I now feel more confident in my ability to assess and de-escalate potentially dangerous situations, thanks to the clear and actionable techniques shared during this training!
