Clara’s Story

Clara, a young mother in her early 20s, was quarantined with her abusive husband during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. It started with verbal abuse, and then the occasional “tap” because she “deserved it” for angering him… READ MORE

Words of Safety, Strength & Hope

When you think you will never be safe, when you feel you just can’t go on, when you have lost all hope, we are here. We care. Jodie, Zula, and Denise found the help they needed. Here are their stories.

Safety

During my stay at Center for Hope & Safety it felt good knowing that the situation that I was in when I arrived there, the staff strived to make sure I was safe and my individual needs were met to assure me that nothing further happened to me or my children. – Jodie

Strength

The only word that I had in my head was survival. Strength, I found just got me in deeper trouble, so I obliterated it from my day to day living, from my vocabulary. It was survival that made me leave in order to give my children some peace of mind. No where to go the thought of having to stay in a shelter was frightening. Then I found the Center for Hope & Safety. They kept saying that I had the strength to overcome this adversity in my life, but I kept thinking I don’t know how to be that anymore. 

Center for Hope & Safety gave me the tools to regain strength by making it clear that I will continue being a victim if I remain in fear and doubt of myself. They slowly eased me back into the confidence that I CAN control my life and what happens within it. They taught me “I will not allow my abuser to continue to hurt me even from far away, but to weaken his hold on me by moving forward and knowing that I could rebuild my strength and my life.” For my daughters they were able to see at a young age that you are not alone in this fact of life, and that you do not have to allow it to diminish who you are, and never be afraid or ashamed to reach out for help. Even now 5 years later this doubt creeps up on me and I can still find help, advice, care, and love from Center for Hope & Safety – Zula

Hope

If I could tell other victims one thing it would be that there is a better life waiting out there for you. My abuser constantly put me down, called me stupid, and blamed me for the abuse. To him everything that ever happened was my fault, and nothing was ever good enough. When I finally got up the courage to leave, I was scared but I knew that if I stayed any longer things would get worse, not better.

I went to Center for Hope & Safety and things did change. I no longer had anyone controlling my every move. I went back to college and I rebuilt my life and my daughter’s life. I helped to create this website for Center for Hope & Safety, to reach woman like you, so that you know there is a better life for you. A life without the heartache and pain you feel now. You are not trapped, you are not alone. Whatever your situation, Center for Hope & Safety can help you. You can have a life without violence and one with love, friendship and freedom just like me. – Denise