On Thanksgiving Day, Michelle and the abuser were pulled over by the police during a traffic stop. The police arrested the abuser for drug-related charges and saw visible bruises on Michelle. The officer called Women Aware’s 24-hour confidential hotline, suspecting domestic violence. At first, Michelle was reluctant to tell her story out of fear that the abuser would find out and harm her. The abuser was affiliated with a gang and used violence and threats as a control tactic. Our advocate safety planned with Michelle and she gradually felt comfortable enough to share her story. She had sent her six children to her sister’s house in a different state out of fear that the abuser would harm her children. Michelle’s hours at work were cut in half because of COVID and she did not have the funds to move out of the house she shared with the abuser. Michelle was scared, but felt she had to return to the house because her beloved dog was there. Familiar with Women Aware’s partnership with St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center, our advocate coordinated with St. Hubert’s to safely pick up Michelle’s dog. St. Hubert’s provided temporary boarding for her pet so she could get to safety. Our Housing Navigator connected with Michelle to assist with immediate relocation. Thanks to our positive working relationship with the police, the officer agreed to transport Michelle to the bus station. Our Housing Navigator provided Michelle with a bus ticket out of state, and she safely relocated to her sister’s house and reunited with her children. Relieved and grateful, Michelle said, “Without the Housing Navigator and 24-hour hotline staff, it would not be possible for me to relocate and who knows where I would be. Thank you for going above and beyond and for caring.”

You can partner with Women Aware to save lives. This Mother’s Day, consider honoring your mother, wife, grandmother, sister, daughter, aunt or friend with a unique gift. Donate to Women Aware and we will mail a Happy Mother’s Day postcard to your honoree as a special thank you. It’s secure and easy to give at https://womenaware.net/donate. You can call 732-249-4900 x 0428 to donate by credit card. You can also mail a check payable to “Women Aware” to Women Aware, 250 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, NJ 08901.

Every donation makes a difference to survivors moving beyond abuse.