By Kelly Yost Harper
Shelter Outreach Plus
Shelter Outreach Plus
Veronica* dialed 9-1-1 while huddled in a closet, arms
around her children, as her husband, John, threatened through the door to kill
her. Authorities arrived, and as they warned John to “calm down,” Veronica
slipped out the back with her children and convinced a neighbor to drive them
to a local church. The church secretary made a call and before the stars came
out, Veronica and her kids were safe and warm in one of Shelter Outreach Plus's emergency shelters.
The next morning, her son Jessie roused Veronica in the pretend
voice of his new stuffed dinosaur, as daughter Sarah played quietly nearby. Veronica
could not remember when she’d last had a full night’s sleep, and although they
were safe and warm, she awakened into the reality that she had no ID, no
financial or legal documentation and only the clothes they’d had on their backs
when they fled.
Fortunately for Veronica, in addition to clothing, food and basic
necessities, our shelter education coordinator had equipped the program with
the training and tools of the Financial Empowerment Curriculum, sponsored by the
California Partnership to End Domestic Violence and the Allstate Foundation,
Building Opportunities for Survivors’ Success (B.O.S.S.).
The number one reason that victims of domestic violence return
to abusive relationships is lack of financial independence and the fear that
accompanies it. Working with her caseworker, Veronica was able to get an
understanding of the steps she needed to take to begin the
process of gathering legal and financial documents and getting credit
established in her name.
With staff support and encouragement, and the tools provided to her through the B.O.S.S. program, Veronica is moving ahead in her journey toward strong financial management. With each item checked off her to-do list,
Veronica gains additional confidence to forge ahead. With her children back in
school, Veronica has been able to find part-time work, open a bank account,
and, no matter what the amount, make sure that she puts some money into a
savings account each paycheck.
While our caseworkers have always worked to help our clients
achieve financial independence, “Having all the tools so readily accessible in
this curriculum makes administering this program just flow smoothly,” says Education
Coordinator and DV Advocate Stephanie Salvi.
Clients agree. As
Veronica says, “I was totally overwhelmed when I realized what my financial
situation looked like, but Stephanie and my case worker have encouraged me
every step of the way and helped me with collecting essential documents,
planning a budget and figuring out what my assets and liabilities are. I never
used to talk like this, but now I feel ready to face whatever lies ahead.”
And we believe she is. Well done, Veronica!
*All names are pseudonyms.
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