Some of the hurdles to life after abuse seem so simple, yet for many they are often unattainable simple do to the logistics and support offered. One of the core mission of WISL is to help survivors tackle these logistics – often these are things that we often take for granted- income, housing, transportation, and healthcare. As Survivors ourselves, at WISL , We have been wracking our brains trying to figure out a tangible way to make a difference and to help
This is when we met Lisa ….
Lisa had posted a cry for help on a local craigslist ad. A plea for anyone who was willing to listen. (Read Lisa’s Full Story Here) That is when 4 complete strangers independently reached out to the Lisa and almost immediately formed a small group with one common goal; to help this family get a fresh start.
In the past four weeks, MANY fires have been put out. We managed to prevent Lisa from eviction, helped her with groceries, gas, and secured a rent deposit, among other methods of support. Thanks to a VERY generous family from the community, we have also managed to secure safe and stable housing for her and her daughters for the next 12 months (rent free!) as well as some household furnishings and furniture.
We are still working on a few other financial necessities – this family needs every basic necessity to re-start their life. Assistance with getting caught up on and paying utility bills, funding for counseling services, kitchen items, furniture, clothes, food, gas, haircuts, Christmas Gifts, etc. In essence, they need everything we take for granted every day.
Help us help Lisa and the many like her…
Unfortunately, we know that Lisa’s story is not unique . To put it in perspective The number of American troops killed in Afghanistan and Iraq between 2001 and 2012 was 6,488. The number of American women who were murdered by current or ex male partners during that time was 11,766. That’s nearly double the amount of casualties lost during war. These numbers should shock you – domestic violence (and its side effects) are a REAL problem. Too many women have been held captive by domestic violence — whether through physical abuse, financial abuse, emotional abuse or a combination of all three. Together we can slow this epidemic – but we cannot do it alone- we need your help and your donation so that we can help as many Lisas as possible.
How we will use[d] your donation[s]…
Our first step was to help Lisa get on her feet as quickly as possible – we will use your donations to help us provide her with:
- reliable transportation (her car is not operable, our group of strangers has been paying for Uber and now a rental car)
- counseling
- food
- internet
- interview clothing
- Christmas (one of our major goals was to provide a Christmas for Lisa and her two children)
Once we can get these urgent needs under control we want to focus on making Project Renew Hope, an iterative support model. Please note – that we are not yet a 501(c)(3), but we are working with legal and tax counsel and hope to have a non-profit status as soon as possible.
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