As Mother’s Day approaches, we want to take a moment to celebrate the strength and resilience of mothers who have overcome the challenges of motherhood and the struggles of domestic violence. At DASH, we support survivors like Natalie*, a mother who fled her abusive situation and was able to rebuild her life while caring for her child.
Natalie* is a mother of one who was able to flee her abusive situation when her child was still an infant. She was moving from shelter to shelter before she came to DASH. She was placed in the residential Cornerstone program to receive wraparound services. Natalie knew she needed to provide stability for her child if she wanted her family to thrive. Through her creativity, persistence, and support from her coach, she was able to build a steady stream of income and provide for her family.
Natalie’s coach was intentional about reminding her that she matters. Although it was necessary for her to provide stability for her child, she also needed stability for herself to heal from the abuse. Natalie was also able to lean on other mothers in the program for support. She befriended another survivor to share childcare responsibilities when one of them needed to go out. The community at Cornerstone gave Natalie the environment to thrive.
Her consistency and growth during her first year at Cornerstone led Natalie to be moved to the more autonomous Empowerment Project to complete her second year at DASH. She has moved into her own unit and now lives in the community with a DASH guaranteed lease. She is continuing to grow her business with the support of her coach.
On average, the survivors who come to DASH are 26-year-old mothers with two young children.
Motherhood is difficult already before the trauma of domestic violence and the challenges of leaving an abusive situation. During this Mother’s Day, let’s remember the strength of survivors who are rebuilding their lives while caring for their children.
