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Dear Supporter, Firstly, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you. The unwavering support you've shown Shelter from the Storm and our community by contributing to our work and the services we provide in Union County has not only been recognized but deeply felt. Over the years, you've been our backbone, strengthening our cause. The resilience we've demonstrated in 2023 wouldn't have been possible without you. Please allow me to share just how instrumental your contributions have been. Here's a snapshot of our accomplishments in 2023, thanks to your help: • Supported 162 adult survivors and 133 children. • Provided shelter to 45 adults and 19 children. • Responded to 182 urgent crisis hotline calls. • Assisted 29 survivors with obtaining protection orders and accompanied them through the court process. • Delivered 1,228 diverse services including food aid, safety planning, housing assistance, and more. Despite the challenges 2023 presented, your support helped ignite hope. We deepened our community outreach, and our advocates tirelessly championed the survivors amidst daunting obstacles. To truly paint a picture of our impact, let me share Andrea's story. One day, “Andrea”, with her three children in tow, arrived at our office seeking help from her abusive husband. Her husband had been progressively getting more abusive and finally had beaten her so badly in front of the children that her oldest had to call 911. Andrea had to be rushed to the hospital. When she was released, her husband was not home, so she packed the children in the car with everything she thought they would need and came to our office. We were able to immediately put Andrea and her children in our spacious family room at our safe house. The family room has enough beds to keep a family of five comfortably if needed and even has a small, attached playroom and bathroom right next door for the family occupying it. In the days that followed, we assisted Andrea in obtaining a restraining order against her husband. Our dedicated advocates stood by her side and attended every court hearing with her to support her through his contestment of the restraining order. This process was emotionally draining for both Andrea and our advocate. During the hearings, another of our advocates watched the children so that they would not have to experience the painful things that are said during court. With our support, Andrea successfully secured the restraining order. Over the subsequent months, Andrea focused on rebuilding her life, while living in our safe house with her children. She got a job and with the help of our safe house advocate, she was able to find a nice apartment for her and the kids. Within the span of 4 months, she was moved into her new home, and with generous donations from our community, we were able to help her with kitchen essentials, toiletries, food, furniture, and bedding to get her off to a good start. She began her new life, and we didn't hear from her for a while. Two years later she stopped in our office with her new puppy while the children were in school. She wanted to let us know how well she was doing. She shared that they were still in the same apartment and the kids were doing great in school and very happy. She also shared that some days were hard, and she missed having a partner to help with chores, childcare, and the extra income. Her abusive spouse is always reaching out to her to invite her back and it can be very tempting on difficult days. But, on those days, she picks her kids up from school, they drive by the old safe house and look up at the window that was their room, and they give thanks for the "Home" that saved them. To her, the safe house will always be home, and she is forever grateful we were there when she was ready for a new start to be safe and healthy with her children. As we approach the holiday season, your continued generosity to Shelter from the Storm can facilitate countless other stories like Andrea's. Your donation will enable us to offer comprehensive services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. It also helps us to create community initiatives that break the cycle of violence and keep stories like Andrea's from happening in the first place. Help us in our mission to eradicate domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking in Union County. Kindly consider making a gift today by visiting our website at: www.unioncountysfs.org or by clicking on the “Donate Here” button below or stop by the office during business hours. With profound gratitude, Jordan Kaufman Executive Director
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