The Anchor Fund makes small grants to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault to help them meet the challenges of starting over after experiencing abuse. Here are a few of their stories.
Jasmine
Jasmine is a domestic violence survivor who is battling cancer and recently underwent surgery. Since she has been unable to work and has young children, The Anchor Fund helped pay a portion of her medical bills.
Kayla
Kayla had been severely abused by her husband and was recovering from eye surgery after an abusive episode left her partially blind. He also stabbed her in front of her children. The Anchor Fund helped pay her rent for a month when she was in financial distress after leaving the home.
Maria
Maria was sexually assaulted by two unknown men last spring and has had a difficult time recovering from the assault. To make it harder, the criminal case against the men was dropped. She is in her final semester at George Washington University, has no medical insurance or means to pay for therapy since she is putting herself through school. The Anchor Fund was able to pay for more therapy sessions so that Molly could finish her final semester and graduate.
Regina
After Regina left her abuser with her two children, she was given a voucher for protective housing but due to mold in the house, her child was in the hospital for chronic asthma which has caused her to miss work and fall behind on her water bill. The Anchor Fund helped pay her bill so she didn't have to take money from her abuser's father.
Kiara
In order to escape an abusive ex-boyfriend Kiara needed $400 to pay the administration fee to move into her new apartment. Since most of her money went to food for her 3 year old daughter, the Anchor Fund stepped in to cover the fee, helping her get settled into her new life.
Carmen
While Carmen dreams of becoming a nurse, she needed help to get a new apartment for herself and her children after escaping her abuser. The Anchor Fund was able to pay the security deposit so she could continue working and go back to school.
Tiana
Tiana uses her phone to communicate with her employer, housing support, her lawyer, mental health and domestic abuse hotlines and her social worker. When she dropped her phone and shattered the screen, she was scared she'd never get back on her feet. The Anchor Fund bought her a new phone so she could continue working to rebuild her life.
Salma
After Salma was shot during an argument by a former significant other, she needed help affording groceries and transportation to medical appointments. We were able to help both Anna and her child when they moved to a shelter.
Wendy
After Wendy left her abusive spouse, she was offered full time employment but was unable to pay for her licensing exam and a cell phone to coordinate with her employer. The Anchor Fund stepped in to pay the fees and get her a phone so she could support her children.
Latoya
Latoya is both a domestic abuse survivor and a victim of human trafficking. Her abuser sex trafficked her for years and once she finally escaped, she was able to move away and start her life over again. But when she found out she was pregnant, she returned to her abuser who trafficked her again. After just a few days, she realized she needed to leave and returned home to her safe place. The Anchor Fund paid her rent to make sure she’d never have to return to her abuser, allowing her to begin again safely.
Aubrey
When she needed a place to live, Aubrey moved herself and her children in with her ex-boyfriend who become both physically and financially abusive. Getting up the courage, Aubrey left the ex-boyfriend and stayed at a shelter until she was able to find an apartment. After finding a new apartment and working 14 hour shifts at a local hospital, she was able to pay the security deposit and first month’s rent herself. The Anchor Fund helped pay for the second month and some new belongings for herself and her children so that she’d be able to gain some financial stability and start afresh.
Sophia
Sophia met her ex when she was in high school. After she graduated, he thought she would leave him for another man so he made her attend college at the UDC to be closer to him. After she graduated, the abuse escalated. She began to hide the black eyes and bruises from her family and friends, afraid to admit what he had done. When she found out she was pregnant, she finally got the courage to leave and call the police. After he started stalking her, she had to move to safety. The Anchor Fund helped pay her security deposit so she and her daughter could have a safe place to live.
Biatriz
After Biatriz’s abuser shot her and she was out of the hospital, she moved to a domestic violence shelter. The Anchor Fund helped her pay for groceries and transportation to and from medical and court appointments when she was too scared to take the metro, afraid she might run into her abuser.