This article appeared in the 2016 V.2 Donor Newsletter, click here to view.
“Emma’s” 9-year-old son came up with a code word: “FM.” It stood for “Forward Movement.” As a mother, she taught her sons to always move forward in life. Little did she know that code word would someday help her turn her life around.
Emma came from a good family and went to a good school. She was a strong woman who always put others first, and stayed at home to take care of her two healthy, beautiful children. Yet, despite coming from a seemingly positive, stable environment, she became a victim of domestic violence. Although she wanted to go back to work, she had no car, no support system and no money. As each day passed, she felt more and more imprisoned in a situation that was becoming increasingly worse.
Then one day, her son turned to her, and whispered in her ear, “FM, Mom. Remember… Forward Movement.” Hearing her son’s words inspired her to turn to CFS and escape from domestic violence. We were able to help her through CFS Transitional Housing, a program helping women and children end domestic violence and establish independent lives. These families live in CFS subsidized housing for up to two years, while mothers learn to improve self-esteem, gain job skills, learn financial literacy and acquire healthy parenting skills.
Emma found support from a group of women who had similar experiences of domestic violence, and she slowly began to find herself again. “I was able to realize through the counselors and the group, I still had a ‘me’ that I was before, and I had to get back to that ‘me’ to become a better mom and a better woman,” she says.
Today, Emma is not only back on her feet, but she has even found her dream job. “If it wasn’t for CFS, I would have returned to that relationship just because it was more convenient. CFS helped me find that Forward Movement,” says Emma.
Thanks to the support of our valued donors, we were able to help Emma change her life and find a better future for herself and her two children.
CFS ABUSE HOTLINES:
O‘ahu: 808.841.0822
West Hawai‘i: 808.322.7233
East Hawai‘i: 808.959.8864
Hours: 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
Mahalo to the Foundations supporting our Domestic Violence Shelters from January to June 2015.
• Anonymous
• Friends of Hawaii Charities, Inc.
• Soroptomist International of Waikiki Foundation, Inc.
• The Ironman Foundation, Inc.
This article appeared in the 2016 V.2 Donor Newsletter, click here to view.
