At just 13 years old, Samira came to our safe house with her mother and younger sisters, seeking refuge from domestic violence. In this heartfelt video, Samira shares what it meant to finally feel safe—and to feel seen. Through the Women’s Resource Center’s child and youth programming, Samira found more than safety. She found friendship, joy, and the freedom to be a kid again. She reconnected with her mom, made real friends she could open up to, and was supported by adults who didn’t expect her to hide her pain. This is her story of resilience, healing, and hope. Champions for Change celebrates stories like Samira’s—and the community that makes them possible.

Abusive people frequently isolate their partners from friends and family so they have less help when they decide to leave. When DV survivors come to our safe house or use our other services, we often become their family. Helping survivors grow their support networks so they never feel alone is a vital part of what we do.

Chloe left an abusive husband and came with her son to stay in our domestic violence safe house. With hard work, determination, and courage, she used the opportunities presented to her by our safe house and our transitional housing program to build a new life for her family. In less than five years after staying in our safe house, Chloe is now a homeowner and she is achieving more than she ever dreamed she could.

Tamara reminds us that a mom will do anything to keep her children safe, even if that means taking a daunting step into the unknown and leaving everything else behind. Tamara shared her story with us at Champions for Change on 05/05/2022.

Hear from Najla, who describes the quick escalation of her relationship from bliss to stalking, threats and physical violence. Najla reminds us that domestic violence does not always have a neat and tidy ending. Instead, the effects can last a lifetime. Najla shared her powerful story at our Champions for Change fundraiser on 05/05/2022.

This year’s Champions for Change fundraiser was held on May 5, 2022. Making this event especially meaningful was our honoree and keynote speaker, Pulitzer Prize-winner and two-term US Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey. Her book, "Memorial Drive: A Daughter’s Memoir,” shares her reckoning with the brutal murder of her mother at the hands of her former stepfather. The murder of Ms. Trethewey’s mother, Gwendolyn Ann Turnbough, was also the catalyst for the founding of Women’s Resource Center to End Domestic Violence. She sat in coversation with our housing services director, Barbara Gibson.