:: Women Against Abuse: Advocacy in Action ::

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Funding for Children's Services

On Monday, July 27 Jerome and Jeleah DeShazor (ages 11 and 7) found themselves in a situation no children should have to face. They fled their Overbrook home with their mother, LeeAnn Smith, after Smith’s ex-boyfriend entered the house with a gun. Smith and her children drove two blocks away before her ex-boyfriend, Jeffery Finley, caught up to them. He shot Smith to death, then killed himself. As Jerome and Jeleah sat in the backseat of the car – witnesses to the entire event - their mother’s blood splattered on their shirts. (Full story)

These children and the many other young victims of domestic violence experience intense emotional trauma. While in an abusive home, children can become acclimated to violence and may learn to accept aggression as part of a family system. If they escape those abusive situations, the children often feel uprooted from the only life they knew. They typically encounter developmental delays, attachment disorders, and difficulties in school. Because of this, children who suffer from exposure to domestic violence have a critical need for mental and emotional support.

Women Against Abuse provides these crucial services to children in its emergency shelter and transitional housing program. We currently employ two case managers who focus solely on children and their needs. Our shelter and transitional housing program also provide children’s behavioral health services, an early learning center, an after school program, and a summer camp. These programs are critical to ensuring children who have experienced domestic violence receive the support they need to grow into healthy adults, thereby ending the cycle of violence in future generations.

As the federal, state, and city governments make budget cuts, our children’s services are in jeopardy. Therefore, in this economic climate, we look to our supporters to take a stand and ensure that children affected by domestic violence will continue to heal through our supportive services.

We are asking our supporters to rally behind this critical need to save our children's services.

If 500 of our supporters donated $100 each, we would be able to continue to serve children victimized by domestic violence.

Please consider making a donation today.

Give now!

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