By Kerry Hogg, Controller
When I began working at DAP, I assumed the agency used its funding to provide general services to survivors of domestic abuse and their children: a safe place to live, counseling and legal assistance.
In reality, the details regarding what is spent to “empower victims to move towards self-sufficiency,” as DAP’s mission states, are humbling. In order to flee their abuser, many of our clients leave everything behind, and start their lives anew well into adulthood.
The funding DAP receives, often from private donors like you, allows us to provide survivors with very basic items and services to begin their lives again, often with children in tow.
We also use our funding to give survivors the ability to:
Prove Their Identity and Maintain Their Health: DAP often covers the cost of drivers’ licenses, lifesaving medication, diapers and children’s car seats when an abuser uses financial abuse as a tactic of control by stealing victim’s personal items and restricting their ability to access funds to replace those items.
Flee to Safe Spaces: DAP provides Uber and taxi fares to the airport, Greyhound bus fares, as well as gas and food gift cards for clients and their children fleeing out-of- state.
Set Up Their Own Safe Home: DAP often covers security deposits or first month’s rent, moving trucks, and/or gift cards for clients to use to purchase basic household items when they have to leave everything with their abuser.
Receive Mail: DAP can cover the cost of post office boxes so that survivors can receive necessary mail for job, legal and school issues, while allowing their residence location to remain unknown to their abuser.
Clothe Themselves and Their Children: DAP gives clients gift cards to purchase clothing such as underwear, pajamas and coats at major retailers, and at our own Nana’s Attic Thrift Store, when clients do not have the funds to cover such items themselves.
The list goes on . . . we are helping families rebuild their lives one dollar at a time, thanks to the support of our community.
