Every day, neighbors reach out to us during some of the hardest moments of their lives. They come with fear, questions, and a determination to protect themselves and the people they love. We meet them with support and options so they can decide what’s next.

Five years ago, Kat was one of those neighbors. She found the Center the day she realized her marriage had become unsafe. Her world felt like a storm, shifting fast. She was juggling housing, her children’s safety, and years of manipulation, all while navigating a global pandemic.

"My whole life was on fire and I was frantically putting out as many of them as I could. I didn’t know who I could trust to tell me the truth. And on top of that, I was trying to meet my children’s physical and emotional needs while everything felt uncertain. I felt like I was drowning"

From the outside, it wasn’t obvious. It took a moment of clarity for her to see the patterns she no longer wanted to carry forward.

"Due to the pandemic, my two college-aged kids had returned home. I started to see my marriage and our family dynamic through a different lens. I was watching them watch us and realizing, ‘Oh, this is not normal. There’s something really unhealthy here that we need to look at. This is not a pattern I want to participate in anymore. This is not a relationship I would want for my children."

In a year when uncertainty touched every corner of our community, Kat was one of 242 survivors we walked alongside in 2020. Today, we serve over 3x that number annually and have added new resources to meet more of what families need. Once again, we find ourselves in a time of national uncertainty. And once again, our community of supporters has the power to show up, helping survivors weather the storm and find the safety and stability that comes after it.

One thing is certain as we look towards 2026: more survivors and their families will rely on us, similar to how Kat and her family did. Your gift ensures we are ready to meet them. Your gift helps create the same foundation that allows survivors, years later, to look back and say: I made it because people showed up for me.

Your gift, doubled!

Give today, and your impact will go twice as far. Some of these services helped Kat reclaim safety and stability. Others reflect how our community has made it possible for us to meet even more needs:

$50 – Provide an advocate to guide a survivor through a protective order.

$100 – Cover an advocate’s monthly phone bill so they can stay in touch with survivors by text or call.

$250 – Put food on the table for 25 survivors and their families through our monthly food voucher program.

$500 – Host our weekly support groups for survivors, including childcare.

Your support ensures that survivors today, and for years to come, can not just survive, but thrive!

After the Storm: Kat’s Story

By Center for Nonviolence, Inc.

After the Storm: Kat’s Story

2025 End of Year Fundraiser

Team Members