Veronica* dialed 9-1-1 while huddled in a closet, arms around her children, as her husband, John, threatened through the door to kill her. Authorities arrived, and as they warned John to “calm down,” Veronica slipped out the back with her children and convinced a neighbor to drive them to a local church. The church secretary made a call and before the stars came out, Veronica and her kids were safe and warm in one of Shelter Outreach Plus’s emergency shelters. 

The next morning, her son Jessie roused Veronica in the pretend voice of his new stuffed dinosaur, as daughter Sarah played quietly nearby. Veronica could not remember when she’d last had a full night’s sleep, and although they were safe and warm, she awakened into the reality that she had no ID, no financial or legal documentation and only the clothes they’d had on their backs when they fled.
Fortunately for Veronica, in addition to clothing, food and basic necessities, our shelter education coordinator had equipped the program with the training and tools of the Financial Empowerment Curriculum, sponsored by the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence and the Allstate Foundation, Building Opportunities for Survivors’ Success (B.O.S.S.).
The number one reason that victims of domestic violence return to abusive relationships is lack of financial independence and the fear that accompanies it. Working with her caseworker, Veronica was able to get an understanding of the steps she needed to take to begin the process of gathering legal and financial documents and getting credit established in her name.

With staff support and encouragement, and the tools provided to her through the B.O.S.S. program, Veronica is moving ahead in her journey toward strong financial management. With each item checked off her to-do list, Veronica gains additional confidence to forge ahead. With her children back in school, Veronica has been able to find part-time work, open a bank account, and, no matter what the amount, make sure that she puts some money into a savings account each paycheck.
While our caseworkers have always worked to help our clients achieve financial independence, “Having all the tools so readily accessible in this curriculum makes administering this program just flow smoothly,” says Education Coordinator and DV Advocate Stephanie Salvi.

Clients agree. As Veronica says, “I was totally overwhelmed when I realized what my financial situation looked like, but Stephanie and my case worker have encouraged me every step of the way and helped me with collecting essential documents, planning a budget and figuring out what my assets and liabilities are. I never used to talk like this, but now I feel ready to face whatever lies ahead.”

And we believe she is. Well done, Veronica!

*All names are pseudonyms.