Stories
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Maria’s Stor y From the Files of Empowerhouse Maria suffered abuse for almost her entire life starting when she was a girl. Her step-father sexually abused her when she was 13. Her mother knew but could not stop it. She was not supported in any way and in fact her mother forced her to marry an older man. She decided to escape and ran away to a neighboring country. When she was fifteen years old and far from home she became a victim of human trafficking. Escaping from the trafficker, she came to the United States not knowing that she was pregnant with her first child. Years later, Maria met her husband with whom she lived for eight years. This relationship became exploitive and abusive too. He sold her, offering her to other men, with whom she had to have sexual relations for money. He mentally, verbally and physically beat and terrorized her. During one of the last attacks he bit her and pushed her down the stairs
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September 2020
while pregnant. She lost her baby. When she went to the hospital because of injuries from the fall, it never came out that her husband pushed her. At home recovering from the fall she was taking strong medications and she was sleeping a lot. A few days went by. She woke up and everything was very quiet in the house which was uncommon in a house full of 7 children. Something in her heart told her that she needed to be worried. She went to her daughter's bedroom and when she opened the door, she saw her daughter on her bed and her husband half naked assaulting her. Her daughter started to scream, "It's not my fault, it's not my fault." Maria started to beat him and scream; he ran to the kitchen and she ran outside and called her neighbor for help and told her what happened. Her neighbor called the police, and took Maria and her daughter with her to her house. The police came to Maria's house; they interviewed both of them separately, and they sent Maria to the hospital with the social worker and her daughter and left him at the house with the rest of the children and the police officer. When the officers finally left, her husband was alone with the rest of the children. He used this moment to plan his next move. He knew he could use the children to punish Maria and the family for contacting the police. He left with the children. When Maria returned home she found an empty house. She called the police officer again and they started to look for her husband. The next day she called her brother-in-law and he told her that he had the children, and asked her not to call the police. He told her that he would give her back her children. Maria's husband escaped to his birth country. Referred by the police officer, Maria called Empowerhouse for support. She talked with an advocate and decided to come to shelter. Maria came to the Empowerhouse domestic violence shelter. While there, she began to rebuild her life taking steps to get care for her and her children, taking legal steps, and accessing supports available in the community. Social services provided daycare, TANF, and food stamps. She applied for custody of her children which she later gained and started her U-Visa application
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to seek legal status after being a crime victim for so many years. With a long road ahead to overcome barriers to entering housing, Maria moved into the transition house where she and her children lived in their own residence owned by Empowerhouse for many months without paying any expenses. During that time Empowerhouse supported her family and helped with transportation to doctor's appointments and counseling support for her and her children. Also during that time Maria was diagnosed with pre-cancer (HPV) and Empowerhouse provided transportation for all her doctor's appointments and also to the surgery appointment. Advocates helped her make arrangements with her sister and some of the women from the Empowerhouse Latino support group to assist her and her children during her healing time. Also, her advocates referred her to an office that fixed her dentures for free. The Healthcare Advocate assisted her in completing paperwork related to her son's facial reconstruction surgery. The Healthcare Advocate also provided transportation to the son's doctor's appointments. While Maria was waiting for the U-Visa, the Housing Victim Advocate assisted her and her children in applying for an apartment through Empowerhouse. Our partner, Central Virginia Housing Coalition helped her find an apartment and sign a lease. She has found a job. She now has her own transportation thanks to a donation by a member of her church. This will help her to be more independent and maintain her employment. Recently, Maria expressed how grateful she is to Empowerhouse. She mentioned never having received so much support in her life. Her children received so many gifts, toys, food and clothes at Christmas thanks to generous donors. Maria received gift cards from Empowerhouse when she left the transition house as a reward for taking such good care of the unit where she was living with her children. This money will help her to buy things that she will need for her new home. Reflecting on her journey with the Latina Support Services Coordinator, Maria said "On this day I lost what I considered to be my family but yesterday
(a year later) was a celebration because I received [a new family] from Empowerhouse. “For the first time in my life, I am not afraid thanks to all that I learned during the year from each of you (the Empowerhouse advocates). At shelter, I always felt warmth from Rose when I was sad. I was exhausted as a person. “When I was in your (transition) house, for the first time I was in a house and did not have to pay anything. This changed my life. I never had this much support from my family or people I knew and trusted. “I learned to have humility and patience from Tammy. I am grateful to Monica for supporting my health and for all of her guidance and support. She also helped me to enroll my children and orient them into daycare and school. “From Aundrea, I felt her support and assistance with all of my requests. In support group, I learned and strengthened my knowledge. It allowed me to meet other women and Dilcia. Dilcia supported my transportation and helped me connect with a Doctor for my teeth and a Doctor for my son. ‘And, I thank you Leslie because you always take my calls regardless of the time of day and you talk with me on any subject. “I feel blessed to have Empowerhouse and that each of you are guardian angels for women like me who have difficult life situations. I want to write a letter to express all of my gratitude and to let everyone who has supported me know that I am optimistic, that I feel hopeful, and that I have faith in myself because I now live a dignified life." Empowerhouse is a non-p profit organization providing confidential domestic violence assistance in the city of Fredericksburg and the counties of Stafford, Spotsylvania, King George, and Caroline. These services include a free and confidential 24-h hour hotline, a temporary emergency shelter, information, referrals, and advocacy. To help Empowerfhouse’s Domestic Violence Shelter and Families, please support the Shelter by mailing your donation to: Empowerhouse, PO Box 1007, FXBG, VA 22402 For Free Local Confidential Services call 540-3 373-9 9373
