In honor of your mother, please consider donating a Mother’s Day gift to support all the courageous mothers benefiting from the services at Harbor House of Central Florida. Harbor House works to prevent and eliminate domestic violence and abuse in Central Florida by providing critical life-saving services to survivors, implementing and advancing best practices, and educating and engaging the community in a united front.
Here is “Katie’s” story:
Like many women, Katie was thrilled but also a little scared when she found out she was pregnant. She always wanted to be a mom. She was anxious to tell her boyfriend the good news and planned a special dinner. When he found out, the evening was anything but special. He slapped her across the face and accused her of cheating on him, whoring herself and worse. Instead of celebrating her new life, Katie was devastated.
When Katie was four months pregnant, she reached out to Harbor House. She worked with her advocate to create a safety plan for herself and her unborn baby. She started attending group sessions and found comfort talking to other women who understood what she was feeling. Katie put in for a work transfer and moved to a new city when she was seven months pregnant. Because of supporters in our community, Harbor House gave Katie and her baby formula, diapers, and even a crib. Katie credits her advocate and the women in the support group for giving her back her confidence and the courage to build a different life for her and her baby.
Unfortunately, one out of six domestic violence survivors reports that her partner first became abusive during pregnancy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that’s over 300,000 mothers-to-be per year. In fact, more than 20% of all domestic abuse survivors were assaulted during pregnancy.
Please join the Men’s Divorce Law Firm and honor the courage of these women and mothers at Harbor House with a Mother’s Day donation. Any amount starting at $40 will directly benefit a survivor of domestic violence and abuse.
If you or someone you love is in an abusive relationship, please call Harbor House at (407) 886-2856.
