Soul of the Survivor - Who are you supporting?
Sometimes it takes more than one stay at Harbor House for survivors to find their footing and move on the path to safety. For Hailey, it took three, ranging from a weekend to several months.
Her first stay was the longest – nearly eight months. During this time, she began to heal both her physical and psychological wounds. When she exited, she had found employment and housing for her and her young son, and was receiving ongoing case management and assistance through Harbor House’s outreach program, SAFE.
Her second stay came after she moved states for a fresh start. Her former abuser continued to stalk and harass her from afar, so Harbor House staff arranged for her to return to Wichita and receive in-shelter services again. After six weeks, she successfully exited into her own housing once again.
Her final stay lasted only a weekend. She returned after her former abuser choked her son during a visitation, landing him in prison and Hailey’s son in foster care. This time, she came to shelter to regroup, have the support of a court advocate, and create a new safe housing plan.
Hailey has since been reunited with her son, and is using her experiences to help others. She is now an advocate for a social service agency which focuses on improving health through primary care and prevention. Hailey and her son are both happy and healthy, thanks in large part to the commitment and compassion of Harbor House staff.
Soul of the Survivor - Who are you supporting?
St. Anthony Family Shelter recently welcomed a couple and their four children into shelter. They were living in their car, having been evicted and their Section 8 placed in suspension. Neither adult was employed and they had no income to pay down the significant back rent and utilities they owed. What they lacked in funds, they made up for in positivity and determination. Each week, they accomplished tasks that inched them closer to reaching their goal of obtaining stable, long-term housing.
In just six weeks, they made huge strides to improve their situation and the lives of their children. Both adults gained employment, and they moved into their own housing. With the help of their case manager, they enrolled in a community partner’s Rapid Re-Housing program, which will provide several months of additional assistance as they get back on their feet.
This family did not take the blessings they received for granted. Upon leaving shelter, they sent their case worker a beautiful and touching email extolling St. Anthony Family Shelter for its assistance, recognizing their own accomplishments, and expressing their determination to keep moving forward. Through their own determination, and the help of St. Anthony staff, the family changed their trajectory and is on the path to a brighter future.
Thank you for your support!
Since 2017, the Queen Bee campaign has called attention to the inspiring professional and philanthropic work of women in our community, while also raising essential funds to support the work of Harbor House Domestic Violence Shelter and St. Anthony Family Shelter. The initiative is a platform for recognition, and an opportunity to bring hope, strength, and resiliency to those seeking safe haven in our shelter ministries.
The initiative was named in honor of the triumphant story of the bumblebee, which is symbolic of the many families experiencing the despair of domestic violence, homelessness or both.
You see, the bumblebee's body is quite heavy, and its wings quite small. The weight of its body seems too much for its wings to bear. Yet, despite this perceived "limitation", the bumblebee takes flight. It is precisely that bee's resiliency to grow past assumptions and stereotypes that we hope our clients gain while in shelter.