Donate to Sojourner through A Community Thrives to keep survivors safe
Donations to Sojourner through A Community Thrives help fund lifesaving safety measures, including changing locks, security cameras and more. Read Marta’s story below to see how your donation to Sojourner helps survivors stay safe and live peacefully.
We are delighted to announce that Sojourner is participating in A Community Thrives, a nationwide grantmaking and crowdfunding initiative from the USA TODAY NETWORK. This campaign is truly special because it connects people with great ideas for how to improve our community with a great big network of people to bring those ideas to life.
Sojourner’s A Community Thrives fundraising challenge runs July 19 - Aug. 13.
We’re asking our friends, volunteers, colleagues and supporters to consider making a gift to Sojourner through A Community Thrives during the campaign. Your donation gives Sojourner a chance to receive additional funding from the campaign!
Donate via Sojourner’s campaign page.
A donation to Sojourner through A Community Thrives Campaign helps save lives: Marta’s Story
Marta was terrified. Her boyfriend, Johnny, had been verbally and physically abusive for years, but when he pulled out a gun during an argument, she thought he was going to kill her. Instead, Johnny fired the gun into the couch next to where she was sitting.
Thankfully, a neighbor called the police. Johnny was arrested and initially charged with battery.
While he was in police custody, Marta called Sojourner for help filing a restraining order. She was sure Johnny would kill her, if given the chance.
Marta’s Advocate explained her options and the various types of restraining orders she could file for which would be Domestic Abuse, Harassment, or an Individual At-Risk Order. Marta decided to file for an Individual at Risk Order because of her age and that the hearing would be held over Zoom and she would not have to appear in-person. Marta was very concerned about risking exposure to COVID-19 and was relieved she could file for the order online and work with her Advocate by phone.
With help, Marta filed for the Individual At-Risk Order and wrote her statement over the phone. In the order, Marta detailed years of abuse that had escalated over time. Johnny’s behavior was unpredictable and the violence became increasingly severe — and he didn’t seem to care that their kids were in the room while the abuse was occurring.
The judge called her and granted the temporary order the same day.
To Marta’s relief, Johnny was served with the order while he was still in custody, giving her a small sense of protection. Still, Johnny had keys to her apartment and she needed to get the locks changed right away.
Her apartment manager initially told Marta she would need to cover the cost of changing locks in the building’s garage and lobby doors — a cost she couldn’t afford. Marta’s Advocate encouraged her to explain to her landlord that Johnny posed a serious safety risk to all of the building tenants, but if the landlord still refused, Sojourner could cover the cost and pay for security cameras, if needed.
Marta explained to her landlord the seriousness of the situation and that she had a restraining order to keep Johnny away. The landlord was convinced and changed the locks for free.
Marta’s restraining order was granted for the maximum time of 10 years and Johnny was also required to surrender his firearm. Her Advocate called Marta a few days after the firearm surrender hearing to see how she was doing. Marta expressed how much more at ease she feels in her home and how she was very grateful for the help she received from Sojourner.
* Names changed for safety and privacy purposes.
Your donation to Sojourner through A Community Thrives helps fund lifesaving safety planning and advocacy services for survivors such as Marta. It also helps pay for urgent safety measures, such as lock changes, security cameras and more.
A gift to Sojourner saves lives and gives survivors a chance to live life peacefully and on their own terms.
About A Community Thrives
A Community Thrives brings together neighbors, friends, family, and peers to support a wide variety of community-building ideas, and most importantly, gives nonprofits such as Sojourner a chance at +$2,000,000 in grants to provide critical funding for high-impact projects. Since 2017, the program has helped to distribute more than $12.2 million from donations and grants across the nation. Learn more here.