Survivor spotlight: Charity

Charity first connected with Sojourner after law enforcement and the District Attorney’s Office encouraged her to reach out.

After dealing with physical, emotional and financial abuse, Charity decided to leave her husband and file for a restraining order, but she still felt afraid and alone.

“I needed someone to talk to and a community to belong to. I needed someone to understand. When it comes to DV, most people don’t understand what you’re going through.”

Charity called our hotline and started working with an ongoing advocate who referred her to Centro Legal for assistance with her divorce and provided her with security deposit assistance so that she could move into her own apartment.

She also joined Sojourner’s survivor support group.

“I never really understood what abuse was – and all the different kinds of abuse that exist (like emotional and financial abuse) – until I heard others’ stories and began to see the patterns. I realized: I’m not crazy, and I’m not alone. My experience is real.”

Through her healing process, Sojourner provided Charity with resources she needed but also a larger sense of belonging and community.

“Sojourner is like my family – the family I needed and didn’t have because my own family doesn’t live here, and because my husband’s family rejected me when I reported the abuse. Today, I walk into Sojourner, grab a cup of coffee, and I feel secure. I feel like this is where I belong.”

The resources, services, connections with other survivors, and spaces where others have listened to her story have all made a huge difference in Charity’s healing.

“I went from feeling totally devastated to feeling like I’m at an 8 out of 10 in my healing journey. I’m happy. I have my peace, and that’s the most important thing for me right now.”