24-Hour Helpline
(920) 729-5727
Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services
P.O. Box 99
Neenah, WI 54957-0099
Phone: (920) 235-5998
Fax: (920) 729-0690
Donor Information
There are few greater joys than watching children dash across a room to discover their gifts under the Christmas tree. Their energy and excitement as they tear away the paper from a present and find a new toy is priceless. The presents that women unwrap at Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services are quite different. We are supporting women as they unwrap precious gifts that exist within themselves. These gifts may not be wrapped in paper, but they are every bit as hidden. Allow me to share some of these gifts with you that are a source of great joy.
Elizabeth was like many mothers. She had two young children and she wanted to raise them in a loving, supportive home. Yet her husband's constant abuse - emotional and verbal - made it impossible for Elizabeth to do this. Elizabeth decided that, in order to keep her children and herself safe, she'd leave her abusive marriage. Elizabeth was afraid. More than anything else, however, she hoped to find the safety she and her children needed. That's when a friend referred Elizabeth to Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services.
Elizabeth told us how her husband had kept her isolated from her family and from anyone who cared about her. She'd wanted to get a college degree and she had wanted to work, but her husband's abuse made her feel so worthless, she thought she'd never be good enough to do anything. But Elizabeth was determined, she told us. For the sake of her children, she wouldn't give up on her goals or on herself. She would give them the safe, loving environment they needed, but she needed help to find a way to provide it.
Elizabeth did find the help she needed, thanks to people like you. Because of your support, Christine Ann was there to give Elizabeth and her children the help they needed. First, we talked with Elizabeth about her plans to stay safe. Then, we turned to helping Elizabeth reach the goals she'd set for herself. We helped her search for a safer place to live and also helped her find a job. Elizabeth also applied for college.
Five months later, Elizabeth walked into our office beaming with joy. She told us that she'd just started her first semester of college, and that same week, she received a full-time job offer. Best of all, Elizabeth told us that thanks to Christine Ann, she felt her life had completely changed for the better. She could finally give her children the safe home they needed and the brighter future they deserved.
Because of your commitment to supporting Christine Ann, every day women are unwrapping gifts that they never knew existed. This season please consider a generous gift as an investment in these programs supporting women and their families.
May the special gifts inside you be unwrapped this holiday season.
To DONATE and support our clients, click the gold "DONATE" button on the left side of this page.
Adrienne was terrified for herself and her children because of her ex-husband. He had threatened to kill them. Adrienne didn't have a choice but to flee her own home. She made a call for help and was able to escape into Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services' shelter with her children.
Although she and her children had found safety, they'd sacrificed so many important things to have it. The first was their home and neighborhood. Adrienne couldn't stay in her home because her ex-husband would find her, so she and her children had to flee to a place where she knew he did not have family or friends. The second sacrifice was that of their family and friends. Adrienne couldn't risk her safety or her children's safety by telling anyone - even the people she loved - where she'd gone. The third thing was normalcy. Her children couldn't sleep in their own beds, see their old friends, or go to their own schools. On the run, every single aspect of their lives was uncertain and frightening.
Her children loved Christmas and wanted to have a normal family holiday, yet nothing about their lives was normal. For Adrienne, Christmas wasn't about putting gifts under the tree. It was about making her children feel safe, making them feel like things could approach normalcy despite the circumstances.
Adrienne told Christine Ann staff about her wish to have a normal Christmas for her family. The staff understood and wasted no time in giving her help. Through Christine Ann's adopt-a- family program Adrienne and her children received donations of gifts, both wants and needs. More than gifts, the safety of the shelter and the caring staff offered Adrienne and her children a sense of being a family again.
And all of this came because of people like you.
Adrienne is like many mothers who come to Christine Ann: They've had to flee unimaginably horrifying situations with their children and little more than the clothes on their backs. Like Adrienne, what matters more than anything else in the world is making sure their children are safe from the threat of violence.
The work Christine Ann does only happens with the support of people who care. Your compassion can help other families like Adrienne's find the resources that allow each of them to move away from crisis and towards confidence. Please give families like Adrienne's something to be thankful for this season. Please help Christine Ann today.
Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services relies on the generosity and compassion of individuals, businesses, foundations and community groups to meet the critical comprehensive needs of victims, and to provide vital education and prevention programs.
Please take a few minutes to review the many different agency needs and giving options by clicking through the selections on the menu on the left side of the page.
To Donate Today...
-- Click the yellow "DONATE" button below the menu on the left side of this page to make a donation online via PayPal.
