Spring 2014 - The Bridge to Hope

Celebrating
Hope
The Bridge to Hope
Spring Newsletter 2014
I lost my beautiful daughter Alysha in December. She finally brought her longtime struggle with addiction and depression to
an end. She was not unlike many of the women we serve in our shelter. Addiction in itself makes a person more vulnerable
to abusive relationships. Alysha had spent time in a woman’s shelter in Oregon after a boyfriend tried to strangle her, and
I’m grateful they were there for her when she was feeling so scared and hopeless.
We repeat the refrain in presentations that alcohol does not cause domestic abuse. However, there is no doubt that “the
presence of violence and substance abuse together increases both the severity of injuries and lethality rates.” Abused
individuals often turn to alcohol or drugs to ease the pain and trauma of their lives. Within an abusive relationship, the
victim’s attempted recovery from substance abuse may threaten the partner’s sense of control. The abuser may try to
undermine the victim’s recovery in various ways, such as belittling their efforts to stay sober, or discouraging the victim
from attending counseling meetings or support groups.
Individuals who experience domestic violence are nearly three times more likely to report symptoms of severe depression.
We recently had a woman in shelter who was in recovery from substance abuse and was struggling with suicidal thoughts.
Our whole staff, as well as the other shelter residents, were quite concerned about her. Mary, one of our advocates, took her
out to lunch and that in itself cheered her up. She got dressed up for the outing. (Thanks to Andrea Gerasimo and her Yoga
class for donations to our “fun fund” that we use for such occasions). One of the concerned shelter clients asked the woman
to babysit her little girl for several hours, and we were all touched to see the depressed client bundle the little girl up and take
her for a walk down the snowy street, and then play with her in our backyard. I looked out my office window to see her
pushing the little girl on our tire swing and a tear found its way down my cheek. The woman we were so concerned about
has rallied and is now talking to us every day and thinking about her future. She is standing taller.
We have recently added a new support group to our program.
It is for victims who struggle with addiction, or are concerned
about a loved one or friend who is. We are committed to
serving all victims of domestic abuse, and if addiction is part
of their struggle then we are here to help them address that
pain as well.
Our mission here at The Bridge is to create an environment
that insures that every victim and survivor can embrace their
inherent worth and dignity. Our advocates work tirelessly to
assist them in creating a life for themselves that is free of
abuse. That sometimes includes helping them find the tools
and the inner strength to overcome addiction. Thank you for
joining with us and supporting us in this journey.
Naomi Cummings
Karaoke
Hope
FOR
th
May9
7:00-10pm
The Pioneer Grill and Saloon, Menomonie
Top Prize: $500
Prizes for 2nd and 3rd place
Register at todayswaxx1045.com
Hosted By:
Fundraiser
to benefit
The Bridge
to
H pe
the bridge
to hope
Sponsored By:
Northtown Ford
Dunn Energy Cooperative
Xcel Energy
Philips Plastics Corporation
Dairy State Bank
Complete Investigative Services LLC
Raffles for
Jamaica, Reno
and Disney
World!
Teen Summit
On March 17th-19th, two of our Advocates, Ashlee and
Houa, along with a teen from the area traveled to Wisconsin Dells for the bi annual conference Teen Summit on
Sexual and Dating Violence. They were inspired to see
hundreds of teens from all across Wisconsin so dedicated
to educating each other on healthy relationships. The
summit provided teens and their adult chaperones with
over 30 different workshops designed to educate and
inspire. The Bridge to Hope is excited to bring an even
larger group to the Summit in 2016.
“The Teen Summit was an amazing experience. Terrific speakers and workshops, I
would encourage all teenagers to go” - Hailey, Teen Participant
We recently had the opportunity here at The Bridge to work with a client who had barriers that we don’t often see here. This
client is from another country and entered our country on a conditional visa. The condition was that she would marry a United
States citizen. She entered into this marriage believing this man loved her and would be a huge part of her new life in America.
What she got was a husband who wanted a slave. He rarely came home, and when he did, there was abuse. He abused her
physically and verbally which left large emotional scars. This victim cleaned, cooked, and took care of his children from a previous marriage. He was also unfaithful.
Luckily, our client heard about our services here at The Bridge and entered shelter. She needed a job, she needed safe housing,
she needed a divorce, and she needed assistance getting a permanent visa without the help of her husband. We looked into the
website for U.S Immigration and Citizenship and found forms we would need to submit. As the legal advocate here, I was not
comfortable with my level of understanding in this area, so I contacted our State Coalition, End Domestic Abuse WI (formerly
WCADV) to ask for assistance.
What we received from the Coalition was MUCH more than we had hoped for. We applied for legal funds for underrepresented populations in Wisconsin and…we were approved! We received $2500 to pay RISE Law Center in Madison to assist
with this woman’s visa. She plans on becoming a citizen one day.
There were other barriers as well. Her abusive husband had also ruined her credit standing. She
applied for subsidized housing and was refused because of her bad credit. The Bridge advocated
on her behalf in this as well. We wrote a letter of appeal to the property management company
and the client was granted the apartment! We also are assisting with Judicare and attorneys so
she can obtain her divorce.
I am happy to report that today this client has a job, her own apartment, and is on her way to
getting her divorce and visa issues taken care of. We would like to express our thanks to End
Domestic Abuse WI for supporting this client on her journey to safety and freedom. She is
working very hard to rise above the abuse she has experienced, and her hard work is paying off!
Non-profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Menomonie, WI
Permit No. 313
The Bridge to Hope
P.O. Box 700
Menomonie, WI 54751
Advocacy services for victims and survivors of domestic and sexual abuse and human trafficking
To current resident or:
Providing a bridge to hope that creates a safer, more just and compassionate society.
“As it turns out, I’m a very typical domestic abuse victim … Domestic violence happens to everyone. All races, all religions,
all income and education levels,” says Steiner. “Why did I stay? The answer is easy. I didn’t know he was abusing me. Even
though he held those loaded guns to my head, pushed me downstairs, threatened to kill our dog, pulled the key out of the car
ignition as I drove down the highway, poured coffee grinds on my head as I dressed for a job interview, I never once thought
of myself as a battered wife. Instead, I was a very strong woman in love with a deeply troubled man and I was the only person
on earth who could help him face his demons.”
-Leslie Morgan Steiner
If you or someone you love is being
abused call The Bridge to Hope’s
24-Hour Crisis Line at
(715) 235-9074 or
TEXT (715) 505-3640
1901 South Broadway
Menomonie, WI 54751
1-800-924-9918
www.thebridgetohope.org
email: [email protected]