When Julia* left her abusive husband, she struggled with the idea of going back to him. 

Without him, she didn’t have any way to provide for her children, and she worried about ending up without a place to live. Julia was caught in a bind: endure abuse and feed her children or escape and risk financial insecurity. At the time, she didn’t have a job, a degree, or family support. 

In fact, when Julia spoke to family members about the abuse she was experiencing, she was told to “stop complaining.” 

“People really belittle abuse,” she said. “[The suggestion is that] if you’re suffering, if you’re being beaten up, that’s fine. If he’s angry, just stay away from him until he calms down.” 

“When I started getting financial, emotional, and psychological help and support from ACCESS, it paved the road to everything else for me,” she said. Julia now has a job and is 13 months away from earning her master’s degree. She’s just one example of what’s possible through the work of ACCESS’ domestic violence program. 

Our goal at ACCESS is to offer domestic violence survivors a promising future free from the abuse they've been forced to endure. Through financial, housing, legal, and psychological support and so much more, ACCESS is able to help open the door for survivors to tap into their own independence and empowerment.

*Name changed to protect client privacy.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. You can help change the lives of survivors everywhere by doing the following:

• Donate to our annual domestic violence program fundraiser. 
• Due to COVID-19 and its association with the spike in domestic violence, this year's theme is The Pandemic Next Door.

• Attend our Oct. 18 film screening of "Beauty and the Dogs." 100% of all proceeds will support survivors and their children.

• Attend our Oct. 30 live dance event featuring the Arab American National Museum’s current artist in residence Leila Awadallah. A portion of proceeds will support The Pandemic Next Door. Stay tuned for how to RSVP and updates to this event by visiting the Arab American Museum’s calendar. 

Your donation could be the difference between life or death. Please consider contributing to our fundraiser and help empower the lives of hundreds of survivors, children and families.