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Stephanie, 21: The Importance of Funding

Government funding is not always guaranteed for women who need our services. FCS relies on donors and community support to fund clients like Stephanie…

Stephanie is a 21 year old who has been a victim of abuse for many years. When she was 13 she was first raped by her step-father and at 17 she was raped again by a stranger. Due to evident trauma, Stephanie was diagnosed with depression and has received outpatient counseling for several years. When Stephanie turned 19, she moved out of her mother’s house to escape the abuse. She gave birth to her first child and they moved from place to place and couch to couch. Essentially they were homeless. Last year, Stephanie and her child moved in with her biological father and step-mother in hopes to have a safe place to live. Unfortunately, Stephanie’s father became physically abusive towards her and Stephanie fears for her safety. Stephanie is 15 weeks pregnant and is in need of a safe place to live away from the abuse. Stephanie recently obtained employment at Wal-Mart and is very excited about this opportunity; however, she is afraid her father will not give her transportation to and from work. Without this she will lose her job. She would like to work towards obtaining her GED but again has no way of getting to class. Stephanie would flourish as a resident in our program; however, due to limitations in the state funding she could not qualify for full funding.

Due to our commitment to women like Stephanie and the help of donor funds, we were able to serve Stephanie through the healthy delivery of her baby and transition into safe housing.