Help for domestic abuse victims with economic empowerment
HOUSTON - Domestic violence incidents skyrocketed during the pandemic and the number of survivors seeking the safety of a shelter continues to climb.
Sometimes victims being battered choose to stay because they may feel financially dependent. So a new Houston program is helping with economic empowerment.
RELATED: Domestic violence homicides in Harris County dramatically rise in 2022
"It was a very, very hard situation to get out of," domestic abuse survivor Rosalinda explains.
Leaving is said to be the most dangerous time of an abusive relationship. Rosalinda was able to escape ten years ago.
"I was a teenage mom and I suffered domestic violence. I was able to get out, and now I’m doing amazing now. It was during my pregnancy. I think when I realized I was in the situation I made up a plan for my baby. I didn’t want my baby to grow up like that. I wanted something better for her," Rosalinda says.
She is now thriving and just days from graduation, thanks in part to the From Ordinary to Extraordinary Beauty School, which offers free cosmetology training for abuse survivors and certain moms.
"They have to have a child under three or be pregnant. We teach them to be self-sufficient. We also give diapers and food and other items to those who qualify," explains Monica Cruz, who is the Director of the From Ordinary to Extraordinary Houston location.
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"Looking back in time, I don’t think I ever thought all of this was going to be made possible for me. This organization has helped me, not only career wise, but emotionally as well. They have given me the support that I needed to continue. It’s like a sisterhood," says Rosalinda.
"I think we all have a dream, and my dream is them. So if they get their license, it’s like I’m doing my job right. I see myself in their eyes," Cruz adds while choking back tears.
All the ladies in the beauty school are graduating Saturday with their Cosmetology License after completing the one-year program, including Rosalinda, who is now a married mom of three striving to open her own nail salon.
"I feel empowered. I feel strong. I feel amazing," Rosalinda smiles.
"For the past few years we’ve been making plans to triple the space in our shelter because often times our shelter is full and so are other area shelters. Our shelter will go from 120 to 360 beds," explains Leticia Manzano, Houston Area Women’s Center (HAWC) Manager of Sexual Violence Services and veteran domestic violence expert.
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Manzano says it isn’t clear if abuse cases are still rising post-pandemic or if more survivors are simply reaching out for help.
HAWC is awaiting current numbers, but she says some of the latest stats for the Houston-area include a University of Houston study stating 32 abuse victims were killed in 2019 and that number doubled to 64 in 2022.
"We’re talking about 64 human beings. These are real people who lost their lives due to domestic violence," Manzano said adding programs like the From Ordinary to Extraordinary can help change that.
We caught up with the beauty school ‘upcoming’ graduates as they were decorating their graduation caps, alongside their kids. Rosalinda’s message on her cap perhaps says it best.
"On my graduation cap, I put ‘Mommy did it’, because I’m doing it for my kids," says Rosalinda.
The beauty school teaches everything from how to do hair and makeup to nails and facials. You can reach From Ordinary To Extraordinary Beauty School at (281) 501-2357.
The Houston Area Women’s Center has a hotline (713) 528-2121 or a chat/text like option on their website at hawc.org. You can contact HAWC for everything from creating a safety plan to leave an abusive relationship, to securing a restraining order, to doing a telephone danger assessment to tell you if you’re at high risk of domestic violence homicide and need to seek safety.