Olivia: Free from financial abuse

Olivia had been beaten unconscious by her husband, he had also destroyed her financial credit and lease history. Fleeing with the clothes on her back, Olivia, she spent two weeks sleeping in her car before calling our crisis hotline. Read more about Olivia today.

Olivia* had been beaten unconscious by her husband, he had also destroyed her financial credit and lease history. Fleeing with the clothes on her back, Olivia, she spent two weeks sleeping in her car before calling our crisis hotline. She came to our domestic violence shelter in November 2018 with the goal of gaining safe and stable housing. As our shelter advocate began working with Olivia, we learned that Olivia’s three children (ages 2 to 11) had been placed in foster care due to the danger posed to them by her abuser.

PADV worked directly with DFCS caseworkers to develop a plan to expedite family reunification. Olivia was working full time but could not secure adequate housing for herself and three children because of her destroyed credit and only $25,000/year income. Therefore, PADV decided to place Olivia in their supportive housing program which helped subsidize the rent on a three-bedroom apartment.

Because of PADV, Olivia is now in safe and stable housing, taking financial education classes and has utilized financial counseling services provided by one of our partners.  Because of Olivia’s hard work she will be reunified with her children in the next few months, a critical step in the healing process for Olivia and her children.