Cohort: Abuse Survivors

Letter from our CEO, Tatiana Tsoir:

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I moved to the United States at the age of 19 and within 3 months got myself into an abusive relationship with an alcoholic. At 19 I didn't know what alcoholics looked or sounded like. I was alone in a foreign country and had no one to ask for help. Don't worry, the story has a happy ending.

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A few years ago my family went on vacation to Aruba. I was buying a hat at a local store and they had an option to donate change to one of 3 organizations they chose, and one of them was to victims of domestic violence and abuse. I, of course, donated to that charity. The cashier said "this one gets the least money...".

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Most people think that if it's "that bad, she can just leave". The reality is that without external support, therapy and an ability to make a living on your own (especially if there are kids in the picture) is almost impossible. The truth is that when you're "on the inside" your reality is not real, but you still believe it is. When I was there, I thought "this is it. this is my life now."

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And often it is a stranger who yanks that woman (80% of violence is committed against women) out of that reality so she can see the light. The same happened to me: a complete stranger said to me "you're getting out." and circumstances worked out such that I did. And I never looked back.

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So - why do we support abuse survivors? Because teaching them a skill they can use to make support themselves is what lets them see that light.

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Can you be someone's hope when there is nothing to hope for?

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The Program:

This cohort-based program is anticipated to start on October 15, 2024 for this cohort. Each cohort will have 30 to 50 people to ensure that the learning process is smooth and meaningful. We are training skilled professionals so we can be proud of them as they go and work for companies like yours.

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CURRENT COHORT TARGET: 50 award recipients

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CURRENT FUNDING NEEDED: $87,500

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FUNDING DEADLINE FOR COHORT TO START ON TIME: OCTOBER 1, 2024.

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