Breaking Free from Terror

You never know exactly what the breaking point will be for someone. For Danielle, it was the moment her husband was holding a gun to her head, threatening to kill her.

Danielle had endured 18 years of drunken beat downs, psychological attacks, and financial abuse. This time, with the metal of the gun barrel being held against her temple—she swore if she made it out of this situation alive, she would get away from her husband for good.

He never did pull the trigger, but he still lost control and pistol-whipped Danielle on her head. The blow was hard enough to have her seeing stars. As she laid on the floor, she felt a warm trickle of blood slide across her cheek. Then she heard the door slam.

He was gone. And soon, she would be too.

Danielle mustered up all of her strength to get off of the floor. She was dizzy and very disoriented. She stumbled her way into the bedroom, where she quickly threw some things into a bag.

With no idea how much time she would have before he returned, she grabbed her cellphone and slipped out the back door. She steadied herself against the side of the building and peered around the corner. His car was gone.

Danielle headed down the alley, still woozy from the blow to her head.

She had saved the Crisis Line for New Horizons in her cellphone under a fake name. She didn’t want her husband to find it during any of his searches through her phone.

As she dropped to the ground, behind some bushes in the park down the street, Danielle hit the “call” button. She spent the next several minutes talking to a Crisis Advocate from New Horizons.

It’s been a long journey for Danielle since she made that call to New Horizons.

Thanks to YOU, she has been able to start onto this path of a life free of abuse.

While Danielle made use of our shelter—New Horizons is WAY MORE than just a shelter for victims of abuse.

We are a Crisis Line that provides a safety connection for victims, like Danielle—or even moms who are concerned about their teen’s unhealthy romantic relationship.

New Horizons is Outreach Services—to help with restraining orders and provide safety planning for victims.

We are an educational resource for members of the community to learn how to recognize and react responsibly to both domestic and sexual abuse in the lives of those they know and love.

New Horizons is WAY more than a shelter.

But we can’t do it alone. It takes the members of the community—including YOU to become a part of the safety net of hope.

Your gift will help keep the life-saving resources in place for victims of abuse when they reach out for help.

You will make a difference in the life of someone like Danielle, who is finally seeing what life is like without abuse.

If it’s not the right time for you to give, we completely understand. Please share this message with someone who you think may be interested in becoming an ally for victims of abuse.

The more people we can bring into the fold, the stronger the safety net will become for those who need the support to break free of abuse.

Thank you for supporting victims of abuse in our community!