Featured Story

Fathers are Family

It comes naturally—you want to play with your children.  For many, it’s how you express your love for them.  Unfortunately for Jim, this wasn’t possible anymore.  Jim and his wife, Mia, had come to the Freddie Mac Foundation Family Home with their two children looking for stability and supportive services.  Due to a disability, Jim had difficulty interacting with his children, and was at a loss for how to connect with them. 

With both

Gaining Financial Independence

Luisa’s Journey to Safety and Stability

 Early this year, a young pregnant woman named Luisa called the Doorways Domestic Violence Hotline. Her boyfriend was often violent and had threatened to kill her and her unborn baby. The call ended abruptly when he returned home from work early to check on Luisa. Fortunately, the Doorways hotline counselor had already created a safety plan with Luisa.  When Luisa called back two weeks later, her bags

Strengthening Families

Bobbi’s Story

Bobbi and her three children came to Doorways; three times. A survivor of childhood abuse and trauma herself, and having grown up in multiple foster homes, Bobbi lacked the life skills to be independent and provide for her children. In addition, Bobbi did not know it at the time, but she suffered from a severe cognitive disability, leaving her with limited understanding of adult concepts. As a result, Bobbi and her children lived in

Success Beyond Shelter

Sarah and her 2-year-old son came to Doorways three years ago to escape Sarah’s abusive husband. Initially, Sarah stayed with friends, but as space became available, she moved into the Doorways Domestic Violence Safehouse. When Sarah first arrived, she spoke very little English and Doorways staff utilized interpreters to communicate with her in her native language since she had only been in the United States for a short

Ending Family Homelessness

Christina’s Story of Hope

Christina and her 15 month old son entered into Doorways Domestic Violence Program when they found themselves in the midst of living in a home with violence. After several months, their safety had stabilized and the family moved to Doorways Freddie Mac Foundation Family Home. 

Although, it took a little time for Christina to warm up to the Family Home after her crisis, she soon started to partner with staff and her

Surviving Domestic Violence

Jane’s Story of Teen Survival

During the summer, a hotline call was received at the Doorway Safehouse from a young mother in crisis. The hotline advocate quickly made sure the caller was safe. Once safety was established, Jane began to describe the intimidation, threats, and sexual assaults she had endured from her cohabitating partner. Jane also explained to the hotline advocate that she had a six year old daughter, Julia, and was into her third