When All the Doors Were Closed to Maya – Emunah’s Were Open
Maya’s future was full of hope and promise. She grew up in a middle-class home with access to education and opportunity. Her dream to have a family came true, and she spent her days caring for her three young children. But at night, her reality shifted. Once home from work, Maya’s husband began to drink heavily, turning into a “Dr. Jekyll Mr.. Hyde” right in front of her and the children.
It began slowly. He would yell and throw things to instill fear and control. But it soon escalated to slapping, pushing, and abusing Maya night after night. Although she lived in a constant state of fear, her desire to protect her children took precedence over her own safety.
Instead, she tried to keep her husband happy so he wouldn’t find a reason to hurt her. But no matter what she did, she couldn’t stop him. And when the violence shifted toward her children, she knew she couldn’t stay with him any longer.
After an awful fight and blows to her head, Mya knew it was time to run. In panic, Maya grabbed her three children and left with nothing but the clothes on their backs. She didn’t know where she would go, only that she couldn’t subject her children to the pain and abuse any longer.
Ever since COVID and the war, Israeli families have been experiencing an unprecedented amount of suffering and devastation. The average family has four children yet lives in a small two-bedroom apartment with no yard. Domestic violence increased significantly from living in such close quarters along with experiencing additional stressors such as job loss, quarantine, school closures and lack of family and community support.
As a result, domestic violence and abuse has increased by 30% in the past year. Women’s shelters quickly reach capacity, and the shortage of resources to protect and help families who have suffered violence continues to be a significant problem.
Fortunately for Maya, Emunah’s Emergency Shelter for Women and Children recently opened its doors to house 12 abused families.
Support our work to heal women and children in Israel who have suffered from abuse. ❤ Please donate today at https://www.emunahangels.org/donation-angels/
Emunah Provides a Safe Haven for Abused Women and Children
Emunah’s emergency shelter is unlike any other women’s shelters in Israel. The newly renovated building provides each family with separate rooms to further foster an environment of safety and healing. Additionally, Emunah’s professional and caring staff give each family everything they need for day-to-day living and social, emotional, and legal support to help them deal with the realities of their situation and begin planning their future.
So far, Emunah has been able to house 11 women and 30 children in their new shelter. These vulnerable families have no place to turn when they flee their abusers, but Emunah seeks to change that. The shelter not only provides safe housing but additional resources and support to empower women as well. Providing education and welfare can help women break the vicious cycle of abuse and move from danger to possibility.
As you can imagine, these services are necessary but not without a high cost. Providing each woman and multiple children with separate rooms, food, clothes, and resources daily adds up. We need your help to continue providing this essential service to Israel’s vulnerable women and children.
Everyone deserves to feel safe in their own homes. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. When a woman flees her home for the safety of herself and her children, Emunah is dedicated to taking them in. And we need your help to continue to do so.
Please HELP these women and children heal and rebuild their lives by donating to Emunah’s Emergency Shelter for Women and Children. Your support will help women like Maya have somewhere to go when there is nowhere else to turn.
Support our work to heal women and children in Israel who have suffered from abuse. ❤ Please donate today at https://www.emunahangels.org/donation-angels.
