After Years of Fear, A Safe Place
to Begin Again

At YWCA Delaware, we work with individuals who’ve spent years walking on eggshells, trying to protect their children while surviving abuse that most people never fully see. Sometimes the danger fades for a while. Sometimes it circles back around when you least expect it.

That’s what happened to one Delaware mother.

In 2016, one mother’s partner was arrested for homicide, giving her a brief sense of safety. But when he was released in 2023, her world turned upside down again. He began stalking and harassing her, even targeting her family and friends. Fear became her daily reality. 

The situation escalated when he broke into her apartment and attacked her. In a cruel act meant to terrorize, he stole her beloved dog and harmed the animal. At that moment, she knew staying was no longer an option—her life and her children’s lives were at risk. 

With courage, she reached out for help. With support from YWCA Delaware, she and her children were able to safely relocate to a new apartment. YWCA Delaware helped cover the security deposit, first month’s rent, past-due utilities, and moving expenses so they could leave quickly and begin again somewhere safer. Not perfect. Not magically healed overnight. But safe.

There are still hard days but for the first time in years, she and her daughters are waking up without living in immediate fear. Their home is quiet now. Peaceful, even. And maybe that sounds small to some people, but after years of survival mode, peace can feel enormous.

Today, she says she can finally breathe. For the first time in years, she feels secure and ready to start a new chapter—one defined by peace and stability.