Funneling Our Energy Where it Matters
As the world continues to change around us, many of us have found ourselves disheartened, anxious, and stressed. At My Sister’s Place, we leave space for these emotions, while we also try to find joy and inspiration in the resilience of each and every one of the survivors we serve.

Read one domestic violence survivor's story of how she is gaining and maintaining her independence away from her abuser.

A.B. was trapped in an abusive relationship for over seven years. While she knew the way she was being treated was horrible and wrong, she stuck it out, bound both emotionally and financially to her abuser. Just before the pandemic struck, A.B.’s world shattered. A call from Child Protective Services jolted her into harsh reality. At school, her daughter mentioned she witnessed abuse at home, and that’s when A.B. knew she had to make a change—and quickly. Her daughter was clearly suffering and the thought of losing her daughter was unthinkable. Her daughter’s school referred A.B. to one of My Sister’s Place’s clinics for support and guidance. Serendipitously, there was a spot opening up in our RISE Transitional Housing program which provides rent payment support. Within days of meeting her Community Advocate, A.B. and her daughter moved into a secure apartment of their own, furnished and decorated through our Move-In Program. It was all-hands-on-deck, as her Community Advocate described.

Yet, all was not smooth sailing from there. Shortly after moving into an apartment of her own, A.B. lost her job. While her job was only paying minimum wage, it was income and income is critical for survivors of domestic violence. Without income, survivors of DV are often not able to maintain independent homes and are forced to return to unsafe and abusive environments. Tragically, A.B.'s grandparents both passed away at the start of the pandemic from Covid-19. They were her primary childcare providers, which created extreme stress in her life on top of the grief and trauma she was already working through.

Eventually, with support and counseling, A.B. was able to return to her job and, with time, took on additional hours and responsibilities. This allowed her to move from transitional housing into an apartment fully on her own. Now in our Aftercare Program, My Sister’s Place realized A.B. continued to face challenges and was barely making enough to cover her bills. That is when we stepped in to pay off the remainder of her car loan through our Fresh Start Fund so she could continue to work and get around.

A.B. reorganized her budget and, without a monthly car loan payment, she was able to enroll in school to become a healthcare professional. Her employer nearly doubled her salary to keep her on board as she pursues her studies. Without critical support from the Fresh Start Fund, A.B. wouldn’t have been able to secure a higher-paying job that better provides for her and her daughter. They are able to live independently from her abuser without fear of having to return.
DC Leaders Help Organizations Like MSP Make the Community a Better Place
We are very grateful to Congresswoman Eleanor Norton for securing over $21 million in Community Project Funding for DC organizations. My Sister's Place will receive $500,000 to help us maintain and expand our shelter and transitional housing programming. You can read the full press release here.

Additionally, My Sister’s Place is excited to share that we have been selected by the Catalogue for Philanthropy as a trusted and critical nonprofit in the DC area. It is a huge honor to be selected based on our impact and our work! We are grateful for the Catalogue and are looking forward to collaborating with them and the other nonprofits selected.

Your continued support helps us assist and empower survivors of domestic violence in DC. Continue the fight for the beliefs and values that we share.
Move to End Domestic Violence
A couple of weeks ago, our partner, The Madison of DC hosted a philanthropy walk with DC City Girls Who Walk. Over 50 young women beat the DC summer heat and walked around the National Mall while raising money to support survivors of domestic violence.

Thank you to The Madison and City Girls Who Walk for your support and innovation!

If you’re interested in partnering with us in the future, we would be honored to work together. Partnerships like these strengthen our communities. Please email Elena Romanova to get the conversation started.
How You Can Get Involved!

This summer, we will be running a variety of programming for the kids who are in our shelter or in our transitional housing programs. As that ramps up, we are looking for volunteers to help facilitate these activities, both on weekdays and on weekends. Sign-up through our Volunteer Portal or email our Volunteer Manager, Angela Cavanaugh, for more information.

As young children make up the largest population in our shelter and our transitional housing programs, we are always looking for more diapers and pull-ups, particularly in sizes 4T and above. If you have unopened boxes of diapers in size 4T or above that you are able to donate, please email Gabby Deutsch to schedule a drop-off.

Please consider donating Target or Walmart gift cards to My Sister's Place. For survivors of domestic violence, having the ability to make choices for themselves is extremely empowering--and something that was stripped from them when they were with their abusers. With a Target or Walmart gift card, a survivor can purchase new clothes for herself or for her children, buy food, school supplies, household items, etc.

And please remember to select My Sister's Place
when shopping on Amazon Smile!

With Much Gratitude, MSP Team
MSP Board Of Directors:
Shawn Wright, Board Chair
Santina Rocca, Vice Chair
Mairzy Webster Krulic, Secretary
Gilbert Smith, Treasurer
Sara Adland
Beverly Allen
Amy Berger
Deborah Berkowitz
Jenny Brody
Shelley Guiley
Michelle Kisloff
Lisa Orlowski
Rebecca Carr Rizzo
Lisa Rosenthal
Diana Rubin
Zoe Sharp
Kimberlee Ling Sheldon
Sharon Denise Wise
Bailey Williams