A Financial Lifeline for Long-term Stability

My Sister’s Place is excited to launch the first Emergency Cash Transfer Program specifically for domestic violence survivors.

Our pilot project will benefit 45 families served through our RISE Transitional Housing program and is designed to improve financial stability and economic opportunities for survivors by putting money directly into the hands of families, particularly single-income families. Participants will receive support over a 2 year period.

Most of the survivors we serve experience financial abuse, in addition to physical abuse. Finances are often controlled by the abuser and survivors flee with poor credit scores, unstable financial positions, and little financial education. The emergency cash transfer program will not only provide much needed funds, it will provide financial education to help survivors build their future.

Studies on previous programs demonstrate that most participants spend most of the payments on rent and/or food and use any remaining funds on debt reduction, investments in small businesses, education, or transportation. Basic needs and investments in their future.

To support survivors’ long-term financial success, we are partnering with Capital Area Asset Builders (CAAB) to provide recipients with a broad range of financial literacy programming including credit score education, assistance with setting up bank accounts, tax preparation support, savings matching programs, and more. This partnership is a means of building equity for marginalized groups who often don’t get access to these resources.

Thank you to the Greater Washington Area Community Foundation’s Health Equity Fund and The William S. Abell Foundation for their generous financial support of this initiative.

We are very excited to pilot this holistic approach to survivor empowerment and well-being -- and we are eager to share with you how this positively impacts these families.
Thank YOU for your support!
During the last months of 2022, we expanded our programs, rapidly growing the number of survivors we serve. Transparently, we were a bit nervous whether we'd be able to bring the same Holiday Magic this year, but our community stepped up and delivered beyond belief!

Throughout the holiday season, we collected nearly 1,000 gifts (yes, you read that number right), ensuring that all of the families in our programs had gifts to open during the holidays.

It was truly a remarkable effort, made possible by every single person who helped us spread the word, made a monetary donation, contributed turkeys, toys, drove donations to our shelter, sorted, organized, itemized, wrapped, and more.

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
Rebecca Carr Rizzo
Lisa Rosenthal
Diana Rubin
Zoe Sharp
Kimberlee Ling Sheldon
Sharon Denise Wise
Bailey Williams