G. was 39 years old and an immigrant mother of three when she discovered she was pregnant with her fourth child in 2010. At the time, she was living in Georgia with her longtime boyfriend, who abused her. When he tried to force her to have an abortion, a panicky G. took whatever cash she could find at home and fled with her children, then 21, 15 and 3.
"I didn't really have a plan. I was just trying to get as far away from him as possible — maybe Washington state — to try to start over again," says G., who, along with other domestic violence victims interviewed for this story asked that her name not be used. When her car broke down in bitterly cold weather in tiny Ashland, Neb., police took the family to a homeless shelter in Lincoln, Neb., 25 miles away. Facing health problems of her own — G. is diabetic — she decided to stay there for the remainder of her pregnancy.
Soon after, G. suffered a heart attack. Then her baby was born prematurely and required a month in a neonatal intensive care unit before he was strong enough to leave the hospital.
Fortunately, two weeks after G.'s baby was discharged, her family was one of the first to move into St. Gianna Women's Homes apartment complex. The 24-unit secure complex in Lincoln is dedicated to providing safe, transitional housing for victims of domestic violence and women facing pressure to abort pregnancies. The Catholic Social Services facility is in its second year of operations and is sponsored by the Diocese of Lincoln.
"A typical story is a woman tells a man, 'I'm pregnant,' he says, 'Get rid of it, or I'll kill you' and she runs," says Fr. Christopher Kubat, executive director of Catholic Social Services for the Diocese of Lincoln. While not all of the residents of St. Gianna are pregnant, he adds, "I'm amazed at the number of women who come to us fleeing extreme pressure to have an abortion when they don't want to."
Discovering dignity
A safe and stable living situation is necessary to emotional healing, but it is not necessarily enough to help a battered woman restart her life safely apart from her abuser. Recognizing this, "Hope Through Healing & Wellness: The St. Gianna Women's Homes Project" brings additional resources to the table to support counseling, access to health care and support for job hunts. The program receives assistance through the Catholic Health Initiatives Mission and Ministry Fund. The Saint Elizabeth Foundation of CHI's Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in Lincoln secured the 3-year, $315,000 violence prevention grant from Englewood, Colo.-based CHI shortly after the opening of St. Gianna's apartments.
On average, a victim of domestic violence will return to her abuser seven times until she finally leaves for good, says Fr. Kubat. "We want to help these women not return to abusers. They need to discover their dignity. They were created in God's image and likeness. When they come to St. Gianna they are treated with respect and love. They are not used to that. They are used to being treated as an object."
When the apartment complex was on the drawing board, market demand analysis showed that Lincoln, a city of 225,000 with a metro area population of more than 300,000, could have filled 240 transitional housing units with domestic violence victims, Fr. Kubat says. "That is how much need there is in the metro area. It's a horrible problem, and it's been on my heart for a number of years."
Breaking the cycle
Donna Hammack, chief development officer at Saint Elizabeth Foundation, says Saint Elizabeth used the largest portion of the CHI grant to hire a nurse to specialize in health and wellness coaching. It has flexibility in portioning out the funds for incidental expenses such as tuition for a St. Gianna client taking courses at a community college. The grant has bought electric outlet plugs and other safety equipment for women childproofing their apartments. It's paid for self-defense courses offered through the police department and it's been tapped in support of other collaborations with the University of Nebraska, legal aid services, and credit counseling service providers.
Nurse Cheryl Schulte, who has an extensive background in public health, says she "practically jumped" at the opportunity to work at St. Gianna. "I passionately believe the way to change the world is by teaching children — and the best way to do that is by supporting mothers through parenting programs. It's the only chance we have to stop the cycle of violence."
Since she began her job in March, Schulte has focused on six dimensions of wellness: physical, intellectual, emotional, occupational, spiritual and social. (See sidebar.) She provides resources to help women achieve personal goals.
Solid footing
St. Gianna is transitional housing — residents usually stay no longer than a year there, but can stay as long as they need, says Fr. Kubat. The Marian Sisters who serve as caseworkers and operate the facility for Catholic Social Services meet with clients on a weekly basis to help them achieve their goals and transition to a safe, productive life in the community. Schulte touches base as needed — sometimes daily, sometimes every few months.
"It takes a long time to get people motivated and to help them obtain needed services," she says, "but I've seen more progress with these clients than those in the community who have not gotten this kind of support."
G. could not agree more.
"My family was so vulnerable when we came here, but the people at St. Gianna gave us so much more than an apartment. They gave us food, medical assistance, emotional help, citizenship counseling," she says. "It will be hard to move out, but I am no longer afraid to live outside of a shelter."
Those sentiments are echoed by other former St. Gianna residents as well.
S., who fled an unhealthy relationship in Mississippi to return home to Nebraska with her now 2-year-old daughter, says she felt "incredibly fortunate" to be able to stay in a "clean, safe and secure" place like St. Gianna, rather than a shelter. After 10 months there, she is now living in an apartment, has a permanent, part-time job and hopes for a better life for her little family. "Financially, life is still hard, but at least I have a court order in place so I feel more protected," she says.
N., a young Sudanese mother with a 3-year-old and an infant, spent 10 weeks at St. Gianna before moving to an apartment earlier this year. "I literally had nowhere to live when I left my boyfriend, but once I got to St. Gianna, I never felt alone. There is a sense of community there, and so much support," she says. "It is crazy how much the people there do for you. They've helped me with citizenship papers, and when I moved, they gave me a crib, couch, clothes, diapers … Now I'm dedicated to getting my stuff together and moving forward."
Measuring wellness along many axes
Escaping domestic abuse is the first step to an improved life for residents of St. Gianna Women's Homes. To help them establish lives independent of their abusers the women get assistance in these areas:
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Physical wellness — This includes making sure women have a medical home, general assistance for medical expenses, and attention to any special health issues, from diabetes to dental care and nutritional counseling. Pediatric visits and car seats are provided for children as well.
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Intellectual wellness — Residents are encouraged to take general educational diploma and English as a second language classes, and if appropriate, to apply for financial aid and/or scholarships to attend community college. Transportation is provided as needed; bus service is available for schoolchildren too.
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Occupational wellness — Job training is encouraged and help is available to fill out application forms for immigrants seeking to establish permanent resident status.
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Emotional wellness — Counseling services are available to help with issues such as anxiety and depression; parenting classes are stressed and babysitting is available.
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Spiritual wellness — Residents have access to a chapel where Mass is offered daily. Women also may join religious classes and Bible prayer study groups.
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Social wellness — Clients are encouraged to become involved in community activities and church groups to help build a support system outside of St. Gianna.
Copyright © 2012 by the Catholic Health Association of the United States
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