BOSS in Review: In Their Words

 

The Partnership’s Building Opportunities for Survivors’ Success (B.O.S.S.) Program is a regional initiative launched with support from the Allstate Foundation.

The purpose of this program is to help three Sacramento-area service providers (My Sister’s House, WEAVE and the homeless services organization Women’s Empowerment) support domestic violence survivors in achieving the financial stability and economic empowerment.

Economic concerns are the most frequently cited reason survivors return to abusive relationships. In order for survivors to build new, violence-free lives, they must have a solid financial foundation. Over the course of the past year, the Partnership used funding provided by the Allstate Foundation to support the participating agencies in training their domestic violence advocates to teach Allstate’s financial curriculum to their clients. Some of the participating service providers chose to incorporate the Allstate curriculum into their current economic empowerment program while others chose to distribute the curriculum to clients directly. The curriculum includes information and tips on how to manage one’s finances effectively and covers topics ranging from managing credit to budgeting for emergencies. At WEAVE, clients benefitted greatly from having their own copy of the curriculum because it allowed them to learn at their own pace. “Some clients need time just to assess and understand the financial abuse that nearly all have experienced and not all are able to master the complete curriculum during their stay with us,” said WEAVE Executive Director Beth Hassett.  “For this reason, being able to give them Allstate Financial Empowerment Curriculum binders has been extremely helpful so that they can continue to build upon their knowledge once they leave our Safehouse.” 

Survivors who participated in the financial empowerment programs often came from various situations; many of which left them financially disadvantaged and/or afraid. At Women’s Empowerment, clients who come for services are usually homeless; many also victims of domestic violence. The organization chose to incorporate the curriculum into their financial literacy boot camp (one of the many programs utilized by Women’s Empowerment to help clients become self-sufficient) with many positive results. Kelsey Bardini, MSW social worker at Women’s Empowerment, described a situation in which her client Donna* discovered the importance of maintaining healthy financial relationships. “In class, she realized that she had financially abused her partner in a previous relationship…Now, having recognized the signs, she told me she feels confident that her next relationship would be healthy and free of abuse.” 

Perhaps the most impactful part of the program was witnessing clients improve their lives and become self-sufficient after escaping an abusive relationship. As a result of the financial empowerment curriculum, many clients were able to secure jobs, open a bank account and establish a budget. Some were even able to secure their own housing. At My Sister’s House, one such client—a single mother – was working two part-time jobs to care for her two children. Her goal was to save enough money for her son’s confirmation party, but she wasn’t sure if she would be able to do so.  After participating in My Sister’s Houses’ financial management sessions, she was able to save enough money to host a big confirmation party for her son, their family and friends. She was very proud of herself for making the occasion so special for her son.

The Partnership is honored to have had the opportunity to partner with local domestic violence programs to provide economic empowerment to victims of violence. It is our hope that we can continue to be a part of the effort to ensure that victims have the tools at their disposal to become financially independent by expanding the BOSS initiative to other programs across the state.

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