Help Pregnant PP Worker Leaving Abuse Situation

Hello,

My name is Amanda. I used to be a Planned Parenthood volunteer. A former colleague of mine reached out to me because she knows I do a lot of outreach. This is her story. She asked that I don't share her name, so I will call her A.

A has been married for three years. Her husband, who she says was emotionally abusive within a week of getting married, got physically abusive about two years in. Shortly after, she found out that she was pregnant. He kicked her until she miscarried and told her "never to bother him with something like that again." She knew she needed to leave, but hasn't been able to find a way out. She's been dilligently trying to figure out an escape route. She just found out she is about ten weeks pregnant. She texted him to tell him and he replied "either you take care of it or I will." She didn't go home and slept in her car that night. When she went to retrieve some of her stuff while he was at work, she found all of her clothes and most of her other belongings in a burned pile. He also somehow has prevented her from accessing their joint account, which has all of her money except a couple hundred that she had managed to save up and has been using for food and gas. It's almost depleted.

Typically, I would have recommended her to local Crisis Pregnancy Centers, Pro Love or similar organizations, but because of the mistreatment she feels she has been subjected to from the pro life movement (she says she has been called names, pushed and threatened) she literally started crying the moment I brought these up and adamently refuses to contact these particular resources. Having felt similar for years and having had similar experiences, I understand and want to respect her.

She isn't stubborn though! She accepted the clothes that I got for her, the toiletries I gave her and she is currently in a safe home for the moment, though it's a very short term option due to availability. She also can't have her emotional support cat there and it is causing her a lot of distress. We did manage to get the cat away from her husband and to a safe place for a while. We've connected with free legal aid, a domestic violence advocate and she submitted an application for emergency food stamps. While most of her co-workers are trying to pressure her into an abortion, one did give her prenatals.

I found a wonderful opportunity for her to be able to get into an apartment. I spoke with the leasing person, explained the situation and managed to get them to be okay only with the first month and a deposit, waving the pet deposit and allowing the last month to be paid in increments. Problem is, she has to have the money by the third to get in. To be honest, I was shocked that an opening exists at all because every place here has waitlists a mile long and people fighting for places.

Donations will go toward: first month's rent, deposit, utilities and all accompanying fees, food, gas to go to work. Anything over our goal will go toward supplies for her and the baby.

Please consider leaving a note with your donation as my hope is that, as a positive side effect, this shows her that not all pro lifers are like the ones she has encountered. Let me say from experience: that kindness and generosity changed everything for me.