Help Amber protect her kids

 

Please help my dear friend, Amber Frid, not lose her two precious children to her abusive soon to be ex-husband!

 

This GoFundMe is to raise money to help Amber hire a lawyer to defend the rights of her and her children in their current fight for custody and child support. The fact is, access to legal representation for a woman in Amber's position is critical, and will be critical in determining the course of her life and the lives of her children for years to come.

 

All donations will go directly either to pay for Amber's legal fees or for therapy for Amber's two children, and updates on both progress with the legal battle and on how funds are spent will be posted regularly.

 

Please, take just a minute of your time to learn about our friend Amber...

 

Amber is in a scary place right now, she is starting over with nothing, and she is desperately seeking a way to find stability for herself and her children as she starts trying to rebuild... you can help!

 

After enduring eight years in a physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially abusive marriage Amber found the courage earlier this year to escape. Like so many women who suffer abuse, as a dedicated stay-at-home mom without her own source of income Amber found herself without access to her share of marital assets, and with no financial resources escape can often seem impossible. Research from the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) indicates that financial abuse occurs in 99% of domestic violence cases, and is one if not the primary way that abusers are able to prevent their victims from leaving, or coerce them into coming back.

 

Imagine the fear of not being able to provide financially for yourself, or far worse, for your children. Imagine having to choose between confronting those fears, or continuing to live with the fear of abuse. Most of us are fortunate enough not to have to consider how imperative access to assets is to staying safe, but Amber did.

 

With assistance from Helpmate Domestic Violence Services Amber was able to make a plan for her and her children to escape to an emergency shelter, and for months she was forced to rely on food stamps and charity from food banks to feed her children while her husband refused to help. Amber's husband hoped that if he left her desitude, if he made her fear for her safety and well-being, and that of her children, if he made her uncertain of their ability to survive, that he could bully her into returning to an abusive relationship.

 

Imagine the fear of having to start over with nothing... confronting the realistic fear of homelesseness, or having to go to a shelter and rely on charity to meet the basic needs of you and your children.

 

While the initial escape and survival are incredibly difficult, the reality is that it is only the beginning. The ongoing and often overlooked impact of financial abuse is that women in Amber's position face overwhelming odds in obtaining long-term safety and security for themselves and for their children.

 

In an awe-inspiring display of strength and perseverance, Amber has been succeeding at beginning again, she has found a job and she has qualified for affordable housing for herself and her children. She and her children are finally on their way...

 

But Amber is still fighting the impact of financial abuse. Her husband has filed for divorce and custody, threatening to take her children away. With the benefit of what should be their joint marital assets, although unwilling to contribute financially to support their children, her husband is spending money on a lawyer, while Amber of course cannot afford to defend herself...

 

THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN HELP!!!

 

Please, donate to this fundraiser to help defend Amber?

 

Help Amber, so that she can afford a lawyer to advocate for her and her children!

 

Help Amber to finally find some measure of justice!

 

Help Amber to start getting the child support her husband should be paying!

 

Without legal support, without our help, Amber could lose everything she has fought and struggled so hard for this year... she could even lose custody of her children.

 

Let's all get Amber's back!

 

Please, donate what you can?

 

Again, all funds from this fundraiser will go directly either to pay for Amber's legal fees or for therapy for Amber's two children. Updates, both on progress with the legal battle and on how funds are spent, will be posted regularly. In the fortunate event that donations may exceed what is required, any remaining funds will be donated to Helpmate Domestic Violence Services to help other women in Amber's position gain the help and support that they so desperately need!

 

Finally, whether you are able to donate or not, please share this GoFundMe with your friends and co-workers and anyone else who you think may be willing and able to help Amber... there are so many issues and injustices in the world that we cannot do anything about, everyday, but this is an opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of these three radiant people!

 

Your support not only helps Amber and her children, it also helps to end the stigma of abuse, and it helps to raise awareness both of the dangers of financial abuse and of the fact that help is available!

 

I hope you'll help :)