There is A Future
I came into the shelter as a ragged 27-year-old, no money, no job, no education. I was a high school dropout, no place to call come with four shell-shocked children under the age of 10. Their first thought when we arrived was “Mommy, we can all have our own bed now!” Before that, they had […]
Strength, Hope, and Courage
Upon seeing the bruises his father had inflicted upon me, my son shrugged and called them “battle scars.” Those words terrified me; my beautiful, gentle child thought this was normal. If it were not for my son, I never would have embarked on the two-year journey of leaving my husband of 38 years. He was the reason I finally went to the doctor after being physically abused.
Anonymous
A survivor who stayed with us for an extended period arrived with little English, no phone, one autistic child, a toddler in a stroller and later gave birth to a premature newborn (she’d been afraid to tell us she was pregnant). We ultimately helped her find housing—through our transitional housing program—and we continue to pay […]
Chris’ Story
I was a recipient of The Retreat’s various services for a few years. They helped me in the darkest of times. I happened upon their door step very scared, anxiety ridden, dazed and without a clue of how to go about getting protection from my spouse. I felt as if I was all alone in […]
Anonymous
I just wanted to say a few words of gratitude and encouragement to everyone working at The Retreat. It’s been almost a year now since I lived at the Shelter. I would love to tell you my war is over, but it just isn’t so. The truth is it may not be for a long […]
Sarah’s Story
I was isolated and afraid, and was told every day that I was crazy. On a routine domestic call to the Southampton town police, an officer noticed something wasn’t right. Thankfully he asked my husband to leave and pulled me aside and said, “I can help you. There is more going on than you are […]
Marie’s Story
Marie graduated from high school and started college to pursue her dream of becoming a nurse. At 19, those dreams were cut short when she became pregnant a few months into a relationship and her abuser told her she was not allowed to go to school. He controlled what she wore, who she could spend […]
Gina’s Story
Gina came to the Retreat right before Christmas. She fled from her abusive husband who was the father of her three children. She had been beaten and raped on a regular basis in front of their children. Living in the safety of the Retreat shelter where she and her children regularly received counseling, Gina began […]
