Panel Discussion on Domestic Violence Set for Sunday at Sag Harbor Cinema

There is perhaps no subject as taboo or difficult to talk about as intimate partner violence. Ruled by fear or shame, victims will go to great lengths to keep abuse a secret, even from a therapist or trusted friends and family members. Often, the public never knows someone is suffering — or only finds out […]
I Was The Woman Next Door

Being a mother, you want to keep your children safe. I was devasted and so heartbroken when I realized that my child heard the abuse all the time. I was so hurt for her. She heard the obscenities, she saw the pain in my eyes. She saw her mother be broken down. As a mother, […]
What Would You Do? How to Intervene

by Olivia Suter Every October, advocates, survivors, and supporters recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), and this year’s campaign is #Every1KnowsSome1. This campaign highlights just how common intimate partner violence (IPV) is and how it is more than just physical violence. #Every1KnowsSome1, but how can we best support them? The Retreat’s Teen Leadership Council (TLC) […]
DV is the Leading Cause of Homelessness Among Women

by Ellie Kurrus Can you imagine having to make a choice between staying in your home with an abusive partner or homelessness? This is the decision many survivors of domestic violence experience every day. Perpetrators of domestic violence tend to use violence to gain control and power over their partner. In addition to physical abuse, […]
Brought Back to Life

The Retreat has brought me back to life. A life I thought was miles away. They helped me feel who I really am. I really never was able to have friends in my life due to my abuse in the past and present. The staff made me feel like I am worth being in this world. You really are the light in my life. Now I know where I’m going.
Macaroni Kid Hamptons .ORG of the Month- THE RETREAT

October is filled with school picture day, Columbus Day, Halloween, Fall sports, but October is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). It’s a sensitive subject that no one really likes to talk about or some are afraid to talk about but it’s real and it’s here. The Retreat celebrates DVAM with information, stories, videos, and more […]
Drawn to The Retreat

Michele, Director of Counseling at The Retreat I had the pleasure of starting my work with the Retreat in 1998, my first year of graduate school. I worked as a shift worker in the shelter for one year and had the amazing opportunity to work so closely with clients, supporting them with their day-to-day needs […]
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 […]
There is A Future

While I was a resident of The Retreat’s shelter, I received so much love and hope for me and my family. I came in 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 […]
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.