Survivor Stories

Janie was only 19 when she met Steve, 10 years her senior. At first Janie thought Steve’s jealousy was sweet but over time he became more and more controlling of her every move. At times, Steve would become so angry and jealous that he would interrogate her all night and accuse her of having an affair. It became increasingly difficult for Janie to focus at work and care for her two children. Eventually, she lost her job and became financially dependent on Steve. Janie knew she had to leave but couldn’t imagine how she would support herself and the children. She found the courage to go to a shelter. Janie obtained student loans to go to school to become a medical transcriptionist, but could not afford the necessary childcare to attend class. The Allstate Foundation’s Education and Job Training Assistance Fund helped pay for temporary childcare and made Janie’s schooling possible.

Aisha met her boyfriend Mark when she began as a waitress in the restaurant he managed. After dating for a few months, Aisha moved in with Mark and she soon became pregnant. Over the years, the abuse, which began with forceful pushing during the pregnancy, escalated to include sexual assaults and cigarette burns. At one point, Mark forced Aisha to have his name tattooed on her collarbone to remind her that she “was his property.” After seven years, Aisha left Mark and was able to obtain a job working in customer service. She was successful at this position, however, was passed over for several promotions due to her tattoo. With the help of her counselor, Aisha began to re-build her self-esteem and applied for The Allstate Foundation’s Education and Job Training Assistance Fund to remove the tattoo.

Joan, a single mother, worked hard at her job in a local library carefully budgeting her small salary to raise her daughter in a stable and secure environment. After her daughter graduated high school, Joan allowed herself the thrill of a whirlwind romance. At 53 years old, Joan believed she had met the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with and he proposed marriage. After moving across the country, and persuading Joan to give up her job, he spent her savings and isolated her from friends and family. He neglected to pay bills, thus, ruining Joan’s credit rating. Then, the physical abuse started. It reached a point causing Joan to flee with her daughter to a shelter where she began to rebuild her life. She now is following her dream of becoming a speech therapist. The Allstate Foundation provided the essential funds for her books and study supplies through the Education and Job Training Assistance Fund.

These stories are based upon the common experiences of the survivors of domestic violence who are assisted through the Education and Job Training Assistance Fund. To protect the safety and confidentiality of the survivors, names, circumstances and personally identifying information have been altered.