For many people, Mother’s Day is an opportunity to stop and thank their mother or mother figure with a gift, a token of their love and appreciation.
For Hubbard House, Mother’s Day is an opportunity to give one more day of peace to the up to 80 women and children who are staying in our Emergency Shelter. It’s another day to give the gift of hope and the courage to build a better future.
“I found the strength to take my child and leave my abusive marriage. I was informed about Hubbard House from a police officer,” one mother wrote in a letter to us. “From the moment the Hubbard House staff answered my call until the time I arrived at the shelter, they guided me and talked me all the way through this scary, scary time.”
While the majority of the population celebrates Mother’s Day outside of our shelter walls, those who pass through our doors receive life-changing support that can make the difference between life and death. Mother’s Day holds significant meaning for women and children who escape violent homes and walk down the path of restoration.
“They were amazing to me and my child and they SAVED MY LIFE. I received so much help and counseling from the staff and I attended various domestic violence meetings that helped me understand abuse and how it wasn’t my fault,” the brave survivor wrote in her letter. “Now, I’m very educated on abuse and how to see signs of abuse. Thank you to all of the staff who helped me.”
Dedicated staff and volunteers create the foundation for providing our clients with the necessary knowledge, skills and resources to step out of their abusive situations and enter a place hope.
Hubbard House recognizes this special day as a time to continue our mission and offer a special thank you to all the mothers and mother figures that courageously work towards making our world a better place by promoting non-violence. Also, it is a time to thank our dedicated volunteers and supporters for helping us give the thousands of mothers who turn to Hubbard House each year the ability to break the cycle of abuse and provide their children a violence-free home. Hubbard House wishes you a Happy Mother’s Day.
If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship please call the Hubbard House hotline at (904) 354-3114 or (800) 500-1119. Hubbard House can help.
ABOUT HUBBARD HOUSE: Founded as the first domestic violence shelter in Florida in 1976, Hubbard House is a certified, comprehensive domestic violence center providing programs and services to more than 6,000 women, children, and men annually in Duval and Baker counties. While Hubbard House is most known for its emergency shelter, the agency also provides extensive adult and youth outreach services, school-based education, therapeutic childcare, batterers’ intervention programs, court advocacy and volunteer and community education opportunities. Visit www.hubbardhouse.org to learn more.
By Erin Ostrowsky