We would like to share with you a letter we received from a woman who stayed at the Hubbard House shelter that illustrates the impact our services have on the lives of victims of domestic violence and their children.
Words alone will never be able to express how I feel about my stay at Hubbard House. From the night that I contacted Hubbard House when I thought that I had no safe place to go, I was greeted on the hotline by a nice woman. As soon as I spoke to her a weight was lifted off of my chest. She explained my options and the procedures necessary to utilize Hubbard House as a SAFE PLACE TO STAY. Still uncertain from the chain of events from that day, I thanked her for her information. I stayed awake all night thinking about being “too proud” to enter a shelter. I kept hearing the woman from the hotline’s reassuring voice in my head and immediately I called her with a list of questions. She greeted and remembered me from the night before. I knew then that Hubbard House was the place that I needed to be for me and my son. When I arrived after filing my injunction, I received the same wonderful treatment from the other staff.
Each and every day the Hubbard House staff go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure the residents are safe, secure, and well taken care of. They offer guidance and assistance whenever necessary and empower and encourage the residents to learn how to heal and grow into a better life. They spend countless hours doing a job that can be often sad, trying, discouraging, and filled with complaints and negativism. Often times you probably hear too few compliments and often times no “thank you”.
On behalf of myself and my son, I will FOREVER be grateful to Hubbard House. Without a place like this, I don’t know what I would have done. Being at Hubbard House helped me to find inner strength and determination that I thought I had lost a long time ago. I know my journey of a new life is just beginning, however, without the dedicated staff I am not certain I would have been able to break free and stand up for myself to begin a long, deserved new life’s journey that lets me be in control of myself.
Once again, I truly, truly appreciate everyone at Hubbard House and the extraordinary job they do to make Hubbard House what it is. I will miss you all very much!
If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship please call the 24-hour Hubbard House domestic violence hotline at (904) 354-3114 or at (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.