Jeny’s Story

Shortly after moving to Florida with the father of her three daughters, Jeny’s partner abandoned the family without a network of support.

Soon, however, Jenny found support and friendship in a co-worker. The relationship evolved quickly into Jeny believing she had found “the man of her dreams”. Her new partner was encouraging, reliable, and loving with her children, so when he asked them to move in, Jeny jumped at the chance for a fresh start. Sadly, once Jeny moved in, everything changed.

His support turned into yelling, name-calling, jealousy, control, and threats to end her life. The violence escalated as his substance abuse heightened, until, one day, Jeny’s abuser chased her out of the house with a weapon.

Narrowly escaping with their lives, Jeny and her daughters hid in a neighbor’s bushes until Law Enforcement arrived. Orange County Sherrif’s office was unable to locate her abuser, who had fled the scene, but promptly issued a warrant for his arrest and got her in touch with Harbor House.

On our first phone call with Jeny, she said to us, “Thank you for calling, I thought nobody cared about me and my daughters’ lives. I don’t have anybody here. I feel abandoned. I want to leave this state and reunite with my mother”.

Jeny was able to meet with a Harbor House advocate, complete a safety plan, and apply for our VOCA Relocation program. This program provided Jeny with the luggage and plane tickets needed to get her family safely back to their home state with her mother and extended family. This Mother’s Day, Jeny and her children are safe.

The timely response and collaboration between Harbor House and Law Enforcement that saved the lives of Jeny and her children was made possible by the generous support of people like you.

*The name has been changed due to confidentiality.