Healing Abuse and Working for Change (HAWC)

Came fearing for my life. They turned me away because I was being abused by family, not a romantic partner. SafeLink isn't much better. No support group referrals, nothing. I fled across the country in the hopes my child and I would be safe, but I have been suffering alone in silence and homeless for three months now. I'm really just at my breaking point. I'm lost, scared, and don't know what to do. What do you do when the one resource that claims to help "all" doesn't want to help you?

I'm glad that a place like HAWC exists. They do ALOTTA good for a lot of people. Making sure that they are safe and get much needed resources.

Hawc service Director coordinator Maria was assigned my case on January 2nd 2025 when I was fleeing an abusive domestic violent situation. Seeking refuge and safety from my abuser, HAWK is a company advertising in supporting and helping empower women in abusive situations. On 1/02/25 I fled my my abuser calling 211 and being referred to Hawc. I went to the Hawc building on Congress road in Salem MA where friendly facilitators found me a shelter specifically for domestic violence victims , there was an emergency spot available that the hawc director coordinator Maria was specifically working saying it was a Domestic Violenshelter and said she had available placement for emergency! Once there she wanted to ask elude, private and very uncomfterable questions and pry into my traumatic domestic situation, asking me if i had sex with my abuser!!! Specifically saying that i could not stay there unless i had sex with the indvidual that was abusing being very insensitive to this very delicate matter and also neglecting the fact that domestic violence doesn't have to be sexual to be domestic violent abuse . For my situation I did have a history with my abuser and am a survivor or sexual abuse, domestic violence and human trafficking her lack of empathy made me cry as if I had to convince her of my abuse . In shock and still in the state of trauma from where I had fled from Maria director of HAWK suggested i go to a rehab under her perception and assumption that i was on drugs. I had never never been dicriminated and she was highly incorrect. A drug rehab center was not necsassr for her to inmply and tell me over and over again that there is help for ne and avrehab ready , i was appauled at her suggestion after her knowing i am fleeing from a domestic violent terror. I responded to her that i was the truth truth that i had survived 2 nights of terror. Maria was not happy with my respinse and said i only had 2 weeks to figute it out. I was in shock but happy to have a safe place. I arrived on thursday after noon. Maria, (Director) was very unkind and mocking my situation when I was crying and in shock still from abuse was unsupportive and to say the least descentsatized to the very delicate very sensitive situation. Making me feel as if this was my fault ,was very unwelcoming and not proactive with my needs, which as a Director of a domestic violent abuse shelter found her to be very unprofessional unethical, uncompassionate to say the least unfit for her job position. While at her Hawc agency shelter I found the environment less than adequate for women fleeing domestic violent situations and is primarily harboring women with children and mothers who are getting stabilized neglecting the domestic violence aspect. In my second day there was alcohol at her facility, mothers drunk taking care of children at her shelter . What Maria was trying to hide was her neglneglegenve to her shelter and standards of what hawc is suppose to stand for. There were no classes for domestic violent abuse survivors When I let Maria know about my concerns she said that she'd really like for me to leave after confronting about the alcohol that was found and environmental concerns that are at her facility in Salem , rather than rectifying and looking at the problems, would rather displace me a person who has suffered and survived sexual abuse and domestic violence . She said she'd help me out .... Help ... from Hawc director Maria was the least that I got .She placed me in a shelter with abusers and and men who's background aren't checked she has placed me in unsafe and in harms way and coed neglecting her oath and practices to help protect women. ALL IN ALL Hawcs practices and protocol has me in a worst situation than when I fled my abuser. Iam currently having to share inproper sleeping quarters way due to the neglegance of the HAWC agency Salem.