In Courage (Manitowoc County Domestic Violence Center)

Just leaving there... 1. Staff members telling other residents about who is leaving and why. 2. If someone can talk about someone who committed suicide while at the previous location like she has been staying there since 2014... and it is almost 11 years later. Said resident needs to exit. 3. I don't have an issue with someone who identifies as transgender... but bringing in their significant other in while on duty ... 4. A resident saying in the kitchen to her 5 yr old son... racist comments. Said resident slamming her bedroom door at 5 am. 5. If we weren't to have contact with the abuser but was meeting her abuser at Walmart. How come Said resident can breach my confidentiality and still get by with it? 6. A former resident was verbally abusing her children. NOTHING was ever done. 7. The resident who breached my confidentiality was on the bus with her son... her son said does she live with you? Resident said yes. Nothing was done.

I called here back in 2020. I told them DO NOT CALL ME AFTER 2pm. They called me at 4pm… when my (now ex) was home. They literally called asking if I was still interested in housing… while my ex stared me in the face. Those in abusive relationships know you HAVE to answer phone calls, often on speaker. And if my ex was physical this phone call could have been deadly. For that alone I’m giving it a 1 star for severity of the mistake.

I can here for the first time in 2019 while pregnant (at this point I had been in an abusive relationship for 5 years) they told me unless my life was in immediate danger they could not help me with housing. They gave me a list of local landlords and the info for the shelter for young mothers. which was essentially useless to me being 7 months pregnant with 0 dollars to my name. The shelter for young mother states all over their website that they do not deal with victims of dv and that those situations are referred back to incourage. I lived in my car for a few weeks but inevitably ended up back with my abuser. I have contacted them numerous times via email and phone since my son was born and have gotten no responses. The time I went in and met with one of the counselors it was unlike any counselor I’ve ever met. She didn’t seem supportive and showed no emotion as I told her my story balling my eyes out at 8 months pregnant. I got the feeling she thought I was lying? Or because I wasn’t all bruised up maybe I was just blowing things up? It seems like they only like to help the local junkies. I don’t have a single family member or friend In this state. My son has been on every daycare waiting list in a 30 mile radius since I was pregnant with no openings. Guess I’ll just buckle up until my son is in school and I have an opportunity to work I guess lol.