ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Domestic violence calls have increased during the pandemic in part because victims are home all day with their abusers. But one woman escaped with her infant and the clothes on her back and fled from Warren County to St. Louis for help.
Nicole Hughes, YWCA Director of Program Operations says an emergency COVID-19 grant from the United Way of Greater St. Louis has enabled them to put victims up in a safe location the same day they get away.
This victim, known as Cassie had a small window to leave when she called the rapid rehousing helpline.
"She indicated with the intake worker that she had a window of opportunity to leave, so we immediately got her here to our location," Hughes says.
Hughes says the woman had no time to prep or pack saying all she could do was flee. She got away with flip flops and a few things in a diaper bag but left everything else including her purse, behind.
With the grant, the YWCA was able to buy a crib for the baby and some clothing and other essentials for mom and the baby. The YWCA support team also had to work to replace her personal documents including her driver's license, social security cards and her child's birth certificate, all of which were made more difficult because the pandemic has closed state offices. But Hughes says the support team works miracles and has already helped the victim get a job and find an apartment.
The YWCA puts domestic violence victims in hotel rooms because that allows the women to leave more quickly and not have to wait for a bed to open up in a shelter.
Hughes explains that what it takes to leave an abusive partner takes courage but is different for each victim who come to that moment with different reasons. But she believes that knowing that they will have safety, security and trust even over the phone with the staff at the YWCA, makes them feel they have someone who will be there for them when they do escape and try to rebuild their lives.