Help Rescue 500 Battered Women And Their Children

Giselle has been desperately waiting to escape her abuser with her daughter Amber. Travel restrictions and her abuser working from home during the pandemic made it nearly impossible for Giselle to flee back to the USA for safety. As the abuse escalated, Giselle began to think she would never make it home with Amber.

Amber was terrified of her father. She begged Giselle to take her to Nana's and Papy's house back in the USA.

Our email advocate spent much of 2021 and early 2022 communicating with Giselle providing the only life-line of hope available. Finally they were able to formulate a plan to help her and Amber escape the abuse and return to the USA.

Here is part of an email from Giselle: "Without Kate (Pathways victim advocate) I don't know how I would have made it through the past year. Her words of encouagement are all I had left at times. Amber and I are settling back into a "normal" life. I don't have the words to express how thankful I am."

Supporters like you make this work possible. We can't thank you enough for believing in our mission!

The Pathways Team

Without a doubt 2021 continued to be a challenging year for all of us. The pandemic has spanned almost two years. It has changed the way we work, how we live, how our children go to school, kept us in isolation and often plunged us into financial hardship.

For battered American women & children abroad isolation at home with the abuser, abuse has increased an estimated 20%-50%. Providing support is difficult with the majority of support being conducted via email.

Despite all the obstacles, because of donations like yours, we have still had some good outcomes this year. Pathways advocates are still available via email and we have successfully assisted 78 victims with safety planning, resources and logistics to be able to escape. With borders opening on and off, some victims have been able to escape. But most have not.

Once we pass this pandemic, we are expecting a surge of victims seeking assistance in 2022. As always, Pathways will be available to assist in any way we can.

Thank you and we wish you and your families happiness, health and prosperity as we enter a New Year.

The Pathways Team

Ava began emailing Pathways this past summer. She was desperate to escape her abuser in Lithuania. Her baby daughter was only months old and her abusive husband began threatening to harm the baby. He had been emotionally and physically abusive to Ava, but she wasn't going to let it happen to her daughter.

Travel was restricted due to covid and she felt there was no hope. A Pathways email advocate was able to provide Ava with much needed information, resources and a safety plan. Over several months, a Pathways' advocate kept in communication with Ava helping her through her crisis.

With financial help of her parents in the USA, and support from Pathways, Ava and her daughter recently escaped and are safely back home.

It's donations like yours that ensure we have ongoing email support and advocacy to victims of violence abroad. Thank you!

The Pathways Team

Christina emailed Pathways desperately seeking help. She was being abused by her husband in Brazil. With covid travel restricted and her husband working from home she was trapped.

Christina's husband didn't allow her to go out of the house without her daughter, monitored her every move and constantly criticized and insulted her.

One night he became physically violent, strangling Christina while her daughter watched. Christina was terrified. She read that strangulation is a main indicator of possible lethality.

A Pathways' advocate was able to email Christina resources and help her formulate a safety plan and an escape plan including travel logistics.

Christina and her daughter are now back in the USA thanks to donors like you who condtinue to support our mission. We truly thank you for your support.

Paula Lucas

Founder

Greta first began emailing our crisis email in January. She and her baby are living in Germany with her husband. Her husband's abuse includes insults, threats and physical violence and is becoming intolerable.

With the pandemic locking down borders Greta was worried she would not make it home alive with her baby. A Pathways' advocate did extensive safety planning via email with Greta to keep them safer until travel back to the USA was possible and when it was safe for her to try to escape.

With the help of Greta's family, a plan is in place to have Greta back home safely by the end of March.

Without your donations we would not be able to provide the long term safety planning, advocacy and emotional support to American victims suffering with abuse abroad. A horrible situation that has been exacerbated by the pandemic.

We truly appreciate your support.

The Pathways' Team