Help victims flee domestic violence & restore hope

Moving with Compassion for 29 Years

Celebrating 29 Years of Compassion, Advocacy, and Empowerment

With the arrival of fall, Fresh Spirit Wellness for Women, Inc. (FSWW) celebrated 29 years of equipping, educating, encouraging, and empowering victims and survivors of domestic violence, intimate partner violence (IPV), family violence (FV), and sexual assault (SA).

For nearly three decades, FSWW has met survivors in the midst of crisis, helping them navigate immediate challenges, access essential resources, coordinate care, and take meaningful steps toward restoring their health, wholeness, and independence.

This milestone represents far more than the number of years we have served. It represents the survivors who have entrusted us with their stories, the families whose lives have been touched by our work, and the community partners, donors, and supporters who have helped make these new beginnings possible.

During Grant Year 2025–2026, which concluded September 30, 2026, FSWW remained steadfast in its commitment to serving survivors with compassion, dignity, and practical support. Guided by each survivor’s most urgent needs, Team FSWW helped address essentials such as safety, food, shelter, and clothing while providing relocation assistance and opportunities for continued healing through our Next Level Support Group Series.

As we celebrate 29 years of service, our mission remains clear: to help women and families throughout the Houston community move toward safety, healing, stability, and independence—one person, one family, and one new beginning at a time.

The Fresh Spirit Way: Compassion in Action

One of the most meaningful moments of the grant year involved assisting a woman with a disability who was experiencing family violence and needed to transition out of her home. Given her circumstances, she needed more than a referral. She needed compassionate, hands-on support to help her take the next step toward safety and independence.

Team FSWW stepped in to help move her belongings and support her transition into her own apartment, where she could begin a new chapter with greater security, stability, and peace of mind.

For this survivor, receiving the keys to her apartment represented far more than a new address. It represented freedom, hope, and the opportunity to begin again. Her experience reflects the heart of the Fresh Spirit Way: meeting survivors where they are and walking alongside them as they move toward a safer future.

Throughout Grant Year 2025–2026, FSWW also provided $30,000 in emergency financial assistance to survivors and their children, helping ease immediate hardships and remove barriers to safety and stability. This assistance included:

• Food and clothing for families experiencing basic-needs insecurity.
• Rental assistance to help prevent evictions and rental deposits to secure safe housing.
• Utility payments to prevent service disconnections.
• Vehicle repairs to help survivors maintain reliable transportation to work.
• Furniture to help families establish comfortable, functional living spaces.
• Laptops to support educational and employment needs.
• Transportation to and from social service and medical appointments.
• Emergency hotel stays, relocation expenses, and other urgent needs.

Every intervention represented an opportunity to reduce a barrier, restore a measure of stability, and help a survivor take the next step forward. FSWW remains committed to providing thoughtful, individualized assistance that addresses immediate crises and the practical challenges that can stand between survivors and lasting independence.

Sharing Compassion Beyond Our Walls

The FSWW spirit of giving extended into the broader community as well. Following the overwhelming generosity of clothing donors during FSWW’s Pre-Mother’s Day Pop-Up Boutique in May 2026, Dr. Conte Terrell and Team FSWW shared the surplus clothing with two women's programs.

By extending these donations to partner organizations, FSWW helped meet the ongoing need for clothing among women seeking assistance and ensured that our supporters’ generosity could reach even more individuals in need.

Moving Forward: Healing & Empowerment Support Groups

Safety is a critical first step, but healing is an ongoing journey. Through FSWW’s Next Level Support Group Series, survivors participated in Trauma Recovery and Healing & Empowerment aftercare sessions designed to foster connection, self-awareness, resilience, and personal growth.

These welcoming, supportive spaces allowed participants to reflect on their experiences, share insights, learn practical coping strategies, and explore what it means to move beyond survival toward healthier, more fulfilling lives.

During the grant year, our discussions included two thought-provoking themes:

“READY TO MOVE FORWARD... SO WHY AM I STILL STUCK?”

“My past can be in the rearview mirror without being in control of the wheel.”

This session encouraged survivors to explore the experiences and emotions that may keep them feeling connected to the past while identifying healthier ways to reclaim their direction and move forward with intention.

“NO MORE AUTOPILOT: Choosing Healing Over Survival Mode”

“Just because something helped me survive doesn't mean it has to lead me anymore.”

This conversation focused on recognizing survival behaviors developed in response to trauma and understanding that, while those behaviors may once have been necessary, new choices can create space for healing, confidence, and personal growth.

Through these gatherings, survivors are reminded that healing does not have to happen alone. Each session offers opportunities for encouragement, connection, reflection, and growth in an environment where participants can be heard and supported without judgment.

Grant Year Impact: During Grant Year 2025–2026, FSWW facilitated 49 support group sessions, with 420 total client participations, providing opportunities for survivors to strengthen their voices, build healthier perspectives, and continue their journeys toward healing and empowerment.

Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Remembering, Honoring, and Standing Together

In October 2026, FSWW joined community members and advocates in recognizing Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) by participating in the annual Remembrance, Caring and Hope Candlelight Vigil.

United in heart and purpose, survivors, advocates, community partners, and other supporters gathered to honor the lives lost to domestic violence and stand alongside loved ones whose lives have been forever changed by its impact. The vigil provided a meaningful opportunity to remember, reflect, and reaffirm our collective responsibility to raise awareness and ensure survivors can access the support and resources they need.

Team FSWW also participated in Santa Maria Hostel’s Faith in Action Breakfast. As a longtime community partner, FSWW has supported Santa Maria Hostel residents through counseling and support groups, reinforcing our shared commitment to care, healing, and empowerment.

These community connections reflect an important part of our work: building partnerships that strengthen the network of support available to survivors and families throughout the Houston area.

Grant Year 2025–2026: The Impact Behind the Numbers

Behind every number is a person, a family, and a story deserving of care, dignity, and hope. As FSWW closed Grant Year 2025–2026 on September 30, 2026, we reflected on the reach of our services and the many ways our team helped survivors navigate crisis and move toward greater stability.

Our grant year at a glance:

• 691 unduplicated clients served across FSWW programs.
• 6,000+ total service hours provided to support survivors and their families.
• 413 enrolled clients received 3,177 hours of crisis counseling/therapy.
• 110 clients received assistance navigating the legal process in obtaining protective orders and filing for divorce, assistance with filing crime victim compensation applications, child custody matters & court accompaniment.
• 1,198 hotline calls answered, connecting individuals with support, information, and resources.
• 291 clients received over 1,200+ hours of case management services that helped survivors develop individualized safety plans, navigate housing placement, access social services, and receive transportation or accompaniment to appointments. Clients also received referrals and emergency assistance for needs such as rent, food, medication, utilities, clothing, furniture, and transportation. Additional support included hotel accommodations through FSWW’s Safe Night Program and other emergency relocation assistance.

These figures represent more than services delivered. They reflect the time, care, advocacy, and resources invested in helping survivors address immediate challenges while working toward safer, more stable futures.

Moving Forward Together

This grant year reminded us that moving forward looks different for every survivor. For one woman, it meant leaving an unsafe environment and receiving the keys to an apartment of her own. For another, it may have meant attending a support group, recognizing a pattern that no longer serves her, asking for help, or finding the courage to take one more step toward healing.

Every step matters!

As FSWW celebrates 29 years of service, we are deeply grateful for our partnership with GlobalGiving and for the generous donors and supporters who make this work possible. Your support helps us provide compassionate advocacy, counseling, support groups, emergency financial assistance, relocation services, and other essential resources to survivors of domestic and family violence.

Because of this generosity, survivors have access to more than referrals. They have access to people who listen, advocates who help navigate difficult circumstances, and practical assistance that can make a safer future possible.

Thank you for standing with Fresh Spirit Wellness for Women and the individuals and families we serve. Together, we continue to move with compassion—one survivor, one family, and one new beginning at a time.

To protect the confidentiality, privacy, and safety of the survivors we serve, photographs included in this report are limited.

Upcoming Initiatives: Campaign 29 & Our 22nd Annual Christmas Toy Drive

Campaign 29: Sustaining the Mission

As FSWW continues to navigate financial challenges that threaten the continuity of its free services for survivors of domestic violence, intimate partner violence, family violence, and sexual assault, we have launched Campaign 29 in honor of our 29 years of service.

Every day, individuals experience abuse in intimate partner and family relationships. Survivors need access to compassionate support, safety planning, advocacy, and essential resources when they are ready to seek help. FSWW remains committed to being present on the ground, helping bridge critical gaps in services and ensuring that financial barriers do not stand in the way of seeking safety.

Through Campaign 29, we invite our community of supporters to help sustain this mission and protect access to the free services survivors depend on. Every contribution helps strengthen our ability to respond when help is needed most.

Spreading Holiday Joy: Our 22nd Annual Christmas Toy Drive

With the holiday season approaching, Team FSWW is rallying our community to help make Christmas brighter for the children of the courageous survivors we serve.

Our 22nd Annual Christmas Toy Drive will take place on December 19, 2026, and we are preparing to fill our giant Christmas toy bags with gifts, love, hope, and joy.

We invite you to participate by donating through our Amazon Christmas Toy Drive registry:

https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/2OBAAE7P8VH0U

Your generosity can bring a smile to a child's face and offer families a moment of comfort and celebration amid life's challenges.

There is something truly heartwarming about seeing a child's face light up with excitement—the simple joy of receiving a gift, feeling remembered, and experiencing a moment of peace and happiness.

Together, we can help create those moments and remind these children that they are seen, valued, and loved.

Thank you for helping Fresh Spirit Wellness for Women continue moving with compassion throughout the holidays and all year long.

Links:

• FSWW's Joy with a Toy Wish List

• 2026 Remembrance, Caring & Hope Candlelight Vigil (PDF)