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Starting at the age of 5, I was sexually abused almost every weekend by my father’s best friend. And then when I was 9 years old, I was in 4th grade, they had one of those good touch/bad touch presentations and I went to the counselor and said, “That happens to me.” She called my mother and pretty much the next year I was in and out of the courtroom.
I ended up developing a pretty severe eating disorder, and I was a cutter, I would burn myself, I would drink, anything I could do to sort of numb out. But the eating disorder stuck with me. I went to treatment but it didn’t address any of the trauma, it was “let’s get her to a normal weight and we’ll discharge her” so this went on for 12 years.
Through all of this, I always wanted to be a mom, I wanted to have kids and raise them differently, teach them to be strong and break the cycle that happened in my family. So my daughter is 2 and my son is 4 and I think I already have so far. And now what I do every day is help other women break the cycle with their children. I survived my past and I’ve been moving on with my future.
I have collected seaglass from all over the country. People throw their bottles away and they break and they are like these sharp glass shards, and it represents people that have been victimized – people that have been abused- they are broken, they are sharp, and they get beat up. Through the years the sea glass is banged against the rocks, and the waves, and everything, and it comes out and it ends up being really beautiful. And no piece is ever the same. I just feel like it represents my story, it represents a journey.
HAVEN serves women, men, children, and all people of marginalized genders and identities affected by domestic and sexual violence. HAVEN is the largest violence prevention and support services agency in NH. The need to eliminate domestic and sexual violence, while supporting individuals and families, is greater than ever. Your support will help us better serve Rockingham and Strafford Counties, ultimately making the Greater Seacoast a safer place to live.
At HAVEN, our goal is to prevent violence from happening in the first place, in addition to supporting kids and families who have experienced trauma.
Going classroom to classroom, our Educators use age-appropriate, interactive curricula to engage students K-12 in conversations about personal body safety, boundaries, consent, and how to seek help from a trusted adult. HAVEN’s Prevention Education program strives to make our community a safer place by changing mindsets and empowering the next generation.
Invite HAVEN to talk to your group, business, faith community, class or club. HAVEN also attends health and wellness fairs, community wide events, and volunteer events. For more information please call the main office 603-436-4107.
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HAVEN serves Rockingham and Strafford counties, located on the traditional ancestral homeland of Pentucket, Pennacook, Abenaki and Wabanaki Peoples of past and present who were displaced through the 1713 Treaty of Portsmouth. We acknowledge and honor with gratitude the aki (land), nibi (water), and alnobak (people) who have stewarded the N’dakinna (homeland) throughout the generations and continue to be oppressed. While these tribes are not federally recognized, we believe in their right to sovereignty.
HAVEN does not and shall not discriminate based on race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin (ancestry), physical, mental or emotional ability or disability, marital status, sexual orientation, health status (including pregnancy), literacy, language, immigration status, socio-economic status, political affiliation, or military status.
We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all.
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