According to Genesis Women’s Shelter And Support Senior Director of Development Amy Norton,
“We cannot break the generational cycle of violence without first meeting the physical and emotional needs of each and every child who arrives to Genesis.
“At Genesis Women’s Shelter And Support, we know that abuse is not just physical. It is financial, spiritual, emotional and verbal. Whether or not a child is a direct recipient of the abuse, they are affected. At Genesis, we know children will also be used as pawns in the ‘game of abuse.’ In an effort to control the mother, the abuser may act as the ‘fun’ parent allowing the child to stay up past a healthy bedtime, offer unlimited treats, take them on excessive vacations or talk ill about the mother to the child. While a child may view this as fun, exciting and free, this leaves the abused parent with the exhausting role of enforcing rules and striving to create healthy habits, thus labeling them as the ‘mean’ or ‘non-fun’ parent. This places stress on the bond between child and mother, creating detachment and resentment. The abuser also tells the mother that her children don’t like her, saying they could easily take them away at any time. Not only does this take a pain-staking toll on the mother, but it leaves lasting psychological scars on the child. If the child is a direct recipient of the abuse – no matter what form it takes – the effects are devastating.
“We recognize parenting alongside the abuser is extremely difficult and can cause lasting damage to the family unit, leaving children caught in the middle. Children have very unique therapeutic needs and require a strong mother-child bond to rebuild what violence and trauma has broken.
“Therefore, at Genesis, we will soon add the Children’s Trauma Counseling Center. This child-centered program bridges together counseling and therapeutic methods with family advocacy and legal services. We will provide trauma-informed childcare, sensory, art and expressive counseling, plus an outdoor play space for repetitive movement therapy. These programs will assist in repairing the mother-child bond while healing the child’s trauma caused by abuse.
“Communities Foundation of Texas’ North Texas Giving Day gives our community the opportunity to provide hope and healing to every woman and child who reaches out to Genesis for help. This event has allowed Genesis to raise over $850,000 over the past five years with over 658 donors in 2021 alone. Because of this support, we provide support to over 3500 women and children each year through emergency shelter, master’s-level therapy, on-site school and childcare, legal resources and more.
“We know that every situation is unique; therefore, we offer a holistic continuum of care tailored to each client’s needs. By supporting Genesis, you are supporting these women and children. Our goal is to break the generational cycle of violence to create and sustain an abuse-free future. This starts with our children and continues with your support.”
* Graphic/photo provided by Genesis Women's Shelter and Support ** Photo credit: stock image purchased by Genesis Women's Shelter And Support for web use
Communities Foundation of Texas’ North Texas Giving Day helps build awareness and support for nonprofits like nothing else. In 2021, $66 million was raised through 103,000 donors benefiting over 3,300 local nonprofits, bringing the 13-year total to over $441 million for our community. NTx Giving Day is the largest community-wide giving event in the nation
On Thursday, September 22, support Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support by linking here and spreading the word. #NTxGivingDay