Samantha’s story

After several years of marriage, Brad, Samantha’s husband and high school sweetheart, accused her of cheating on him. To quell his doubts and prove her love, Samantha gave into his unreasonable demands. He told her what to wear, who she could visit, how to spend her time, and how much money she could spend. Brad took control of all the family finances. Samantha was not allowed to see bank or credit card statements and had no say in the family's budget.

Brad eventually forced her to quit her job, locked her in the house all day, and took the telephone with him. After 10 years of marriage, Samantha left him. She now faces the challenge of rebuilding her professional skills. The Allstate Foundation Domestic Violence Program is helping women like Samantha.

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Lisa’s story

Lisa left her live-in boyfriend after years of verbal, emotional and financial abuse. Her boyfriend used to drive her everywhere in order to maintain control of her actions. To get her life back on track, she saved money to buy a new car so that she could find a job and move about freely for the first time in years. The same day Lisa brought her car home from the dealer, her ex slashed its tires and poured sugar in the gas tank – before she was able to secure insurance.

Lisa is devastated. There are no public transportation options in her town, and she was fired from her last job for missing too many days
of work due to a lack on transportation. The Allstate Foundation Domestic Violence Program is helping women like Lisa.

Diane’s story

Diane was a bright student who dreamed of going to college. Instead, she worked during the early years of her marriage to put her husband, James, through school. After he received his degree, James refused to let her work any longer – or attend college herself. He became increasingly more violent toward her. One night, he beat her in front of their children because she had not prepared the chicken dinner he had requested earlier that day. She was rushed to the hospital by ambulance.

After talking with a domestic violence advocate in the hospital, Diane returned home to be with her children. But with the advocate’s help, she developed a plan to attend a local community college part–time. She wanted to take classes to broaden her future employment options. James agreed to let her take classes, but he taunted her and insisted she wasn’t bright enough to get into college. He refused to pay the application fees. He told her it was a waste of money, because no college would ever accept her. The Allstate Foundation Domestic Violence Program is helping women like Diane.

Blanca’s story

For years, Blanca – an immigrant from El Salvador – was brutally beaten by her husband. As a result, she has permanent hip damage and cannot walk properly. She is now in a shelter for survivors of domestic violence. Although she has escaped her husband’s physical abuse, she has not escaped the economic abuse. Her husband has disappeared, and Blanca has no source of income.

She is now taking English classes and plans to enroll in a nursing assistant program so she can earn a livable wage. The Allstate Foundation Domestic Violence Program is helping women like Blanca.

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