“Leticia” was connected with the NEWS Help Line late one Friday night. She needed a safe place to go after her partner became violent, and who had fled the scene. She’d only been in Napa a few months and had no family or support system nearby.

At the time, the NEWS Shelter was at full capacity and had no beds available. Luckily, because of our N-SAFE Program (NEWS - Shelter Alternatives for Emergencies), we had funds available to get Leticia a safe and confidential hotel room for the weekend, until a longer-term solution was available.

Within an hour of calling the NEWS Help Line, Leticia was settling into a hotel. She had left with only the clothes on her back, so we provided her emergency clothing, toiletries, and food. Her abuser had also broken her cell phone during the fight, so we provided her with an emergency go-phone so she could contact her family.

Throughout the weekend, Leticia stayed in touch with NEWS advocates via the Help Line as she processed everything that had happened. She knew very quickly that she did not want to return to her home in Napa. Her adult children who lived out of state were coming to pick her up, but would not be arriving for a few more days.

We were able to extend Leticia’s hotel stay a little longer until her children arrived. We helped the family work with the police so Leticia could safely retrieve her belongings from the home before heading out with her kids.

Leticia checked back with NEWS Shelter staff a few weeks later. She was living with her daughter and had been able to return to the job she’d had before she came to Napa. She was feeling hopeful about her future and wanted to express how grateful she was that we had been there for her in her time of need.