Embrace Your Voice

HAVEN celebrated it's 40th anniversary of service in November, 2024. HAVEN has had the opportunity of supporting thousands of survivors and their families over the last 40 years of operation. To commemorate this milestone, we want to hear from YOU!

If HAVEN (formally known as the Tioga County Women's Coalition) has helped you or someone you love, we want to hear your story - and we want to share it with our supporters! We are looking for survivors from each of our 40 years of service who wish to share their story anonymously.

Ideally, submissions should be about 1-3 paragraphs in length; however, there is no "word limit" and we encourage each survivor to share what they find most impactful, no matter the length of the submission. Stories can be shared via the form below or sent via email to: jennifer@havenoftiogacounty.org - we hope to hear from you!

Submissions will be shared on our website as well as our social media platforms. For safety reasons, all submissions are shared anonymously.

Read Stories Here:

I had no prior understanding of the cycle of abuse and what it really looked like until my mom reached out to Haven and provided me with some pamphlets. Suddenly, I was shocked by how the info aligned with my experiences. This validation and new understanding prompted me to reach out to the attorney at haven to secure a no-contact agreement with my abuser which supported my criminal charges against him in court. More importantly, it helped me begin my healing journey, including therapeutic sessions for my PTSD, and letting go of the shame I had internalized from myself, and others who didn’t understand and support me. Haven helped me get my life back, and I was inspired to help others the same way. Years later, after college, I became a counselor and legal advocate to other victims for a time. I feel strongly about their cause and those like them.

10 years ago your organization helped me change my life. You helped me learn my value, and you've taught me how to share my value with others and help them see their own. 10 years later my life looks completely different I've been in a healthy relationship for 8 years, I have a beautiful family, and now I'm pursuing a new career and direction. Without the healing that HAVEN helped provide, I don't believe that I would be the woman that I am today. If someone reading this story is in the center of abuse, you are worth so much more and HAVEN can help you.

I was a Board member at the time that the name was changed. (The 80’s, I think) Also, this organization was first “housed” at the First United Methodist Church, Mansfield. I worked for Head Start for many years & witnessed women who reached out to HAVEN for support. The services provided them were so valuable! Thank you all for what you do.

Haven helped me get out of a domestic violence case back in 2020 they help me and my daughter get to safe area and made sure we were safe they also helped with putting like a harassment on my daughters father we are now 3 years out and she is so much happier