Fall River Mother Flees Violent Home to Start New Life [HOLIDAY WISH]

Holiday Wish returns to Fun 107 for the ninth year as we team up with the United Way of Greater New Bedford to help local families in need.

The families selected are dealing with incredibly tough times, and through Holiday Wish Week, we hope to come to their aid and provide a brighter holiday to jumpstart a better year ahead.

Our fourth family of the week comes from Fall River, where a brave woman is looking to rebuild her life with her son after escaping a dangerous living situation.

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Hope’s Story

A woman from Fall River is looking to start over with her 19-year-old son. To protect her identity, let’s call her Hope.

Hope was a domestic violence victim. Back in June, she made the brave decision to leave that tumultuous situation. She lived in her car with her son for a few months and eventually, they sought refuge at a Fall River homeless shelter.

“The situation had just come to a head,” she said. “It was just a big sigh of relief once we were able to leave the situation.”

For Hope, the shelter gave her a supportive environment where she could feel safe and feel heard.

Through all of this, her 19-year-old son has been attending Bristol Community College to become a history teacher. He is on the autism spectrum and has Asperger’s syndrome, but Hope says he was very aware of the tension that was building in their previous home.

In September, Hope started a new job and loves it. She and her son moved into a new apartment about two weeks ago, and their future is looking bright.

Hope had the courage to change her life for the better, but she could use a little help with her fresh start.

How to Help

Hope and her son have found a new place to live, but the space is bare. She and her son are sleeping on air mattresses and there is virtually nothing in the apartment.

Their wish list includes car repairs so Hope can have a reliable car, and apartment furnishings to make their house a home.

Her son loves video games, Legos, and Star Wars.

For Hope, she could use some self-care. This woman went to battle for her and her son’s wellbeing. She has been rebuilding her life for the better, leaving little time to worry about herself. We would love to give Hope a day for herself, involving some pampering and much-needed relaxation.

Hope and her son are an inspiration to us, and we would be ecstatic to help her on her courageous journey.

Text to Donate to Holiday Wish

Text WISHES23 to 26989. You will be sent a United Way e-link that allows you to make a donation via credit card to this family when you select the day and date of which family you wish to help from the drop-down menu.

Donate By Check to Holiday Wish

Make checks payable to the United Way of Greater New Bedford and in the memo line, write HOLIDAY WISH and the day and date of the family you wish to help. Checks can be mailed to United Way of Greater New Bedford, 128 Union St., Suite 105, New Bedford, MA, 02740.

Donate by Credit Card to Holiday Wish

You can make a secure donation to the United Way via credit card here. Select the day and date of the family you wish to help from the "Please Select a Family" drop-down menu.

All of our families are pre-selected through United Way of Greater New Bedford. If you are in need of assistance, please contact United Way directly.