About Us
Learn about Thrive After Domestic Violence, our mission, and our commitment to helping survivors of domestic violence thrive.
Based in Texas, we are dedicated to providing support and resources to those in need.
Our Story
The average stay at an emergency homeless shelter is 60 days, while the average length of time it takes a homeless family to secure housing is 6-10 months. Thrive After Domestic Violence is committed to bridging this gap and providing crucial support to survivors.
The idea for Thrive After Domestic Violence has been in the making since 2013. Thrive’s Principal Founder, Doreen Hunter, first thought ot the idea as an event in Austin, Texas. The event was called “Austin’s Largest Baby Shower.” The Shower helped families who needed baby supplies, clothing, furniture, and diapers. The event was held annually until Doreen was unable to continue due to her health declining from her abuser’s war waged against her and their weaponization of the family court system. While in several DV therapy programs and watching her daughter struggle during court ordered visitation, Austin's Largest Baby Shower had to end. Doreen's focus on surviving legal abuse, financial and economic abuse went to the forefront.
A History of Helping
Over the years, while Doreen Hunter was trying to remove herself from forced poverty, she became an advocate for other mothers and children trying to escape abuse and survive the grasp of post-separation abuse. As an advocate, Doreen would often hear of survivors in need financially. While trying to make ends meet for her family, she continued to put money aside for people needing emergency transportation, groceries, and housing. It wouldn’t be beyond Doreen to take food out of her own fridge and pantry and deliver it to families who didn’t have enough. Often Doreen would give people rides to work or fill her SUV with protective mothers’ belongings when they couldn’t afford a rental truck to move.
Inspired by Experience
In 2017, when her rent was raised beyond what she could afford, Doreen was facing homelessness. At that time, local domestic violence organizations did not offer affordable housing programs that were preventative. Most required applicants to become homeless first. Assistance was found in the disability community providing Doreen and her family with affordable housing. This is when the second half of Thrive After DV was inspired. Doreen became committed to building an affordable community housing program that would assist women like her to recover from and avoid homelessness.
“Coercive control is a gateway to physical violence. A high percentage of people who engage in coercive control will eventually resort to physical violence.” - Doreen Hunter, A New Frontier In Domestic Violence Prevention: Coercive Control Bans, Ms. Magazine, November 24, 2020
Help survivors thrive after domestic violence.