Empowering Communities

Specific Purpose

Dove Nest Foundation (Thedovenest.org) was founded to help women get out of abusive relationships and into safe secure housing for themselves and their children.  The specific purpose of Dove Nest Foundation is to provide a beacon of hope, and a support network of strength, to help women build a life free from abuse where they can heal and thrive with dignity, safety, security, and empowerment.  Our dove symbolizes peace, hope, and renewal, and the nest symbolizes a safe place for the dove and her offspring.  

For many women who find themselves beaten, abused, manipulated, or trafficked, there is little hope to escape their abuser other than by becoming homeless, living out of a car, or going to acrowded shelter, further traumatizing themselves and their children. Often a woman will stay with an abuser because there is no alternative and no place to go. Her children may suffer just as much as she does from the abuse. If she seeks help, many organizations do not offer any programs to address the psychology of abuse, and women oftentimes go back to their abuser because they do not understand the psychology that traps them in an abusive relationship.

Dove Nest Foundation will tackle these issues through programs to address psychological abuse, mental manipulation, partner violence, sexual abuse, female trafficking, and potential homelessness. We believe in empowering women through helping them to own their own homes and build their own wealth through real estate.  Dove Nest’s goal is to give women the support and knowledge they need to become independent and empowered through pride of ownership in a place where their children can grow up with a sense of permanence and safety.

Dove Nest Foundation plans to provide:

PRESCREENING

Each woman will be thoroughly screened and interviewed by a team of experts to evaluate their needs, assess their finances, and determine if they are a candidate for Dove Nest Foundation services.

SELF AWARENESS SEMINAR AND CLASSES

The program will create educational support groups to help women understand the psychology behind abuse. Psychologists will cover issues like why they were targeted by their abuser and what mental manipulation tactics were used on them.  Oftentimes women are unfamiliar with the tactics that abusers use, such as “Love as a weapon”, “Trauma bonding”, “Gaslighting”, “Self esteem destruction”, “Drugs addiction as control”, and many others.  Having a clear understanding of these psychological dynamics is crucial to end abuse.

PHYSICAL/EMOTIONAL HEALING SERVICES

Dove Nest will refer women to, and pay for, services from medical and psychological professionals and refer them to other supportive organizations such as Narcotics Anonymous and AA to help them escape and heal from their abuse.  We will have a team of professionals to help assist them in their journey to regain balance and health, overseen by our Medical Director.

EMERGENCY HOUSING

The foundation will secure emergency housing for single women and women with children. Dove Nest will use underutilized real estate that is already built and sitting vacant.  Many hotel chains have vacancies every night and would enjoy being promoted as a supporter of women by donating a room for a temporary stay. Airbnb and other rental companies control empty real estate that can house women short term to get them out of dangerous situations fast.  Dove Nest will also solicit women that own houses with vacant rooms to sponsor abused women to stay in a room in their house.

Dove Nest Foundation ultimately aims to obtain real estate to house women in Dove Nest programs, including potentially motels, apartment buildings, or suitable single-family housing. Underperforming properties, commercial properties, and multifamily properties may also be donated to the Foundation.

BASIC NECESSITY ASSISTANCE

Dove Nest Foundation may provide direct financial assistance to meet women’s basic needs such as food and toiletry items

PERMANENT HOUSING

Dove Nest Foundation will allocate resources to get women into their own permanent housing. This will initially involve helping them to secure a new lease, safe and hidden from their abuser, but Dove Nest believes in the ultimate goal of home ownership. Many abused women have good jobs and good credit but lack the capital for a down payment. By addressing the financial barriers that often hinder women from leaving abusive situations we strive to provide them with stability and resources for a fresh start. There are many financial programs available that can be tailored to help single women. Dove Nest will help women utilize programs such as forgivable HUD down payment grants and NACA down payment assistance to women and minorities. We will partner with these program providers to offer help in obtaining housing goals.

JOB SERVICES

Dove Nest Foundation will partner with existing recruiter and job placement services to ensure abused women get on their feet and become financially independent. Many abused women find that they cannot escape violence because they rely on their abuser for income. Some are manipulated into prostitution or other undesirable jobs and Dove Nest can help them find a way out of this form of financial abuse against women. Our team of real estate professionals can mentor women interested in a career in real estate and develop their job skills for a profession that returns them to financial independence.

CREDIT REPAIR SERVICES

We will partner with professionals to teach women about credit ratings and get them on track to fix their credit and become a renter or homeowner.

SECURITY SERVICES

Getting away from an abuser can often be very dangerous. Sometimes women are surveilled or tracked and in danger of having a physical encounter with their abuser. We will partner with companies such as ADT home security services to place cameras around their new residence, and we have partnerships with Private Investigation Services that will remove their digital footprint and help them avoid being traced through cars and phones. We also plan to provide them with a “panic button” bracelet to call security services.  Our security team will protect the woman and involve police as necessary.

FAMILY LAW AND LEGAL SERVICES

Abusers often use children as chess pieces to perpetuate psychological abuse. “I am going to take your baby away” or “I will paint you as an unfit mother” are used to intimidate women lacking knowledge of their legal rights. Dove Nest Foundation will provide legal assistance and expertise to help women counter these threats.

DONATIONS AND AWARENESS

We plan on campaigning, public speaking, developing a social media presence, and event fund-raising in order to gain awareness and donations. We plan on creating an app to keep the public informed and involved in the Foundation’s wins and successes, with updates on social media. We will network with other organizations and women empowerment groups to speak openly about abuse and the steps Dove Nest is taking to tackle these issues. 

We are women for women that can come together to have our voices and our stories heard, and to spread the word about the beautiful things the Foundation does to help women regain their lives after abuse.

Our partners include medical professionals, security agents, licensed counselors, job service companies, real estate professionals, housing assistance, and family law services. 

Over the past year, we have helped over 1,000 individuals in our community improve their mental health and well-being.