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Amy's Courage Fund
In April 2002, Amy wrote a note and taped it to the inside of her desk drawer. It read "Today Ron Ball and I are romantically involved, but I fear I have placed myself at risk in a variety of ways. Based on his criminal past, writing this out just seems like the smart thing to do. If I am missing or dead this obviously has not protected me... " Two months after writing this note, Amy Latus tragically lost her life to domestic violence.
In conjunction with the release of If I Am Missing or Dead (Simon & Schuster, 2007), the National Network to End Domestic Violence has changed the name of its Direct Assistance Fund to the Amy's Courage Fund.
Amy's Courage Fund is named in honor of Amy Lynne Latus and the many other victims who have suffered in silence.
We all know an Amy -- she's the girl next door, the woman standing in front of you at the grocery store. She's your sister, your mother, your friend, your coworker or maybe even you. It is our hope that the Amy's Courage Fund will help prevent more tragic deaths.
In addition to inflicting physical, psychological and emotional abuse, abusers often financially control their victims — forcing them to quit their jobs, giving minimal allowances to pay for household needs, and taking steps to ruin their credit. As a direct result, many victims lack the financial resources necessary to flee and establish a life free of violence.
The Amy's Courage Fund was established to alleviate the financial constraints that often prevent a victim from escaping abuse. Amy’s Courage Fund provides emergency financial assistance of up to $2,000 to victims of domestic violence and their children to meet their immediate needs after escaping an abusive home.
Since 2003, NNEDV have provided more than $600,000 in emergency financial assistance to families throughout the country, helping them to establish a new life free by paying for:
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Moving and transportation costs for victims who are fleeing, such as plane, train or bus tickets, U-Haul rentals, hotels and other travel expenses;
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Rent and security deposits for new, safe homes;
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Utilities, utility deposits and phone hook-ups;
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Medical expenses such as doctor appointments, medication and prescription eyeglasses;
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Legal fees and expenses for filing for protection orders, custody agreements and divorce;
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Car repairs and transportation needs; and
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Furniture, appliances, clothing and other household needs.
In addition, in times of national crisis - such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita - Amy's Courage Fund extends its emergency grants to domestic violence programs so that they are able to continue providing services in their communities.
To Apply for the Amy's Courage Fund
In order to receive assistance from the Amy's Courage Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (usually a local domestic violence or advocacy program) must apply on behalf of a victim. The organization must contact NNEDV for an application form. Please call (202) 543-5566 or click here.
Please note: NNEDV does not provide crisis services. If you or someone you know is in danger, please contact 911 or your local police. For advocacy, counseling and referral services, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY). All conversations with advocates at the National Hotline are strictly confidential.
You can learn more about Amy at http://www.ifiammissingordead.com/.
Amy's Courage Fund is provided due to the generous support of individuals like you and Altria Group, Inc., Bioelements, the FISA Foundation, Liz Claiborne, Inc., the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation and Simon & Schuster.