Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Nejdl.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I took the first real step toward starting Families to Freedom in October 2014 after I learned that not all victims of domestic violence can get into the emergency shelter due to a lack of space. The Texas Council on Family Violence reports annually that 39% of callers to domestic violence shelters are turned away. My solution is to use transportation as a way to increase shelter availability.
We expand a victim’s search to facilities in smaller towns across North Texas where there is available shelter space then help that victim get there, and we help shelter clients relocate to family for long-term support thus making their space in shelter available sooner. The result is fewer victims stuck on the streets after an assault, and victims leaving dangerous relationships earlier. Perhaps most surprising is that I am not a survivor myself.
My real passion is in helping women reach their potential and help children grow up in peaceful homes. When women are able to be and do their best, they have the ability to make everything around them better. For mothers, I hope this means raising children who will be less likely to become violent. The core service is car rides to an emergency shelter outside of DFW.
We also provide bus passes to get to family far away, and fuel assistance for victims who are able to drive too far away to safety. For the first six months after receiving our letter of determination from the IRS as an official charity, I began raising funds by talking to anyone and everyone who would listen, I created the framework for our operations and began building a volunteer team.
By October of 2015, there were five volunteers with me and about $5,000 in the bank to launch services. It was a very stressful time, and I was on the road just about every week. But little by little we’ve survived!
Today, they have over 45 volunteer drivers, five crisis line advocates, and a handful of event and fundraising volunteers. The best part is helping over 500 women and children, and the few men victims who call us for help each year.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The first real challenge that persists to even today is finding enough volunteer drivers. I do love being on the road and driving with people to a new place, but my time is increasingly limited to do that. We always need more volunteer drivers willing to go an hour or more, sometimes even a day or more, away with a victim to help her feel safe and recover.
Funding is always needed. We are raising funds enough now to sustain operations in North Texas, but we need more to expand to Houston and other regions across Texas and beyond. Expanding to a new region will be a major challenge that I’m preparing for starting now.
We’re not state or federally funded, we’re not a United Way recipient, and we’re not funded by a church. To date Families to Freedom has sustained services thanks to hundreds of people who see what we do and feel moved to donate.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Families to Freedom – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We are not another shelter. Families to Freedom is changing the game for how victims can become survivors. There is no other nonprofit anywhere in the US what does what we do. We’re an all-volunteer organization fueled by amazing volunteers who see the value in helping victims. Because we’re not a brick and mortar center providing services only in our local area, we’re scalable. Families to Freedom can be in other major cities and serve other regions.
My life’s work will end when Families to Freedom is known to every man, woman, and child in the same way that Habitat for Humanity and the Make-A-Wish Foundation is known to everyone. Part of our successful model are the safety precautions we take to help victims break free. We coach our callers on safely leaving, we require to pick up from a location away from home, our drivers have all passed a criminal background check and a driving record check, and we verify the receiving party, shelter or family, is safe and welcomes her.
Sometimes service is honored the same day a call comes in, especially those who need a ride to emergency shelter across North Texas. Sometimes it takes a day or a week or longer to get someone on their way. The more volunteer drivers we have available, the less victims will wait to go. We’re prepared to assist with travel to shelter up to three hours away, or to a family home anywhere in the lower 48.
We’re proud to be of service for the 500+ women, children and men who need our help each year. We aren’t just a long distance ride. Our clients arrive with dignity and encouragement for a better future. Sometimes they arrive with a cozy blanket and a small gift bag our driver brought to brighten their day for leaving.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We’re looking forward to growth on our team, expanding our advertising of services, so more victims will know we’re here for them, and someday raising enough funds to launch services in other parts of our great state. The future of Families to Freedom is what our supporters make of it. I don’t own this business- we all do!
Donated funds help us keep gas tanks full enough to drive far away and buy bus tickets for new survivors without children, volunteers’ contributions in time and ideas shape our ever-evolving history, and our clients continue to teach us what we’re doing right and what we can do even better.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.familiestofreedom.org
- Phone: 972-885-7020
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/familiestofreedom
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FamiliestoFreedom
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wish4Freedom
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq8Fm56QMkczpEMxBiOc_FQ
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
