LiNC: Building Confidence, Strength

Finding the strength to move forward after domestic violence can be overwhelming. That’s why the YWCA’s LiNC program — Living in New Circumstances — exists.

Through a series of supportive classes, women regain confidence and reclaim their power.

Eighteen women walked into LiNC classes in 2024, each with unique challenges and strengths.

One was Vanessa*. She had silently endured more than a decade of abuse without ever calling 9-1-1. Then her partner’s violence escalated to strangulation. She feared for her life.

A CPS caseworker recommended she look into LiNC. Vanessa showed up with two black eyes and a broken tooth, afraid to walk to her bike alone after class. But she was vulnerable and ready to heal.

“As I got to know Vanessa,” said LiNC Director Andraya Anderson, “I saw an amazing mom with amazing children. She didn’t have a car, but somehow she still made it to all of her kids’ school activities!”

Vanessa began to believe in herself again and found strength in a supportive community.
“In LiNC,” Andraya said, “each woman can feel safe, cry, and work on regaining the power that was taken away from them.”

*Not her real name