By Melanie Slone
“I was an abused woman. I was abused for 13 years…It took a long time, but I finally left,” Ana Serrano tells North County Informador. She then launched the nonprofit God’s Heart Ministry and its Las Valientes program.
Founded in 2001, the ministry helps “women come out of domestic violence through the legal system.” Women get lost in the system, especially if they don’t speak English, Ana explains. “Our legal system can be very scary and daunting…We help them understand what the laws are here.”
Ana remembers what it’s like to have to get out of an abusive situation and wants to make sure others don’t fall into traps, such as going to notarios, who cannot give legal advice.
“We want the community to have the right information right from the horse’s mouth so that they can move forward in their lives and make the wise decisions for their lives and for their children,” she says.
A Personal Quest
After leaving an abusive relationship and losing her job working with women who needed restraining orders, Ana tells us God guided her to start her nonprofit.
“He brought people around me to help me get it off the ground and start it, and I started helping one woman at a time.” She tapped into her contacts with public health nurses, CPS social workers, and attorneys, who have given her the necessary tools and sent clients her way.
The organization works with some clients without legal status. “We also help them hook up with attorneys and with immigration services, those that do qualify for their papers,” says Ana.
Although most of the clients are women, God’s Heart Ministry also assists men, usually with custody, visitation, and child support. “Sometimes men will come to us because they’re the ones being abused, and they need that restraining order,” she adds. She also notes that 95% of the clients are Latina/o.
Empowerment
“I was an abused woman, so I understand how difficult it is to leave,” Ana tells us. “And then on top of that, legal issues and going to court. It can be overwhelming.” To help clients overcome these feelings, the nonprofit educates them. “We believe that they have to be invested in the process,” she says.
Ana feels the ministry’s clients have been stigmatized. “When other agencies deal with an abused woman, especially an immigrant woman, they deal with her as though she’s stupid,” she says.
“These are very intelligent women… I’m going to treat her like the strong woman that she is, coming out of a terrible situation,” says Ana. “She can do this. …We’re going to help her understand the system, understand the law…it empowers her…and then she’s able to pick herself up and go.”
The ministry, which does not receive grants or government funds, charges a small fee, which Ana believes is part of the journey to empowerment. “If they pay something, it gives them the opportunity to feel as though they’re participating in their own process.”
Ana tells women facing domestic violence, “If you’re ready to leave that situation, or even if you’re thinking of leaving, just know that you are worthy of better in your life.”
Strength in Unity Gala
The Strength in Unity event on October 10 raises money for Maria’s Fund, a pot of money to help clients in need hire an attorney, pay processor fees, or even pay a few nights at a hotel so they can get out of an abusive situation.
Services
Fill out and file a restraining order
Navigate the court system
Accompany clients to court
File for custody or child support
Serve the other party
Refer clients to attorneys
