Thanks to a very generous donation of $400,000 from the Sarah B. Foulke Charitable Fund, Wellspring has been able to ensure privacy and specialized services and programs for domestic abuse and sexual assault survivors at our new Sarah B. Foulke Support Center, a dedicated wing of our new building in Malta.
The new Sarah B. Foulke Support Center space has already proven to be critically important for victims of abuse. The Center has equipped us to meet an increased demand for services, as the number of domestic violence incidents in Saratoga County in 2021 rose 22% over the five-year average, according to the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office.
Wellspring’s services include meeting with clients at the Support Center for safety planning, legal advocacy, and financial and other counseling to assist domestic abuse survivors in building a future free of fear and abuse.
That’s where Sarah B. Foulke comes in: Sarah was a Saratoga Springs attorney and a dedicated, courageous, and caring woman who loved this community. As a member of Soroptimist International of Saratoga County, Sarah volunteered for Project Hope and Power, Wellspring’s financial literacy program designed to help clients learn how to be financially independent.
Sarah Foulke helped pioneer this program because she understood financial constraints are a leading factor in preventing victims from leaving an abusive relationship.
Wellspring’s Project Hope and Power supports victims (and their children) when they need to leave their homes. The program gives them money-management skills so they can run a household budget and provide for their children. It shows clients how to pay off debt accumulated by their abusers in their name, how to apply for a car loan or mortgage, how to set up a retirement account for their future, and more.
“After experiencing multiple incidents of abuse, I was stuck between staying with my abuser to financially support my two children, or leaving without any source of income. Wellspring helped.” – Grateful Wellspring Client
Victims of abuse often come to Wellspring during times of crisis. During meetings they share deeply personal aspects of their lives during a difficult, vulnerable, and very emotional time. Wellspring’s Support Center offers comfortable, safe and soundproof rooms for these conversations AND ample room for critically important programs like Project Hope and Power.
Everyone at Wellspring extends a huge thank you to the Sarah B. Foulke Charitable Fund for making this transformational gift possible. It is an honor for all of us to work in a space representative of Sarah’s legacy.
Anyone who finds themselves in need of Wellspring’s services can call our phone hotline 24 hours per day, seven days a week, on 518-584-8188.
24/7 Free and Confidential Hotline
