NOW RISING
A WAY THROUGH, NOT JUST OUT
A nonprofit in its founding year.
Now Rising provides end-to-end holistic solutions; housing, nutrition, mental health care, and financial independence to help women safely exit domestic
abuse and rebuild lives that are truly their own.
WHY I BUILT THIS
I know why she stays.
I am a domestic abuse survivor.
I didn't leave because I knew what leaving would cost me. No money. No safety net. Just me, and a plan I couldn't afford to make.
Underneath that was something harder to say out loud. I believed my worth was in line with the abuse I was receiving. I thought that was what I deserved.
Housing, food, and money are real barriers. So is that belief. Now Rising exists to address both, together, so no woman has to choose between safety and survival. That's also why mental health is one of our four pillars, not an add-on. Tangible support gets her out. Rebuilding her confidence and her sense of worth is what helps her stay out, and keep going. It's the same reason I built the NOW Rising community: to give women not just the resources,
but the belief that they're worth using them on.
— Katie Mares, Founder
The Model
Four pillars. One coordinated path to stability.
Honesty
Mirror Moments
Real change starts with an honest look at the thoughts you've been avoiding, the patterns you've gotten used to carrying or the story about yourself that's gotten old.
You can't walk away from what you won't first look at.
Community
What You Hide Grows. What You Expose Loses Its Grip.
Everyone is carrying something and isolation is where that something grows quietly in the dark. Transformation doesn't happen alone — it happens in community —in rooms where the goal is to rise together.
New Patterns
Replace It, or You'll Repeat It
Freedom isn't just letting go — it's replacing what you're releasing with something new, on purpose. Making NOW Non-negotiable, daring to do differently and stepping out of comfort is where the next version of you is waiting.
Transitional and longer-term safe housing through owned units and partnerships with housing providers, landlords, and shelters.
Housing
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Housing navigation & move-in support
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Safety planning coordination
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Typical support window: 6–24 months
Mental Health
Trauma-informed counseling delivered through licensed clinicians and formal referral partnerships, plus ongoing case management.
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Trauma-informed care model
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Support groups & continuity planning
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Licensed clinical partners
Consistent access to food and essential daily needs through partnerships with food banks and
community organizations.
Nutrition
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Emergency groceries & meal support
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Budget-friendly nutrition coaching
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Community food-partner network
Finacial Independance
Financial education and coaching that builds real, lasting self-sufficiency after crisis has passed.
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Budgeting, banking & credit education
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Benefits navigation
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Employment readiness resources
Why NOW Rising?
Domestic violence survivors face compounding barriers that cannot be solved in isolation. Now Rising bridges critical service gaps by delivering coordinated, outcomes-driven support that funders can trust, partners can integrate with, and women can rely on to build safe, independent futures.