Lutheran Family Services -- Sally endured what no child should: sexual abuse by her father. Authorities put Sally in foster care to make sure she was safe, and she began a long road of therapy. She also met other kids who had gone through the same kind of thing, and that support group helped her begin to heal. Sally’s siblings and mother talked to counselors too, and that’s when the mom was able to admit that she, too, had been molested as a child. Her own violent past made it hard for her to care for her children the way she wanted. But over time, counselors began to see a change in the family. More normal behavior during family visits, and finally "Mom" understood what it meant to truly protect her kids. She divorced her husband who was sent to jail, and she got a better job. Thanks to United Way donors, services are available to help victims of abuse when they need it most…and that could very well break this destructive family cycle.

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