ORLANDO, Fla. — Throughout the pandemic, advocates for domestic violence survivors have had to get creative to help people fleeing their abusers.

Harbor House of Central Florida, a nonprofit providing shelter and support for survivors of domestic violence, expanded its Courage Closet program last summer. The Courage Closet operates out of three locations, offering survivors access to essential items like food, shampoo and diapers. 

The closet is open to anyone being assisted by the nonprofit, whether they fled their abuser or are working on a way out. It also provides advocates with another opportunity to see whether a survivor is physically OK. 

"They're able to say, 'I’m just running into the store,' and instead they’re coming here to see their advocate, which is fantastic," said Harbor House CEO Michelle Sperzel.

“It gives (survivors) the ability to be able to save some additional money,” she added. “It might be that they’re saving money so that they can leave. It might be that they’re saving money so they can put it towards something else.” 

For Kristen Nicole Adams, it was the latter. She began using the Courage Closet while she was staying at the shelter, after escaping her abusive husband. 

She said the closet provided her with day-to-day items most people take for granted.

“To have access to things like that — not only do you have it because it’s a necessity, but you start to feel a little bit better about yourself,” she explained.

Adams said she grew especially close with one of the advocates running the closet.

“If you have a bad face, she’d be like, ‘Come here, I have something for you,’” she said, explaining that sometimes meant food, a coloring book or a journal. “I can’t tell you how many things I still have in my house from the Courage Closet because I refuse to part ways with it.”

Sperzel said the Courage Closet helps around 40 to 50 families every month. 

The help comes at a time when crisis hotline calls are up more than 60% from this time last year, said Harbor House Spokesperson Michele Plant Kroupa.

Nearly 3,600 calls were reported from July 2020 to February 2021, compared to nearly 5,780 calls from July 2021 through February of this year. 

Harbor House’s 24/7 crisis hotline can be called or texted at 407-886-2856.