Our Story
Henry’s Heroes was created from a mother’s greatest heartbreak and a promise to make sure that heartbreak could bring hope to someone else.
My youngest son, Henry, was only 16 years old when his life was tragically taken by his father while he was sleeping. There are no words that can truly explain what it feels like to lose a child, especially in such a devastating way. Henry should have had a lifetime ahead of him. He should have grown up, experienced life, made memories, and had the opportunity to become the man he was meant to be.
Instead, I was left with a pain that I will carry for the rest of my life.
But somewhere within that pain, I found a purpose.
Before losing Henry, I had experienced domestic violence myself. I know what it feels like to live in fear. I know what it feels like to wonder how you are going to leave, where you will go, and how you will protect yourself and your children. I know how frightening it can be to walk away from controlling manipulation and try to build a safe life from the ground up. That experience is a part of why Henry’s Heroes exists today.
I created Henry’s Heroes of Wisconsin because survivors deserve more than simply a safe place to sleep for a few nights. They deserve a real opportunity to rebuild their lives.
Leaving an abusive home is often only the first step.
A survivor may leave a shelter with hope and courage, but then face an entirely different set of challenges when they receive the keys to a new home. They may have very little furniture. They may not have enough household supplies. They may need clothing, personal care items, food, transportation assistance, or other necessities. They may be trying to care for their children while searching for employment, finding permanent housing, paying bills, and trying to regain their independence. That is where Henry’s Heroes wants to be for them.
We want to help survivors and their families not only while they are seeking safety in shelters, but also when they are finally given the opportunity to start over.
Because having a new address does not automatically mean life suddenly becomes easy.
Sometimes a family simply needs someone to help them stay afloat long enough to find solid ground.
Henry’s Heroes is about helping fill those gaps.
Our mission is to provide practical support, essential items, resources, and assistance that can help survivors move forward with dignity and hope. We want to help make the transition from surviving to rebuilding a little less overwhelming.
I know I cannot bring Henry back.
I cannot give him the future that was taken from him.
But I can take the love I will always have for my son and use it to help create a future for someone else.
Every time Henry’s Heroes helps a survivor or family, Henry’s love and life continue to make a difference.
Every donation can become something a survivor desperately needs.
Every volunteer can become part of someone’s journey toward safety.
Every shelter we support gives us another opportunity to reach someone who may feel forgotten.
Every person who shares our mission helps us reach someone who may not know where to turn.
This is why Henry’s Heroes matters so deeply to me.
This is not simply an organization.
This is my way of turning unimaginable loss into something meaningful.
This is my way of keeping Henry’s memory alive by helping others.
And this is my promise that although Henry’s life was taken far too soon, his name will always be part of saving, supporting, and changing lives.
No survivor should have to choose between escaping violence and having the basic necessities their family needs.
No mother should have to wonder how she will keep her children safe and still put food on the table.
No family starting over should feel like they have to do it completely alone.
At Henry’s Heroes, we want survivors to know that they matter. Their lives matter. Their children matter. Their future matters.
We want to help them find more than safety.
We want to help them find stability.
We want to help them find hope.
We want to help them believe that starting over really is possible.
Henry’s story ended far too soon.
But his legacy does not have to.
For Henry.
For every survivor searching for safety.
For every family trying to begin again.
For every child who deserves to grow up without fear.
This is Henry’s Heroes of Wisconsin.
Turning heartbreak into hope.
Turning survival into strength.
Helping families find their way home.