The Hope in Healing: Mary Bayard Honorary Scholarship Fund
Our scholarship fund provides therapy for those who cannot afford our lowest sliding-fee-scale. All scholarship funds received by clients come from donations that have been directed to the Hope in Healing Scholarship Fund - just follow this link.
Fund Facts
Hope In Healing scholarships make it possible for low-income survivors to receive specialized and individualized therapy to best meet their needs in healing.
- Every dollar donated to the Hope In Healing Fund directly pays for therapy for clients on scholarship.
- Survivors qualify for scholarship funding based on financial need.
- Availability of scholarships is determined by donations directed to the fund.
- $30,000-40,000 of scholarship funds are needed to support survivors who qualify each year.
- Over 240 survivors have received Hope In Healing Scholarships since the fund began in 2009.
- Named in honor of Mary Bayard, Roanoke Park Counseling Clinical Supervisor from 1992-2009.
Scholarships reflect our commitment to our clients and our donors' understanding of the value of long-term therapy to allow heal after being sexually abused in childhood.
To contribute to the fund, donate below and indicate that your gift be directed to the Hope In Healing Fund.
The Hope in Healing Fund Story
In honor of Mary Bayard and the hundreds of lives who found help through her warmth, caring and dedication to their healing, we created the Hope In Healing Fund: Mary Bayard Honorary Scholarship when she retired in 2009.
As Roanoke Park Counseling's Clinical Supervisor from 1992 to 2009, Mary's was the first voice survivors heard in response to their request for help.
Mary's reassuring and welcoming presence eased the very difficult first steps to begin healing for hundreds of survivors. They often expressed to her in their first visit that they felt hope for the first time.
Mary often commented that needing to turn survivors away when they couldn't afford services was the most difficult part of her job. Without a dedicated fund, serving our lowest fee clients easily compromised our ability to serve other clients.
In honor of Mary's dedication to each and every survivor of childhood sexual abuse and to RPC's mission of providing affordable services for all, we created the Hope in Healing Fund.
The Hope in Healing Scholarship Fund is restricted for the sole purpose of providing therapy services to survivors who qualify for financial assistance. We are able to support scholarship clients based on donations to the fund. Since 2009, over 240 survivors have received therapy at RPC funded by scholarship donations.
Donate Using the Form Below
Help us reach our goal of $30,000 in 2024.
Since the inception of the Scholarship Fund in June of 2009, over 240 survivors have received services totaling 4,487 hours of therapy! Through your incredible generosity, we have provided $245,858 worth of therapy services to survivors!
PETRA'S STORY
Our Hope in Healing Scholarship Fund can be of help to survivors throughout their journey in therapy at RPC. While many survivors access the scholarship fund to begin therapy, others, such as Petra*, are relieved to find that, thanks to our scholarship fund, their therapy can continue even as their financial situation changes.
As Petra tearfully explained to her therapist, “Things are getting so much better for me but because I just turned 26, I can’t use my parents’ insurance for my therapy any longer. I’m afraid that this will have to be our last session — I know I can’t afford to pay for this on my own.”
Petra, like so many survivors, kept her soccer coach’s abuse secret. “I thought it was my fault so I never told anyone. After college, when I was out on my own, I was so anxious
that I couldn’t function. I knew I needed help — I just couldn’t keep it a secret anymore.”
Over the past 2 years of therapy at RPC, Petra came to realize the abuse wasn’t her fault. “I’m finally starting to trust myself — that I can make good decisions and take care of myself. I feel like I’m just getting started with living a whole, healthy life.”
Because of your support of the scholarship fund, Petra, and other survivors like her, will be able to continue their journey to healing — to live the life that they deserve to live.
Please help us to continue to provide therapy to people like Petra, make a gift today.
*Identifying details of this story have been changed to protect client privacy.
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I’m finally starting to trust myself — that I can make good decisions and take care of myself. I feel like I’m just getting started with living a whole, healthy life.”