The question she asked about her own family

"Why don't victims leave?" Veronica Van Slyck asked that question after finding out that domestic violence had occurred generations ago in her own family. For a while she had no answer.

The answer she found was largely economic. Her research led her to interview several domestic violence experts in her home state of New Jersey, and to a study, "Dreams Deferred," which surveyed victims of intimate partner violence. "It was found that 73% of respondents stayed with an abusive partner longer than they wanted or returned to them for economic reasons," she says.

“Financial freedom should be a human right, and Reignite Resumes is dedicated to helping intimate partner violence survivors along this journey.”

Veronica Van Slyck

After discovering this, she founded Reignite Resumes, a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Its mission, she says, is "to provide free, career-empowerment services to survivors of IPV and members of other underserved communities." In its first year and a half the organisation has helped 126 clients from 15 U.S. states, gained 4 partner organizations, hosted multiple in-person events and grown to 3,100+ followers across its social media platforms.

She had been aware of women's issues for a long time. Business and social change interested her too, "but before discovering the issues of financial abuse and intimate partner violence (IPV), I was not sure how they intersected."

Reignite Resumes now has volunteers and team members from 14 countries and 11 U.S. states, and she says it is growing fast. Other young people hold leadership roles through its International Youth Leadership Team, which is currently open to high schoolers across the world. Applications close on October 15th.

"We recognize that effort is collaborative, and social impact cannot solely be the work of one or two people," she says.