Wellspring and Business for Good™ bring New York Times best-selling author of Maid, Stephanie Land, to Saratoga

Stephanie’s memoir, Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive, recounts a harrowing saga as a single mom trying to make ends meet for herself and her daughter. As her story unfolds, Stephanie’s journey reveals the real culprits of her situation: domestic violence, unmanageable minimum wages, high housing costs, and systems that sometimes create more barriers than solutions.

Netflix’s miniseries based on Stephanie’s memoir launched in October 2021 and has become a critically acclaimed global hit, putting a much-needed spotlight on the subject matter.

“The impact of Maid – both the book and show – have already impacted Wellspring’s services” says Wellspring’s Executive Director, Maggie Fronk. “A now client recently called our hotline and shared, ‘I’ve been having a lot of emotions come up lately and I think it’s because I’ve been watching the show, Maid, on Netflix. I always knew I was in an abusive relationship but watching the show has really empowered me and made me feel like I could leave.’ Those who are not victims of abuse, have been reaching out too. They want to learn more about how this impacts our own community and how they can help. Already the book and show have been transformational. We think this event will only deepen the impact.”

“Wellspring is well-aligned with Business for Good’s mission, and our partnership is one rooted in how best to serve the community. Introducing different opportunities such as this speaker engagement is how we can also make a much needed impact,” says Jahkeen Hoke, CEO of Business for Good.

“Domestic violence is real, and it does not discriminate. It is happening here in our OWN community” adds Connie Frances Avila, Chief Brand Officer of Business for Good™. “We hope that by bringing Stephanie Land to speak to our community we will not only highlight that domestic violence does happen here, but that Wellspring is a trusted local resource that can provide help and hope.”

Wellspring helps over 1,000 people throughout the community each year. The pandemic has only increased the need for Wellspring’s services. According to the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, the number of domestic violence incidents in Saratoga County in 2021 rose 22% over the five-year average.

Stephanie Land’s keynote presentation will highlight the story of her own experience and explain significant barriers that many victims of relationship abuse face.

“We are so fortunate to partner with Business for Good™ on this momentous event” says Stevie Fellows, Director of Philanthropy and Community Engagement at Wellspring. “Business for Good is covering 100% of the cost so that this can be a free event for our community. Our hope is that this will help attendees better understand the complexities of domestic violence and why leaving an abusive relationship can be so difficult. We want guests to leave the event feeling empowered to create change to prevent abuse from happening in the future.”

Prior to the event, Wellspring will host a 4-part conversation series to discuss important themes highlighted throughout the book and Netflix’s show.

This series will focus on why simply just leaving an abusive partner is so complex, and sometimes unsafe.

Topics include, the stigma associated with domestic violence, financial abuse as a leading reason why victims of abuse cannot leave, barriers and red tape that victims of abuse face when trying to navigate systems designed to ‘help’, and why finding employment as a victim of abuse is much more complicated than just filling out a job application.

All of these events are free for everyone in the community.

About Wellspring

Wellspring is the domestic violence and sexual assault services resource for Saratoga County residents and the sexual assault resource for Washington County. Wellspring’s mission is to support survivors and engage the community to end relationship and sexual abuse. Wellspring provides emergency shelter, a 24-hour phone hotline, counseling, legal advocacy, housing assistance, innovative programs, and more. All services are free, non-judgmental, and confidential.  

Wellspring believes that increasing awareness will help prevent abuse from happening in the future. Wellspring provides educational programs for youth, law enforcement, educators, health care workers, high school and college students, local businesses, parents, professional organizations, and more.

About The Business for Good Foundation™

With values rooted in equity, access, opportunity, and prosperity, BFG has advanced the model of traditional venture philanthropy to Do Good and Give Back to communities in the Greater Capital Region of Albany. The privately-funded foundation, formed in 2020, seeks to give back to move forward and is rooted in the core principle of “for good, not gain.” Comprised of a mission-focused team, The Business for Good Foundation believes no challenge is insurmountable through hard and thoughtful work. With a goal to provide businesses and organizations with sustained support, BFG invests in people for the long term and in every way. Business for Good: building better businesses, stronger communities, and a more equitable world.