Sanctuary Spotlight: Molly Snyder

Sanctuary for Families

A conversation with Sanctuary Board Member Molly Snyder, LCSW, on Sanctuary’s Camp HOPE NYC — a transformative weeklong summer camp for teens impacted by gender-based violence.

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We recently spoke with Molly Snyder, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Sanctuary Board member, and dedicated supporter of Sanctuary’s Camp HOPE NYC — a transformative weeklong summer camp for teens impacted by gender-based violence. In her work as an LCSW in private practice and as a Clinical Supervisor at the Jewish Board of Family and Children Services, Molly specializes in supporting women through life transitions, with deep expertise in treating trauma, anxiety, and depression. Her collaborative and curious approach helps her clients build self-understanding and create a clear, authentic vision for their future.

Tell us a little bit about yourself  — what is your background?

I grew up in San Diego, California. My mom was a professional in the Jewish community and my dad was a pediatrician. They both prioritized community involvement and activism. Specifically, my mom was focused on the importance of women being financially independent, which influenced my decision to go to business school and start my career in finance. I received my undergraduate business degree from the University of Michigan and started my career at Goldman Sachs in investment banking soon after. I then went back to receive my MBA from Columbia Business School and after graduation, joined an organization in lower Manhattan that helped businesses recover in the wake of 9/11. When my kids were in elementary school, I was excited to make a career change and got my Masters in Social Work from Columbia University.

What first drew you to Sanctuary, and what was it about the organization that made you want to get involved?

I started with Sanctuary over 10 years ago as a clinical intern during my time at Columbia School of Social Work. I loved my experience at Sanctuary and was inspired by the passion and professionalism of everyone across the organization. I also witnessed Sanctuary’s deep investment in the professional development of their interns and staff and the resulting impact that these efforts had on client care.

“There is a sense of passion and care at all levels of Sanctuary — from the Board to the staff, with an unparalleled commitment to clients.”  

How did you first learn about Camp HOPE, and what about Camp HOPE resonates with you?

I came to Sanctuary because I wanted to be more thoughtful about giving to causes that I care about, and given my history with Sanctuary, it was an obvious choice. It’s a privilege to see an organization from the inside and know that the work that they’re doing is of the highest quality. I was shown a few different options to support and I’ve always been a lover of camp, so Camp HOPE caught my attention right away.

For Camp Hope teens, I imagine that camp is literally and figuratively a breath of fresh air, giving them a chance to explore their interests, develop lasting friendships and connect with nature. Because of their life experiences, their nervous systems are likely on high alert most of the time, which can make it challenging to connect to others, to connect with themselves, and to just be a kid. I can’t think of a better place to decompress than in nature, in a supportive, safe environment where they can simply have fun.

Sanctuary teens at Camp HOPE NYC

What do you believe is the most important message for potential donors to understand?

There is a sense of passion and care at all levels of Sanctuary — from the Board to the staff  — with an unparalleled commitment to clients, ensuring that their needs are always the priority. Services are tailored to the individual circumstances and preferences of each client and much effort is dedicated to understanding the clients’ unique experience and their vision for themselves and their families. Sanctuary staff does a great job helping clients identify the pathway to reach their goals and provides the services and resources needed to support them along the way.

I also love Sanctuary’s holistic model, which includes shelter, clinical services, legal support, economic empowerment, and advocacy because each component is interconnected. For example, if you have a job and you’re constantly triggered from past trauma at work, you may have a hard time being productive or effective with assignments. Or if you don’t have a restraining order and you’re not feeling safe, it’s going to be difficult to work or to take care of your kids. I love that all the pieces are in place to address the multitude of challenges that clients face, in order to set them up for success. It’s really an honor to be on the Board and to be able to be engaged with such an exceptional organization.

What would you say to someone who is considering funding our work? What makes it worth their investment?

Knowing that your dollars are truly impacting change — on individuals, families, communities, and the systems our clients are forced to contend with — makes all the difference. Sanctuary provides a comprehensive model of high-quality services, ensuring the opportunity for clients to attain safety and stability for their themselves and their families. I think it’s important that funders know for certain that their dollars are directly impacting change.

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Bria Diemer

This summer, Sanctuary will be leading Camp HOPE America: New York. Learn how this trauma-informed camp is helping young victims of domestic violence heal and find hope again.

Bria Diemer is a Communications Intern at Sanctuary and a rising Junior at Pace University where she studies film and creative writing.

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Summer camp is something we do as children because it seems fun and exciting – and because our parents want us out of the house. We swim in open waters and over-eat junk food and gossip about nothing with strangers who somehow already feel like life-long friends. Summer camp is something we need as children because it is a place to meet people and hear stories and have fun in a way only kids can. At home, there’s homework and chores and other impending childhood responsibilities. But at camp, there’s nothing to do but scream and laugh and be yourself. It’s an easy escape from the real world, from home, wherever that may be.

But for many kids, home is something to escape from. According to estimates, between 2 and 10 million children will be exposed to domestic violence each year in America. This trauma makes children more susceptible to short- and long-term emotional, social and behavioral difficulties such as increased anxiety, depression, isolation, physical and psychological aggression and a predisposition to continue the cycle of abuse. Ages 12-17 are some of the most formative years for human development, and the presence of trauma can prevent healthy, effective growth. Trauma forces children to bypass their childhood entirely, leaving no time for s’mores and rock climbing.

Camp HOPE

Every day, Sanctuary for Families works with families that have experienced violence and abuse. And while we and other service providers offer services for the entire family, adolescent kids are often an underserved group. This summer, Sanctuary is partnering with Camp HOPE America to establish Camp HOPE America: New York, which will run from August 20-24. Thirty children ages 12 to 17, (15 girls and 15 boys) will participate in a week-long camp in upstate New York. Sanctuary was asked to pilot the first Camp HOPE America affiliate serving children in the New York City metropolitan area. Over the course of the week campers will enjoy classic camp activities such as swimming, high ropes courses, nightly campfires, team building activities, a trip to a planetarium, zip lining, canoeing, art, and a talent show. And thanks to Sanctuary’s partnership with the Fresh Air Fund, the camp will take place on 2,000 acres of land including two beautiful lakes, mountain overlooks and forested trails in Fishkill, New York.

Camp HOPE America is the first camping and mentoring initiative focused on children exposed to domestic violence. Initially beginning in California, Camp HOPE has developed into a nationwide effort spanning over five states. This year, an estimated 1,500 children and young adults will benefit from all that Camp HOPE America has to offer.

Counselors at the camp have been trained to use a trauma-informed approach when working with the children. Trauma-informed care means understanding a person entirely, and taking their traumas and resulting coping mechanisms into consideration when attempting to understand certain behaviors. “We want to know what happened before this, what were the factors that led up to this? It’s important to understand the root of the issue before addressing the actual issue,” says Bridget Shanahan, co-director of the New York camp. A person’s exposure to trauma influences each area of human development— physical, mental, behavioral, social, spiritual —which is why a trauma-informed method most effectively promotes healing, growth and overall hope.

Hope is the belief that your future will be better than your past and that you have the power to achieve your dreams.  While “hope” sounds like an uncomplicated, commonplace emotion, it actually proves to be an effective source of motivation, specifically for young adults. Hope can inspire roadmaps to short- and long-term goals as well as the inspiration to overcome obstacles that arise. “This camp focuses on hope rather than resiliency because hope is something you can build. Everyone can still have hope,” Shanahan explains. Each camper is given a questionnaire before, during and after the camp in effort to gauge a hope index. These ‘Hope Scores’ are an evidenced-based measure of hope, and results show that post-camp Hope Scores are increased and are sustained over time.

Support

Childhood is a precious time that should be full of the fun and excitement, not violence and trauma. If you would like to support Sanctuary for Families’ first Camp HOPE and our youngest clients, please click here.