Why we do this work
Love Matters Inc. exists so that no one has to face abuse, exploitation, or homelessness without support, information, or hope.
Our Mission
To educate, support, and empower survivors of domestic violence, sex trafficking, sexual abuse, and homelessness — and to equip communities to prevent them.
Our Vision
A community where every person feels safe at home, is protected from exploitation, and has real pathways to healing and stability.
Our Values
Trauma-informed care, survivor-led decisions, radical respect, and evidence-based support — delivered without judgment.
The people behind the work
A dedicated team of advocates, counselors, and coordinators — many with lived or professional experience in survivor support.
My Survivor Story — From Pain to Purpose
I am Kathy Pierre, a survivor of domestic violence and sexual abuse. My journey has not been easy, but I refused to allow what I experienced to determine my future. I fought to rebuild my confidence, reclaim my voice, and find strength in the places within me that once felt broken.
Along my journey, I experienced another unimaginable heartbreak—the loss of my daughter. Losing a child is a pain that words can never fully explain. During some of my darkest moments, my grief became so overwhelming that I lost my faith in God. I questioned everything and struggled to understand how I could continue moving forward.
Even when I lost my faith in God, God never lost faith in me. He stayed with me through my grief, my pain, my anger, and my questions. When I could not see a way forward, I eventually found the strength to keep going.
I began turning my pain into purpose. Every experience—the abuse, the loss, the grief, and the healing—helped shape the woman and leader I am today.
Today, I stand as an empowered woman, a survivor, and the CEO of Love Matters Inc. My experiences inspired me to help create a place where survivors can receive support, resources, encouragement, compassion, and hope without judgment. I want women who are living through abuse, trauma, or unimaginable loss to know that their darkest chapter does not have to be the final chapter of their story.
I carry my daughter with me in my heart, and I carry forward the lessons that came from everything I survived.
I survived. I grieved. I questioned. I prayed. I healed. I rebuilt. And I rose.
Today, I use my voice and my strength to help other women find theirs. What was meant to silence me gave me a reason to speak. What tried to break me became part of my purpose. And as long as God gives me the strength to keep going, I will continue helping other women rise.
— Kathy Pierre
CEO & Survivor | Love Matters Inc.
My Survivor Story
My name is Ronald Ashby, and my survival story began in childhood.
Growing up, I witnessed my mother being abused while also dealing with my father’s abandonment. I felt powerless watching someone I loved suffer, and without the guidance and stability I needed, I began searching for belonging in the streets.
The streets taught me how to survive, but they also brought danger, hardship, and difficult choices. As I grew older, I realized that although my past shaped me, it did not have to define my future.
I made a decision to turn my pain into purpose.
Today, helping others matters deeply to me because I understand what it feels like to need protection, guidance, compassion, and someone who believes in you. My experiences have inspired me to help people who are struggling with food, clothing, stability, and other basic needs.
I cannot change what happened in my childhood, but I can choose what I do with what I survived.
My past explains where I came from, but it does not determine where I am going. I survived abuse, abandonment, and the streets—and now I choose to use my experiences to give others hope.
Love Matters
— Ronald Ashby
Director of Finance/ Business Development
Drema Correa — From Surviving to Leading
My Story of Strength, Motherhood & Purpose
I am Drema Correa, and my story is one of survival, courage, transformation, motherhood, and purpose. During my younger years, I endured domestic violence as well as sexual and physical abuse. There were moments that could have taken away my hope, but I made a decision that those painful chapters would not become the ending of my story.
I chose to fight for the life I deserved. I worked to rebuild myself, continued my education, and proudly earned my college degree. Today, I am continuing that journey by pursuing my education in nursing, preparing for a career where I can care for others and make a meaningful difference in their lives.
But one of my greatest accomplishments is being the proud mother of two beautiful daughters. I have worked to empower my girls to recognize their worth, believe in themselves, pursue their dreams, and grow into strong, confident women. I want them to understand that strength is not about never experiencing hardship—it is about knowing that hardship does not have the power to determine who you become.
The things I survived did not define me. I turned my pain into purpose, my struggles into strength, and my experiences into a passion for helping others.
Today, I proudly serve as Director of Programs at Love Matters Inc., where I have the opportunity to use my leadership, compassion, education, and lived experiences to empower survivors and strengthen our communities.
I am more than what happened to me. I am a survivor. I am a mother. I am educated. I am determined. I am a leader. And I am raising two daughters to know that they, too, have the power to rise, succeed, and become everything they were created to be.
My past is part of my story—but my strength, my daughters, my purpose, and the future I am building are my legacy.
— Drema Correa
Director of Programs | Love Matters Inc.
Kenya McFadden — From Survivor to Powerful Leader
Kenya McFadden is a woman of strength, resilience, courage, and purpose. As a survivor of domestic violence and sexual abuse, she endured experiences that could have changed the course of her life—but she refused to allow what happened to her to determine who she would become.
Kenya fought to rebuild, worked hard, and continued moving forward. The abuse did not take away her strength, her ability to love, or her determination to succeed. Instead, she transformed her experiences into a deeper commitment to leadership, family, and helping others.
Today, Kenya is a devoted mother and grandmother, a compassionate leader, and a powerful example of perseverance. She proudly serves as Secretary of Love Matters Inc. and Director of New York Operations, using her leadership to help advance a mission centered on dignity, support, empowerment, and stronger communities.
Kenya’s story is bigger than what happened to her. She survived. She rebuilt. She rose. And now she stands in a position to help other survivors recognize the strength within themselves.
— Kenya McFadden
Secretary | Director of New York Operations
Love Matters Inc.
