Roses of Affirmation
Empowering domestic violence survivors to move from crisis to stability through practical skills, renewed confidence, and strengthened faith.
filling the gap between crisis & independence — the space where survivors ask "now what?"
Our Mission
To provide unconditional love, safety, and practical support to survivors of domestic violence, homelessness, and poverty—helping them move from survival to stability through housing, healing, and hope.
Our services focus on the practical skills that transform survival into stability: resume building, job interview preparation, budgeting, tax assistance, credit repair, financial literacy, and long-term self-sufficiency. We meet survivors where they are — not with conditions or endless proof of suffering, but with dignity, compassion, and the tools to thrive.
Our Core Values
-
Dignity & Affirmation
We inspire confidence and hope through our unwavering belief in every person's potential. You are worthy of respect, support, and a future beyond survival.
-
Empowerment Through Action
We offer actionable tools — from financial literacy to professional skills training — that lead to self-sufficiency and the power to break generational cycles.
-
Education for Stability
We provide the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to navigate resources, build financial security, and achieve long-term stability.
-
Love First
Every action begins and ends with compassion. We create spaces that feel like support, not interrogation.
-
Accessibility
Support should never depend on endless proof of suffering. We trust survivors, honor their experiences, and make help accessible.
-
Healing Over Judgment
We create spaces that feel like home, not courtrooms. Healing requires safety, not scrutiny.
WHAT WE DO
ROA equips survivors emerging from crisis with the practical tools they need to build stable, independent lives.
Career
Support 💼
Resume building & professional development
Job interview preparation
Career pathway planning
Professional networking
Financial
Empowerment 💰
Budgeting & money management
Credit repair & building
Tax assistance & planning
Financial literacy education
Life Skills
Training 🏡
Housing navigation & rental assistance
Resource connection & advocacy
Goal setting & accountability
Long-term stability planning
"We don't always choose the situations we find ourselves in. But no one should ever have to fight alone, and finding support shouldn't be so hard. Support should not come with conditions, endless proof of suffering, or strings that make people feel undeserving of help."
— Cynthia Evans, Founder & Executive Director
Meet Our Founders
Destiny "Tru" Cyrus, PTA
Co-Founder, Board Director & Creative Director
As the daughter of Cynthia Evans, Destiny witnessed firsthand the gaps in support for families navigating domestic violence, homelessness, and poverty. But she also discovered her own form of resilience: the performing arts.
From age three, dance became Destiny's escape, her voice, and her anchor. Through performing arts, she found not just skill, but self-worth. The research is clear: children who grow up with domestic violence are three times more likely to repeat the cycle in adulthood. For Destiny, performing arts provided the character and self-belief to break that cycle.
Today, Destiny is a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA), founder of Tru Dancelete, LLC (a dance injury prevention company), and co-founder of Roses of Affirmation. She serves on ROA's Board of Directors and leads the organization's creative direction and brand development.
“Dance taught me that I am worthy and capable. Dance gave me a backbone to fight for what I want and helped me dream beyond my current circumstances.”
Cynthia Evans
Founder & Executive Director
Roses of Affirmation was born from a painful truth: the gap between what's offered to survivors and what's truly needed.
After navigating domestic violence, homelessness, and poverty firsthand, Cynthia knew the system from the inside. She knew what it felt like to need help and encounter hurdles instead. She knew the exhaustion of proving you're "worthy" of support, the shame of being judged for circumstances you didn't choose, the loneliness of fighting through crisis alone.
So Cynthia built Roses of Affirmation to give the unconditional love and practical support she couldn't find when she needed it most. Not a program with conditions. Not help with strings attached. Just real, human support that meets survivors where they are and walks with them toward stability.
“Leaving crisis doesn’t mean you’re ready to build a life. Surviving isn’t the same as thriving. What comes after shelter (the now what) is where most survivors get lost.”
Our Board of Directors
Guided by passionate leaders committed to ROA's mission of unconditional support and practical empowerment.
-
Board Chair
[Bio Coming Soon]
-
Founder & Executive Director
-
Co-Founder, Director & Secretary
-
Treasurer
[Bio Coming Soon]
-
Director of Programs & Events
[Bio Coming Soon]
Our Programs
-
🌻 Rhythm & Bloom Performing Arts Equity
ROA's first program initiative provides scholarships and mentorship to young people in the Cedar Valley, Iowa region who face financial and racial barriers in competitive performing arts.
Understanding that performing arts can provide the self-worth and determination to break generational cycles, Rhythm & Bloom ensures that talent — not income — determines who gets to discover their potential through dance, music, and theatre.
Mission: Break generational cycles by dismantling the financial and racial walls that determine which young people get to discover, develop, and own their potential through the performing arts.
-
New Programs on the Way!
Our team is actively developing programs to directly serve domestic violence survivors, offering the practical skills, financial empowerment, and faith-based support that make the difference between surviving and thriving.
From career development to financial literacy, from housing navigation to long-term mentorship, we're building the gap-filling services survivors actually need.
Stay tuned. Big things are coming in 2026 and beyond. We can't wait to share what we're building
Get in Touch
Email: hello@rosesofaffirmation.org
Website: www.rosesofaffirmation.org
Roses of Affirmation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.