You can rent a room for $250—$350 in most places. That gives her a month of time. Someone may be generous enough to give her the rest of this month for free. That’s 6 weeks of time to take additional steps for only $350. It’s crucial to pick a house that she feels will help her make friends and network, and not just some shithole.
She can go to a food bank and stock up on some food to save some money.
It is crucial that she understands that any job will be keeping her busy and earning her income. Priority is to get a job. Some people feel McDonalds or Wal-Mart are beneath them… She won’t have that luxury until she has her feet under her a bit. She must apply for every single menial job she can think of. Climbing the ladder means standing on the first rung, too. In interviews I would avoid talking about negative situations in my life.
You didn’t mention if she has a car. That impacts home/job location. If not, study the public transportation options. Or spend another $50 and buy a used bike. Maintaining a car is very expensive.
Regardless of being religious, check the church bulletin section of the paper. Many churches will have hot dinner nights. And I have found that regardless of what I believe about God, sometimes there are good lessons in the sermons. Think about that.
She will need HUGE balls to get out. But $1000 is a nice jumping place if she has the tenacity to actually get away and improve her situation. It is a long and hard road ahead, but she can do it.
The time for making smart decisions is now. She cannot afford to make poor ones concerning the house she chooses, the company she keeps, and the path she takes. Too many people at this exact stage can take the low road. Don’t jump out of the frying pan and into the fire.
I wish her the best of luck and strong character.