Sylvia's Story
Sylvia was physically and emotionally abused by her husband, and made the choice come to The Bridge's Emergency Shelter. In the six months that she stayed in shelter, she completed an ESL class, took advantage of some wellness sessions offered, and applied for Crime Victim's Compensation, the Gold Card, and the Metro Bus Card. The Attorney General's Office notified her that she was approved for Crime Victim's Compensation, which provided funds to help her relocate to an apartment of her choice (including deposit, application fee, and rent for almost six months) and to cover the cost to move her belongings from a storage unit to her new apartment. The Crime Victims' Compensation Fund also reimbursed her for three months of storage that she needed while staying at the shelter. This assistance, along with the knowledge and support she gained at The Bridge provided Sylvia the opportunity to experience success as she began her new life. Back to top
Rhonda's Story
Rhonda came to the emergency shelter, fleeing domestic violence, when she was 27 years old. In the three months of her shelter stay, she overcame many barriers to move on to a healthy, self-sufficient life. With two small children and no one to care for them while she worked on her goals, childcare was one of those barriers. Rhonda participated in The Bridge's free, on-site childcare while she was in the emergency shelter. Transportation was also a barrier. Though Rhonda had a car, she did not have insurance or up-to-date inspection or registration.
With the help of her caseworker, Rhonda applied for TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). As a result, she was able to attend G.E.D. classes and receive funds to pay for insurance, inspection and registration for her car. Rhonda scored so well on the G.E.D. test that she was told to apply for scholarships to go to college. Rhonda got a part time job and plans to attend college full time next semester. With all of these resources in place, Rhonda was accepted into Destiny Village, The Bridge's two-year transitional housing program. This program provided further assistance so Rhonda could attain a healthy, self-sufficient life.
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Maria's Story
Maria, a 32-year-old Colombian woman with two children, was being abused by her husband. He said that if she left him, he would take everything she owned. Maria attended a legal workshop presented by The Bridge to be informed of her rights regarding divorce, custody and more. She requested the help of a caseworker, and together they began to develop a plan so she and her children could escape the violence and abuse they were subjected to. Through a lethality assessment, Maria saw the potential danger her family was in and developed a safety plan. She continued to meet with her caseworker, telling her husband that she was going to a doctor's appointment, and took steps to become self-sufficient. Maria left with her children and says she feels free and at peace now. She continues to meet with her caseworker regularly. Back to top
Veronica's Story
Veronica, a Hispanic lawyer, came to The Bridge seeking supportive services. She stated that her husband of 5 years was physically and sexually abusing her, and she wanted out of the relationship. Though, as part of her legal practice, Veronica had helped women who were being abused, she had not sought help for herself until now. She felt very ashamed because she felt should have known better.
Through individual counseling, she regained her confidence and self-esteem. Through education and support groups, she was able to build relationships with her peers and encourage others to overcome difficult situations. She did leave her husband and filed for divorce. She meets with her caseworker for support when days are a challenge and expresses her desire help other women at The Bridge. Back to top
April's Story
April came to The Bridge seeking family violence services with her six children. She worked on her goals and entered the transitional housing program at Destiny Village. While she was out one evening, two strangers attacked her and her 11-year old daughter. April was sexually assaulted and her daughter was forced to watch the entire assault. The men threatened that if April told the police they would come to her daughter's school and hurt her.
April became a prisoner in her own home, paralyzed by fear and too ashamed to discuss the incident with her daughter. She couldn't even bring herself to tell her caseworker until a few weeks later when she became physically ill.
April's caseworker informed her of her rights and encouraged her to file a police report. She showed compassion to April and assured her that the incident was not her fault. April's caseworker accompanied her and her daughter to the emergency room to receive medical attention.
April describes her caseworker as supportive and devoted as she walked with her through every step she has to take "towards healing and through the justice system." April has received assistance with Crime Victims' Compensation and with attaining a U-Visa. April and her daughter are both receiving counseling, attending support groups, and receiving individualized attention from staff at The Bridge. April knows the road will not be easy, but is thankful for the support she is receiving along the way. Back to top
Janie's Story
Three-year-old Janie, her mother, and three siblings entered the transitional program at Destiny Village speaking very broken English. Her mother had just left an abusive husband whom she'd been married to for 10 years. Right away, Janie made friends and began learning English quickly. During conflict, however, Janie would become very upset. She would ignore requests from the teacher, and when the teacher would ask her what was wrong, she isolated herself from the rest of the group. She would sit alone in the corner crying and would not discuss her feelings. This behavior continued into Janie's school-age years and became such a problem for her that it began to affect her interpersonal relationships.
The Children's Advocate recommended that Janie attend support groups as a part of her individualized plan. Gradually, Janie began to learn the problem-solving skills needed to resolve conflicts. Now that Janie's family is about to graduate from the transitional program, Janie has come full circle and is not only able to resolve conflicts, but also helps other children work through their problems. During a conflict, Janie will bring the other child into the office and request that the Children's Advocate mediate for her so that she can help solve the problem.
Janie's inability to solve conflicts peacefully in the beginning was very typical of a child coming from a violent family situation. Now that she has been free of abuse and has been taught healthy ways to solve problems, she is sharing her new skills with other children. Back to top
Juan's Story
Juan was only two when he came into the shelter for the first time. He had been extremely traumatized by a violent father who had shaken him by the neck in an angry rage and had dangled him from a balcony to threaten his mother. Because of this trauma, Juan had difficult time trusting anyone and was suffering from severe anxiety at the suggestion of being separated from his mother. Juan would scream uncontrollably each time his mother left him in childcare and was inconsolable until she came back to pick him up. Juan's hyper-vigilance lasted all day, every day, even when he was with his mother.
The Children's Advocate began an intensive and individualized effort to help Juan overcome his terror and anxiety. Step by step, Juan made progress as the Children's Services Staff played with and visited with him. Eventually, Juan was able to successfully complete a day in childcare, having fun with his friends. Juan and his mother left the shelter and returned a year later, and Juan adjusted much more quickly the second time. On several occasions, he even comforted other children who were upset. Back to top
Casey's Story
Casey, a thirteen-year-old middle school student, participated in an after-school program addressing the topics of sexual abuse, sexual harassment and healthy relationships for the past four weeks. She approached the education specialist who had been facilitating the program to speak with her alone. She related that she learned so much from the program, and the most important thing she learned was that she is not alone. She revealed that she had been sexually abused twice and that this was the first time she had spoken of the abuse to anyone. As she recounted the incident, she embraced herself and let the tears stream down her face. Her abuser had told her that her family would disown her and send her away for being bad, so she had not told anyone for fear of losing her family and being blamed. Casey breathed a sigh of relief after shedding her secret of seven years.
The school social worker was notified and a report made to Child Protective Services. A meeting was scheduled with Casey and her mother to discuss further assistance available to the family. During the meeting Casey was extremely anxious, fearing what her mother's response would be. The mother listened intently to her daughter's story and was silent. Then she took her daughter in her arms and crying said, "I know it's not your fault, and I know how you feel because the same thing happened to me when I was a girl."
Through an education program, Casey built a trust relationship with a Bridge advocate and gained the awareness she needed to disclose the abuse she had experienced. A daughter and a mother who unknowingly living were living with the same secret were able to speak the truth and begin the healing process. Back to top