I first heard about the Future, Hope & Healing Center in August 2019. My children and I had fled from an abusive relationship, moving an hour and a half away to escape him. He had threatened to kill us, so we had to leave.
We were homeless, panhandling to afford a hotel room, when I met a property manager who offered us a place to live in their managed duplex.
I said yes, but when I went to have the water put on, I realized we would not be able to pay the deposit. I was heartbroken, and it must have shown as a woman who worked there approached me and gave me a piece of paper with a phone number on it, saying, “I don’t know your situation, but my friend Sally from church may be able to help, you should contact her”.
I had already contacted some churches asking for help, but they couldn’t help with the water deposit. So I thanked the woman, unsure if “Sally” could help but rang her anyway.
I told Sally why we had left our home. She didn’t ask me anything else other than where we could meet. Not only did Sally help us financially, but she also helped me overcome the crippling anxiety I had developed from living with a violent partner.
When I first moved into our new home, I was so worried he would be waiting for me inside that I would sit for hours outside, too scared to go in. Sally helped me overcome my fear and much more during therapy sessions. She was amazing and so understanding of what I had been through. The fear I felt was overwhelming, but she was so patient with me that I eventually felt safe enough to enter alone and stopped checking every room whenever I came home.
She also taught me how to let go of the guilt I felt for what I had exposed my children to in the past, how to be a better mom and that it was okay to care for myself too.
The Future, Hope and Healing Centre have helped me through tough times financially on a few occasions over the years. They have always been there, from helping to pay my rent to providing Christmas presents for my children. Anything my children have needed, they have helped me provide for them.
I encourage other women to seek help from them. It is a safe place to get away and start over. I know it isn’t easy to leave, but feeling safe after so much physical, emotional and mental abuse is such a relief for me. I don’t know where I would be without Sally’s support! I am not going to lie. She showed me my worth and strength to do better and be better! I am so thankful I am not six feet under because I was weak and had gone back before. My kids deserve this new life, and so do I, especially now I am fighting leukemia!
My message to others in a similar situation to what I was in is – If you ever need a safe space and think there isn’t one, there is! Please know it is okay to feel helpless and accept their help for you and your future. I thank Sally and The Future, Hope and Healing Centre so much for all they have done for my family and me!
