Providing a family with a safe home and wrap around supportive services…
A mother and her two children were trapped and isolated in their home. Her husband was physically and emotionally abusive, and although she believed she was shielding her children from the abuse, the turning point came when her seven-year-old daughter witnessed her being strangled.
Overwhelmed and scared for herself, and even more terrified for the emotional scars on her children, she decided they had to leave. She reached out to CAPSA’s crisis phone line and, over several calls, worked with a caseworker to craft a plan for a safe departure. They fled their home during a brief window when her husband was out on an errand.
Upon arriving at CAPSA’s emergency shelter, her first request was to sleep, revealing, “I haven’t slept in months, fearing what he might do next.” During their stay, she met daily with her caseworker to devise a tailored action plan, with employment and housing as primary goals.
CAPSA’s youth advocates also stepped in, focusing on her children’s emotional healing. Their support continued beyond shelter, with home visits and support groups.
Securing a job at a call center, she began applying for rentals. It was then she discovered her partner had taken out credit cards in her name, damaging her credit. Devastated and fearing she’d never find a home, her caseworker arranged for her to move into a home in Independence Place, a CAPSA-owned neighborhood.
Imagine the joy and hope she felt walking her children into their own home – a truly safe home. As part of CAPSA’s transitional housing program, they received ongoing support from housing caseworkers, including home visits and support/educational groups.
Both she and her eldest child benefited from CAPSA’s clinical therapy. At her call center job, a customer with a deep voice once triggered a panic attack. She later shared that CAPSA’s therapy “helped me learn how to recognize my trauma and use grounding techniques to center myself.” For her seven-year-old daughter, therapy was a healing sanctuary where she was able to process her fears and her own trauma.
The legal journey, from divorce to creditor negotiations, was both challenging and costly. Thankfully, CAPSA’s COACH funds helped cover some expenses, allowing her to finalize her divorce just over a year after leaving.
After 1.5 transformative years in CAPSA’s shelter and then neighborhood, the family was ready and financially stable enough to move into their own place. In gratitude, she expressed, “I am so grateful for CAPSA and wish to move out early, so this home will be available for the next family like mine.”
When you donate to CAPSA, you provide a family with a safe home and wrap around supportive services to be successful.
Here is a breakdown of how your donation supported this family:
- Crisis Phone Line (4 calls): $52.00
- Emergency Shelter: $7,655.38
- Youth Advocates: $2,094.69
- Transitional Housing: $16,228.84
- Clinical Therapy: $3,176.60
- COACH Funds (Legal Fees): $2,500.00