Graduation No. 11, A Mom…
A woman in her 40s moved into NH Reside in the fall of 2020. Leaving behind an old life filled with homelessness and drug addiction, a life controlled by a pimp, this mom of two was fighting for her life. She had serious untreated mental illness and suffered from severe PTSD that included flashbacks of her abuse. As you can imagine, she arrived at our facility in a low-functioning state. Paranoia and trauma kept her locked in fear and paralyzed her ability to dream about her future. She felt that a future filled with love, peace, healing, and freedom was unattainable for her. But motivated by her love for her children, she showed up to fight for her future. All too often, the pain of healing from the past is too great to strive for the new future, but this woman was determined to try.
After twenty months of slow, strategic, therapeutic, and gospel-centered work, this mom has made huge and unbelievable strides toward her growth. At one point, we didn’t know what would be next for her after she completed the program. We wanted to see her make strides toward independence, but she questioned whether that was possible. We could not convince her that she was healing; she had to know it for herself. We earnestly prayed for her to believe in herself and to see how capable she truly is to live independently. She absolutely can stand on her own two feet; it just took her time to trust herself again as well as the world around her.
This past Saturday, this mama graduated from Reside! Like most graduates, she had a room full of people there to celebrate with her and witness all of her incredible accomplishments. And she has made the decision to transition into the NH Independent Living Program. Through this program, she’ll have continued support, case management, therapy, and community support. This decision exemplifies her growth and her ability to make beautiful choices that foster continued healing and new life.
She now has a job she loves and is also enrolled in a few classes to help her better understand her body’s response to trauma. Her mental and physical health have improved tremendously. She is reengaged with her children and longs to be stable enough to be in a healthy relationship with them. Her transformation is one that we celebrate—she could have been easily forgotten and disregarded because shame and abuse do not easily let go. But as God reminds the nation of Israel to not neglect the marginalized (Duet. 10:18–19), He has also called NH to love the survivor who has lost her hope.
At her graduation, this woman who is soft-spoken and still fighting to overcome self-doubt, said this to a room of more than people: "I’ve been able to overcome what was made to break me. I am free from the control of others who have used and hurt me. They have lost their power over my life. I’m a changed and powerful woman that God intended me to be. God gave me the courage to come to [NH] and complete the program, and for that, I’m grateful.”
Congrats to this incredible Survivor and NH Graduate!
Simone