Stories of Survival

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Abigail found safety and support

“In life, all of us will need a helping hand. When I was at my lowest point, feeling pretty much defeated, I found Sanctuary for Families.”

In July 2012, Abigail took her two-year-old son, her dog, and her few possessions, and left her abusive husband. She was not sure she was ready, and she did not know how she would support herself. But she knew that her son, Landon, deserved a chance to become a well-adjusted and productive young man.

“I was completely unprepared and overwhelmed with all the ‘realities’ that I had to face. I had to find a lawyer, a job, and an apartment for my family. I was scared and alone in New York City. All my family lived in Virginia and I hadn’t worked in several years. My husband had taken legal action to evict me and Landon from our apartment. I was terrified.”

Abigail called almost every non-profit that specialized in helping domestic violence victims in New York City and was turned away time and time again.

Finally, Abigail found Sanctuary for Families.

“After months of waiting on lines and being politely shuffled out of doors, Sanctuary’s counselors sat across from me at a table and asked: ‘How can we help you?’ Then we formulated a plan and we got started.”

Through Sanctuary’s Economic Empowerment Program (EEP), Abigail learned critical office operations skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint.

“Every client who comes to EEP has a different story and a different set of career-related needs. Abigail needed a plan, and she needed the support to execute that plan,” says Angelo Rivera, Director of the Economic Empowerment Project. “We helped her draw her roadmap to a career, financial stability, and a better life.”

With her newfound skills and confidence, Abigail updated her resume and found an administrative support job at Columbia University. In August of 2013, she and Landon moved into their own apartment in New York.

“In life, all of us will need a helping hand. When I was at my lowest point, feeling pretty much defeated, I found Sanctuary for Families. After that first meeting, I left feeling a little lighter and optimistic. And since that day, every day has been better and a little brighter.

I am now looking forward to a future that I couldn’t have imagined before.”


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