Stories of New Hope
Success Beyond Shelter
Sarah’s Story of a New Beginning
Sarah and her 2-year-old son came to Doorways three years ago to escape Sarah’s abusive husband. Initially, Sarah stayed with friends, but as space became available, she moved into the Doorways Domestic Violence Safehouse. When Sarah first arrived, she spoke very little English and Doorways staff utilized interpreters to communicate with her in her native language since she had only been in the United States for a short time. Sarah worked as a seamstress in her native country, but had not worked since moving to the U.S. In an attempt to find new employment, Sarah completed a certification program as a home healthcare worker, but her husband prevented her from securing employment by intercepting phone calls from potential employers. Sarah had never lived on her own nor had a lease in her name. When they first arrived at Doorways, Sarah’s son, John, appeared sad, withdrawn, and frightened. In meetings with staff, John would not leave his mother’s side and avoided eye contact with staff.
Once safety was established, Sarah was accepted into the Doorways HomeStart Program and was able to move into an apartment, and eventually secure a lease in her own name. Her English skills improved greatly with the support of a Doorways volunteer ESL tutor, and staff no longer needed an interpreter to facilitate communication. Sarah found a job working as a home healthcare aide and has maintained that job for three years. She has saved over $5,000 while in the program and is positioned to start her own small business designing and sewing traditional clothing. Her Doorways Financial Educator connected her to a program that will match her $2,000 with an additional $4,000 to invest in her business.
Staff also supported Sarah in a custody battle with her ex-husband, where she was ultimately awarded primary physical custody of John. John was initially enrolled in Early Head Start and is currently thriving in a Montessori kindergarten program. He is a happy, healthy, and outgoing young boy. After three years of perseverance and hard work, Sarah and John are graduating from Doorways HomeStart program this month and will continue on their path of stability and growth as they move forward with a new beginning.
Out of respect for the privacy, safety and confidentiality of our clients, fictitious names and nuances have been used.
