Susan’s story: (continued from home page)
other women. She began to feel hope With the Retreat’s help she was able to get an order of protection and begin custody proceedings. Three months later, Susan had a new job, and she and her children were safe in their own apartment. *(name changed to protect client’s anonymity.)
Women's Stories:
Gina came to the Retreat right before Christmas of 2003. She fled from her abusive husband who was the father of her three children. She had been beaten and raped on a regular basis in front of their children. Living in the safety of the Retreat shelter where she and her children regularly received counseling, Gina began to regain her self-esteem and confidence in two short months. With the support of Retreat’s legal advocates, Gina obtained an order of protection and custody of her children. She was able to reunite with her family – family she hadn’t seen in years - because of the isolation and control her husband had imposed. She still keeps in touch with the Retreat to let us know that she is doing well. Gina’s kids, now 5, 11, and 12 are thriving in school, and she is working at a bank. Gina tells us she is happy!
LINCS Stories:
In the spring of 2007, the Retreat’s LINCS program opened to help survivors of domestic abuse overcome the hurdle of the “technology age”. Some came to earn their GED (high school equivalency certificate), and others gained pertinent career skills that made earning a livable wage possible. Jane was one of our first clients. She had been in an abusive marriage and couldn’t see a way out. She certainly didn’t make enough money working part-time at a grocery store to leave. When she learned of the Retreat’s LINCS program from her counselor at the Retreat, she immediately asked to join the class. She changed her hours at the grocery store and asked her sister to help her out with her younger children. She had never used a computer but was determined to overcome her “fear”. The class met three times per week for three hours a day. Although she lived quite a distance from our Riverhead office, with four young children, and a car that was unreliable, she never missed a class. After graduating, Jane was able to land a wonderful job as an office assistant, earning a competitive wage with health benefits. Today, she is financially independent, living an abuse-free life, and proudly supporting herself and her children.
I came to the Retreat with bruises and two broken ribs. I was about as depressed as any person could possibly be. I thought that my life was over and that things would never get better after all I left my home, job, and husband and now living in a shelter for abused women. After a few days, I began to realize that the staff and even some of the other women were being genuinely nice to me and that I could get back my life. It took longer than I thought it would but with help from the Retreat I was able to get an order of protection, begin custody proceedings, and more importantly, got a job and moved into an apartment with my children.
- name withheld
Resources: A helpful list of
resources for our clients
and supporters.