Carla thought the verbal abuse ended when she divorced her husband. But when he hit their oldest daughter during one of their court-sanctioned visits, things got more complicated. “I wouldn’t let him draw me into arguments anymore, and hurting our daughter was how he got me to react again.”
When Carla realized she would have to get away from her ex for good, where he couldn’t find her or her family, she found House of Ruth’s Freedom Place, a home and supportive program for families.
There, Carla found safety and stability. “When you first get there, you have so much going through your mind. You just had this traumatic event happen. You need a place to live, you need to protect your kids.” Landing at House of Ruth gave her time to regroup and to breathe.
“My time at House of Ruth has been very productive. Staff there gave me hope. The other families around me gave me comfort that I wasn’t alone, that we weren’t the only family who had to deal with violence.”
Now in House of Ruth’s Bridges program, Carla has created a solid platform to launch her daughters into college. They are active and ambitious – participating in track and swimming, and aspiring to Masters Degrees and beyond.
Faced with the prospect of an empty nest, Carla looks forward to dedicating time to herself and her community. She’s pursuing a degree in public health and social work. “I want to give back to families, women and kids in need.”