Family Assistance Ministries used the platform to cover relational and financial gaps they faced, propelling clients to the following outcomes…
members enrolled
(30 actively engaged)
took 4 or more
action steps (516 total)
improved quality
of life measures
reached permanent
housing
I am a single mother and a Domestic Violence survivor. I am trying to start my life over and…
I am a single mother and a Domestic Violence survivor. I am trying to start my life over and am currently enrolled to go back to school in the fall. I am currently looking for employment and am in need of interview clothing. I am also trying to secure housing while battling homelessness for the past two years due to familial support being lost. I am trying to build my life with my children and make a more stable life for me and them.
my 18 month old son and I are staying in a shelter and rebuilding our lives after fleeing domestic violence earlier this year…
Hi, my name is Garnett and my 18 month old son and I are staying in a shelter, rebuilding our lives after fleeing domestic violence earlier this year. I had a ‘great’ life on the outside: a big house and seemingly happy family, but the anger and rage behind closed doors was getting frightening and I knew I had to leave for my young son’s sake. I didn’t want my son to grow up thinking violence is normal or okay. After the abuser struck me for the last time, I made the call and grabbed a bag of minimal supplies. I asked family to care for the older children so they could stay in school, and my infant and I landed on the doorstep of a domestic violence shelter. Since then I have been working hard to reclaim my voice and work towards independence: I want to show other women who may feel trapped in abusive relationships that there is a way out. I am working with housing organizations to secure a place of our own, and look forward to demonstrating to my children and other women that they can change their circumstances. I am looking forward to reuniting with my older children and working at a steady job, providing for my family, and being self-sufficient while guiding other women through similar struggles.
after 2 years of consistently paying rent, an unlawful eviction took place when I fell behind during COVID…
After a lifetime spent helping family and friends get established in their lives, I decided it was my turn and I went back to school for Anthropology in 2016. It had always been my dream and I was finally completing my courses in 2021 -on target to graduate in December! However, after 2 years of paying rent consistently an unlawful eviction took place when I fell behind on my rent during COVID. I was forced out of my home during the summer months and had to put all my things in storage. With some emergency funding through my school and my SSI check, I shuffled between my car and hotels for weeks, slowly falling behind on my coursework. I tried to use the local libraries and any resources at my disposal, but with the trauma of the eviction and landing on the streets I couldn’t keep up with the coursework necessary to graduate on time. While staying in my car and through the help of my school, I eventually secured a spot at a women’s shelter, where I can now concentrate on my schooling and look for permanent housing. I plan to take my last 4 classes and graduate with a degree this spring, eventually moving on to earn a Masters Degree in Library Sciences. At 74 years old, this is my last effort to find suitable/affordable housing of my own, re-establish my life, and accomplish my goals of obtaining a college degree and finding work as an Archivist.
I was teaching high school and living my best life when I got hit by a car in 2003… Since that accident everything changed…
Hi my name is Lida and I’m 56, putting the pieces back together one more time and rising up again like a Phoenix.. I was living a successful and big life on the East Coast, teaching high school and living my best life, when I got hit by a car in 2003 while going out for a run. Since that accident everything changed; I became a different person and started living my life differently. Previously not a drinker, my personality changed, and even though it was later in life I started drinking more than I ever had. It started with a nightly cocktail, and quickly spiraled out of control and took over my life. 7 years ago I moved back to CA to stay with family and continue to work on my mental and physical health, where I was able to gather and maintain longer periods of sobriety through the help of a program and working some tools. Then COVID struck and threw myself and everyone in the house for a loop. I struggled to maintain the solid sobriety I had achieved. Needing to start over, I spent 6 months in the Salvation Army and have been staying in a shelter until I can find permanent housing of my own. I secured a full-time job and I’m almost a year into my DUI program. Now I’m trying to save for classes, the ignition interlock on my car, and the higher insurance. I’ve had long periods of sobriety before and I know I am on my way back, if I just stay the course and keep close to my program. I am slowly repairing family relationships and things are different this time- I’ve worked hard to get where I’m at, and I’m determined to keep going.
A difficult divorce left me without housing and I came to Orange County several years ago to stay close to my twin children…
I’m a Veteran who has lived in Orange County for almost 20 years. A difficult divorce left me without housing and I came to Orange County several years ago to stay close to my twin children, whom I could not bear to be far from. Trauma and unfortunate life events made life difficult, but I was determined to stay present and involved as much as I could. They are both adults now, and I have worked hard to overcome the barriers in my past that kept us separated. I have built several houses from the ground up and have the talent to build literally anything. During the pandemic I used my stimulus check to buy some much needed tools and equipment, determined to make a fresh start. Shortly after several of my tools were stolen and my truck fell into disrepair, but I did not let it stop me! I continued to stay on course, focused only on moving forward and keeping my commitments. Today I am employed full-time in construction, love my job, and started working with veteran organizations to secure permanent housing. I am trying to rebuild the life I had before, and maybe one day I'll have my own construction company.
I found myself increasingly alone and isolated in an abusive relationship that I struggled to find an escape from. When I found out I was pregnant with my third child I knew I needed to make drastic changes…
Over the past several years I found myself increasingly alone and isolated in an abusive relationship that I struggled to find an escape from. When I found out I was pregnant with my third child I knew I needed to make drastic changes for the sake of my growing family. On the advice of a support group I fled and found myself on the doorstep of a Domestic Violence Shelter last summer, pregnant with two kids in tow. I worked hard to improve life for myself and my children, taking empowerment classes and obtaining work within weeks of having my baby. The children are thriving now in the local school district and we dream of calling a place our own. I was recently laid off after steady employment due to the COVID surge but I know I will be working again shortly because I am a fighter and determined to continue on this path of strength for my family. I want my children to look back at this chapter of their lives with memories of stability and a place to call home. My dream is to start my own non-profit because I know what it feels like on both sides and I really love helping people.
Bruised with multiple concussions, scared, dehydrated and confused about what was best, I asked the social worker for help…
I have been a domestic violence victim for 8 years. After 2 major failed attempts at leaving my abuser I decided to again while in the hospital. Bruised with multiple concussions, scared, dehydrated and confused about what was best, I asked the Social Worker for help. Embarrassed because I had worked with this facility at my previous job as a nurse case manager, I blindly trusted the first person to help me in what has become the beginning of my new life. I went to a DV shelter where I completed workshops on personal empowerment, reeducated myself about the cycle of DV and received care and therapy from case managers and professionals. Currently I have a job which I took 3 buses to my interview to get. I left without my car key or debit card and had no shoes in the hospital until another woman gave me a pair. I have survived against the internal lie that there was something wrong with me or that I could have caused a different outcome. The shelters and community professionals have smiled, supported and soothed my nerves at every turn. I did everything I needed to do so I could stand on my own, and recently moved into my own place. For the first time since I left, I have permanent housing and follow up case management, therapy, and housing support. My safety journey continues as I work toward my goal of getting a permanent restraining order, get settled, and get used to my new life in my home free from violence.