September 2022 Newsletter

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Heal And Move Forward

 

Domestic violence set in motion a whole series of events ending in homelessness for Lisa and eight-year-old Kaylee. Even before her daughter was born, the stage had been set. Within the emotions of a codependent relationship was a trap of compliance. Fear of rejection, homelessness, loneliness, worthiness ruled Lisa’s behavior. He was verbally and physically abusive, leaving bruise marks regularly. Drugs were used to cope with it, but the problem was only compounded. When her son was born, she signed custody of him over to her mother, for the sake of getting him out of the bad situation. Her boyfriend’s behavior got so bizarre that he removed every interior door of their rental house, because of his paranoid control issues. Finally, Lisa had enough and saw an out. When he confessed to her the crime of stealing a vehicle, she turned him in. He went to prison where he could not hurt her anymore. She was free to get clean and sober.

Lisa worked as a cashier in a convenience store, supporting herself and by then her daughter. In time, her mother became so ill that she would have to go to a care facility, except that Lisa quit her job to become a caregiver. By then, custody of her son had gone to her sister. Three years later, her mother passed away. Lisa reverted back to the old learned behavior to cope with her loss. She said, “I relapsed, because I was not dealing with it. I was just bottling it all up because my mom was my number one supporter. Without her, I was really lost.”

“I knew the security, and could get back in recovery.”

Needing security from abusers and a drug-free environment for recovery, Lisa and Kaylee went to Samaritan Inn. We are located across the street from the Department of Human Services and just a few blocks from her treatment program. She took a job as a housekeeper at a local motel. Lisa said, “One of the reasons I came here was because I knew the security, and could get back in recovery. If it wasn’t for this place, I don’t know where I would be or if I would have my daughter. They really pay attention to the screening process for who they allow in the locked entry gate.”

“Chapel helped me get closer to God,” she said, “and helped me get stable in my faith. After my mom died, I just stopped, went stagnant in my faith, not doing what I was suppose to do. Being here has helped me heal and move forward.”

In the photo above, mother and daughter are seated atop the slide of the playground equipment at Samaritan Inn. They have a strong bond and hope for the future.