Strong & Courageous
“Being a parent is already the toughest job one can have in their life, but when you have to get into a shelter with your kid, the level of guilt and stress can be so overwhelming that you can be tempted to settle into an unsafe relationship.” As a recent resident of the Ruth Lily Women and Children’s Center, Tiffany can look back with wisdom on those first few weeks after she and her daughter fled the violence in their home and took shelter with The Salvation Army.
It took a lot of bravery for Tiffany to come to the decision to get out of the relationship after it had become dangerous. As a victim of domestic violence, she found herself quietly researching shelters in Indiana. Tiffany didn’t have any financial resources or a friend she could stay with while she tried to figure out how to get her life back, so she felt a shelter was her only option.
When Tiffany and her daughter checked in at the Women and Children’s Center, they were welcomed with compassion and empathy. The two settled in and Tiffany met her new case worker, Tallula. She learned that Tallula would do everything in her power to connect Tiffany with agencies that could help her get back on her feet, but she would need to show persistence, perseverance, and hard work to make her life better.
“No one will just serve my dream life on a silver plate,” Tiffany shares, summarizing the lesson she was just starting to learn that first day. “I followed Tallula’s advice. She empowered me and trained me to be brave and ask for what I needed.”
After weeks of showing up at different agencies’ offices and applying for help, Tiffany’s hard work finally paid off. Within three months, Tiffany had placed her daughter in daycare, secured a good job, and was preparing to move into her own apartment.
“The first time I met with Tallula, she made me write down my goals and told me to stay focused on fulfilling all of them,” Tiffany explains. “It hasn’t been easy, and if the walls of my room could talk, they would tell about a lot of tears and doubts. But I used the guilt I carried as motivation to achieve all my goals and do everything I could to get back on my feet as quickly as possible.”
Today, Tiffany is a stronger, more confident woman. Her daughter is in a safe and loving home and living without the uncertainty and fear of their former life. “My overall experience at this shelter has been as smooth as it could have been thanks to all of the staff who showed kindness and respect,” says Tiffany. “They made us feel safe, empowered, and fearless. On behalf of my daughter and myself, I would like to express our deepest gratitude to The Salvation Army and the staff at the Women and Children’s Center.”
To learn more about the Ruth Lily Women and Children's Center, please visit https://centralusa.salvationarmy.org/indiana/women-and-childrens-center/