Sarah found herself a victim of domestic violence at the hands of her estranged husband. “When the pandemic started, my husband became depressed after being furloughed from his job and directed his anger and frustration at me,” Sarah said. After her husband physically attacked her in front of her children in July, Sarah sought help by reaching out to Radiant Futures’s Helpline for housing support. Within days, Sarah entered Radiant Futures’s Emergency Shelter program with her daughter Katie and twin boys Jacob and Joshua.
Sarah had suffered abuse by her husband for many years throughout her marriage but decided to stay in the relationship for the sake of her children. Prior to leaving her abusive home environment, Sarah and her children lived a lavish lifestyle in South Orange County. “It was hard for me to leave because my kids had everything – a nice house, a backyard to play in, and their own rooms, but it got to a point where they started sleeping with me because they were afraid of their dad. That’s when I knew I had to get out.”
Sarah was a survivor of physical, financial, and emotional abuse up until the day she decided to put an end to her turmoil and reach out to Radiant Futures for help. When Sarah made what felt like the hardest call of her life, little did she know that she was about to begin a life free from violence when she entered Radiant Futures’s Bridge Housing Program.
Upon arrival to Radiant Futures’s Emergency Shelter program, Sarah and her children were provided with a Personal Protective Equipment kit that included masks, gloves, disinfectant wipes, and hand sanitizer and hygiene products for their apartment. During her stay in our program, Sarah received assistance from our Legal and Clinical teams and was able to file a restraining order against her husband. “I know I wouldn’t have survived the abuse if I didn’t leave when I did. I couldn’t believe there was a shelter so beautiful and so close by. I’m so thankful I called that day.”
Sarah’s children also received counseling to cope with the trauma caused by the abuse and made friends while in our program. Sarah successfully graduated from Radiant Futures’s Emergency Program in August 2020 and moved into Transitional Housing with her 3 children. Please keep Sarah in your thoughts as she continues to make huge changes in her life to keep her and her children safe.