“Mary Ann” endured ongoing abuse by multiple family members as a child. When the perpetrators were caught and held accountable for the abuse, Mary Ann’s family lost all financial support, as the perpetrators had been the primary financial support for the family. This meant that Mary Ann also lost the emotional support of her other family members, who experienced financial issues and blamed her for the hardship. By this time, she also had a young son.
Mary Ann turned to her boyfriend, who was also abusive. She tried to distance herself from him and found herself without anyone to support her. But living with her young son in a rental unit was difficult, and her boyfriend was still involved, and still abusive. She was ready to make a change. She found out about Second Story for Young Mothers and gave us a call.
Our staff got together to figure out a better way to support Mary Ann and her son. Mary Ann was able to transition into our young mothers program, where she thrived in the more-structured environment. She graduated high school and moved into the next phase of our support. She then was able to get her own apartment through our organization’s partnership with the Bridging Affordability program. She found full-time steady employment and enrolled in college. She got her learner’s permit and then her driver’s license and hopes to be able to get her own car soon.
Mary Ann also gained confidence, stability, and strength which gave her the courage to leave her abusive relationship for good. Mary Ann also worked very hard on financial management, paying off all of her debt, and building a substantial savings.
