Eli’s Story

Have you ever felt like you need to take huge step in order to make a change in your life, but you feel weak, defeated, and hopeless?  This is exactly how I felt when I was ready to leave my abusive marriage.  I knew I had to take that step to make a change in my life and my kids’ lives.  I didn’t want them growing up in the middle of a never-ending battle of mental, emotional, physical, and even financial abuse that I had been enduring for the past 9 years.  Where do I start?  Who do I turn to?  I didn’t have anything to my name, all we had were our clothes on our backs, because during our last altercation, my husband had thrown me out of the house and didn’t let me take anything with me!  

I was referred to a local shelter for victims of domestic violence.  I was blessed to have family members that, even though I had been alienated from for years, took me and my kids for a while.   So I didn’t have to stay at a shelter, but I did receive the same help and resources.  I got a referral to go to His Helping Hands, as I was ready to get my own apartment and they would provide me with household items and help me furnish it.  When I arrived there, they prayed for me and helped me with so much.  Most importantly they referred me to a program specifically for women wanting a new beginning, a FRESH HOPE!  

I walked over to the FRESH HOPE building, and I was greeted by Connie, the Director.  As soon as I started telling her my story, I burst into tears, as I felt God’s arms around me through her welcoming heart!  I felt that I had finally found the support I needed to make a change in my life, as I knew I couldn’t do it alone, that at any moment I would go back to the same narcissist cycle of abuse.  As I started attending our meetings on Thursday nights, I learned from so many other women that I wasn’t the only one.  Every single woman there was going through something similar, and they were all ready to make that change happen, to work hard, to learn, to grow, to be independent.  Each week we were given courage, strength, hope, motivation and resources to come out of the hole we were in.  Some even got new jobs and some got vehicles so they could get around, all thanks to this program.

I feel very blessed and thankful to have found FRESH HOPE, to have found Connie!  I pray that her blessings are multiplied, that the Lord may reward her for everything she has done for each and every FRESH HOPE woman!   I also feel very blessed to continue to be a part of this organization, seeing the many ladies during their celebration dinner.   I get to take pictures of them and their families and the experience is so rewarding.  I can see myself in them, everything they had to endure and finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, starting their new journey with the help of FRESH HOPE!