From Survival to Stability

Before I found Life Turning Point of Philadelphia, I was a hard-working single mother who loved taking care of others. I am non-confrontational. I want everyone to smile and “let go” of the hard things life throws your way. I was the person who always tried to keep the peace. I had my own place, my own responsibilities; and I am still that person, but now I know a better way. 

My life changed after a traumatic experience when I was physically attacked. A friend of mine was having issues with her neighbor, where things were getting heated. I’m in the middle of it trying to talk her neighbors down from fighting - that's when five women jumped me. I was beaten and hit in the head with a twenty-pound weight bar, and my face, neck, and chest were burned with boiling water and bleach. I spent twenty-three days in a burn hospital recovering from third-degree burns. It was a moment that changed my life forever.

When I was released, I was determined to get back on my feet. Work was always my place of comfort. I love working, being productive, and making a difference. But underneath all of that I am a workaholic. I returned to work on a Monday after two weeks, expecting to rebuild my life. They wanted to schedule a 9:30 a.m. meeting upon my return. I'm like, “Sure,” thinking nothing of it. But during the meeting, I learned that my entire department had been eliminated. It was not personal; it was a business decision, but it was an unexpected loss during a very difficult season.

Shortly after that, I met my daughter’s father two months after the tragedy. I shared my story with him because I believed he cared and would help me find justice for what happened to me. He told me he would help me and that made me feel special. Probably the third or fourth month in the relationship, I became pregnant and he changed. 

The conflicts started, a lot of arguments and infidelity. I kicked him out, he went to the back of the house, kicked in the gate, and threw rocks at the window until the window broke. The very next day, the landlord called me and told me that I had to leave - without a place to go.

This did not end the relationship. He and I spent months trying to survive—staying with family, friends, and in temporary places back and forth from New Jersey and New York.. I found another job as a cashier. Within a month-and-a-half, he became jealous when I was asked if I could work overtime. He came to my job yelling and cursing at me and at the male staff, accusing me of cheating. Of course, I immediately lost that job. After another round of instability, finding another place because he gets a voucher from public assistance, he saw this as an opportunity to continue controlling and abusive treatment towards me, because now I am living under “his” roof - even after my best friend gave me $1,400 for the broker's fee. It was a terrible time!

I went to a family member's house to figure out a way to get out of this situation. After my daughter was born, I knew I needed a safer path for both of us. I entered a domestic violence shelter, but because of how connected my daughter’s father was in the area, I did not feel safe. He continued finding where I was staying, and I felt like I could never truly escape.

Eventually, I asked the shelter if there was any way I could relocate. They connected me with Woman Against Abuse in Philadelphia. I remember being transported from New Jersey to Philadelphia, and it felt like the beginning of a new chapter. I was overwhelmed. I did not know anyone in Philadelphia, I had a baby, and I did not know where we would go next. I even considered going back to a situation I knew was not healthy, because I did not see another option.

That is when Life Turning Point of Philadelphia came into my life. When I called them it was on a Friday, and my time was up at the DV shelter on Monday. LTP called me and I had a meeting with Sister Kelly first, then with Sister Rita. She said to me, “If we would accept you in the program when would you be able to move in?” I told her, “Now.” She told me I was accepted and could move in the next day. Every time I think about it, I feel the joy and relief that I had at that moment. I knew I was being given another opportunity.

Being at Life Turning Point has been simple: it's home. I really appreciate the guidance. Everything I experience is a little lesson in itself. This place is clean and neat - immaculate. This place is amazing; it doesn't get any better than this!. You're introduced to everybody that's gonna be in this establishment. What shelter is really like that? It's home here. It’s really a home.

So to say that on my journey of being homeless and looking to find a placement to fill the void of homelessness, I literally created space in my head, like, where I feel safe in my mind. When I had my own place, that space in my mind was gone. But coming here, I see a clearer path. I feel safe! The greatness of what’s to come, I can see it. I was stagnant before. Now I feel free. Life Turning Point helped connect me with Career Link. They helped me with resources, including childcare assistance and career support. They helped me to update my resume and understand how things have changed in today’s job market. I found a job that I wanted. I now work as an office administrator for a home healthcare company. I am grateful for the opportunity to grow.

One of the biggest things I worked on during my time here is myself. For a long time, I have been a people-pleaser. I have always been the person who helps and takes care of everyone else - always doing the most, even when it's not reciprocated. At an early age, I grew up in foster care, living in-and-out of eight foster homes. I now know that's where the abuse began in my life. 

Life Turning Point has helped me to see that my story is not over. I am grateful for Life Turning Point, because it gave me more than a place to live. The staff gave me a safe space to heal, grow, and believe again in what God has planned for my life.