It felt like a nightmare. Olivia remembered the pain she had felt when she told her husband she was pregnant with their son Mateo, four years ago. He flew into a rage…but it was nothing like this day.  Overcome with fear, Olivia shared the news that she was expecting a baby girl. But, nothing could have prepared her for his reaction. Demanding she abort the life growing inside her, he became violent.

The years of abuse she had endured, the pain of watching her husband fight a losing battle with addiction, and the reality that her two little boys, Mateo and Angel, had seen more than any children should ever see, was more than she could bear. Olivia didn’t know what to do. Who to turn to. All she knew was that she had to leave. For her, and 80% of women and children fleeing domestic violence, homelessness is not a choice — it’s the only option.

Pregnant, with no place to go, and nobody to help them, Olivia, Mateo and Angel fled to an Emergency Shelter.  The immense fear of being found, and the trauma they’d experienced, made it hard for them to feel even the slightest sense of relief. The boys had lived in fear for so long, how could they adjust to simply being safe?

As the end of their 3-month stay drew closer, Olivia was plagued by the uncertainty of where they would go. She had no idea how she would get everything for the new baby or even where they would be. It was then that Olivia was referred to Door of Hope. Here they found peace. They found safety and shelter, they found…hope. And, a place for healing to begin.

Door of Hope’s Transitional Housing Program gives families like Olivia a safe place to shelter, but it’s so much more than that!  Our holistic services are a bridge of support and through our case management, families work towards a plan for the future — a plan for success.

Olivia shares how she is feeling now, “I saw how the boys felt more ease being here compared to the time we were fleeing the violent environment we were in, and our time at the emergency shelter. Now I have the ability to plan for the future and move forward because of all the support I’m feeling and getting. I’m excited and grateful to know I have a safe and stable place to bring my newborn child into, and grateful that my daughter will have the essential things she needs as a newborn. I was so anxious about this before because I didn’t have the money to provide these items. I have nothing for her.”