both of my parents in such a state that neither one of them was sober enough to take care of me or my older brother.
I remember watching my father
pummel my mother so badly
that she
thought she could only find safety hiding
behind the bottom of an empty glass or
bottle.
This continued on for years until
somehow my mother found it in herself to
take a stand and fight for her life.
Leaving the only man she had ever
known, my mother left her abuser and took
her two small children with nothing but the clothes on our backs and a small box of
memories to start a new life where nothing bad could ever happen.
This is the point in my life where I was introduced to one of the things that has saved
my family: the Susan B. Anthony Project.
My mother moved us into the battered women’s shelter here she was surrounded with
women who had made the same choice she did in leaving their attackers and trying to start a
new life.
This is where my first good memory appeared. It was Christmas and I remember
wanting the brand new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Action figure set- what can I say? I’m
an ’80s baby. I remember running downstairs and seeing the tree and diving head first into a
pile of presents that would make a rich kid jealous.
I remember thinking to myself that
none of this would have happened if it
weren’t for an agency like the Susan B.
Anthony Project to help and support
battered women and give them a new start.
The Susan B. Anthony project not only
gives women a fresh start but it helps them
through the startup to their new lives.
New beginnings and hope
We had made it through the first part of our
new beginning. Things began to get easier.
My mother had gotten clean and was
actively going to meetings in order to keep
her mind on track and maintaining her sobriety.
We had moved from the shelter to the Susan B. Anthony Project Transitional House.
This time there were more children who my brother and I could interact with and know that
they would not look at us poorly because we came from a broken home.
The one family we interacted with in the house the most is still part of our lives today.
We have a wonderful relationship because we never judged one another. My mother was able
to begin a new job and begin saving money to support our family. After a few years of saving
we were on our way, but never too far from Susan B.
A home of our own
We moved again into yet another house, but this house was almost exactly in between our
two previous homes. I never realized this until now. Looking back I wonder if this was the
halfway mark or was this the path to the finish line? I don’t think it was either because I
know that I will never be done with Susan B.
The Susan B Anthony Project saved our lives. It initially gave us freedom and hope, it
gave us a new beginning. It helped us get back on our feet, as it has helped hundreds of
other families.
The year was 1997. My mother was so well off due to Susan B. that she was able to
purchase her own home. What I am trying to say is that my mother has helped me as much
as she possibly could but has also instilled in me great morals and a sense of responsibility.
I left my mother for boot camp on July 29, 2002. Four years seven months and fifteen
days later, here I am. And I could not have done it without the help of the Susan B. Anthony
Project.
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