Emma was a hardworking mother. While taking care of her family, she was suffering in silence, enduring physical, emotional, and verbal abuse by her husband. He was controlling what she was doing, where she was going, and would get upset whenever she returned home from work late, escalating to a point where she was held at gunpoint by him. She was scared to lose her life and leave her children without a mother. Isolated from her family and friends, Emma felt helpless and alone. She noticed her eldest daughter was beginning to understand what domestic violence was. Keeping her newborn and children safe was her priority. She was determined to seek help and leave the abusive relationship. Her desire to start a new life away from abuse is what led her to Human Options.
Emma reached out to our Hotline and entered our emergency shelter. At first, she was afraid of going into a shelter but knew she had made the right decision. She was very impressed with the facility and was not expecting our shelter to look like a normal and safe place. She felt relief once she got to shelter with her children. Emma was eager to learn and participate in the services available to her. Because she felt supported and safe, Emma was continuously working hard to meet her goals.
Emma is currently in our Family Healing program working alongside her case manager to create a plan to establish a new life in California. She feels safe and now hopeful for her and her children.
