Getting Results |
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 Success Stories |
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Success
Stories-Families
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My family became part of the PATHS program
on May 1, 2007. Prior to moving in, I was struggling to put my life and
my family back together as a single mom. I did not know how to assure my
children that they were safe and loved. I felt that one wrong move would
bring everything crashing down and I didn’t quite trust myself to make
the next move.
My children spent their early childhood in a home surrounded by drug
use, violence and severe neglect. My daughter was 4 and my son was 2
when the police came to my house and removed them from my custody under
the orders of Child Welfare Services. I knew things weren’t quite right,
but this was how I was raised and how my mother had been raised. It was
a vicious cycle and I had become a willing participant.
After 7 months in residential treatment, my older children were returned
to me on a trial basis. It was then that I began my search for a place
where I could learn the basics of being a clean and sober mom. Five
months later, I moved to St. Vincent’s. I had a lot of goals that I
discussed with my case manager. I needed to learn how to interact with
my children. Sojourn Services came to the house and taught me how to
play and communicate with my children. I attended St. Vincent’s
parenting classes once a week and I developed new skills that were
critical to my CWS case being closed. I was granted full physical and
legal custody of my two older children. Through self-esteem classes I
learned to rely on myself and to begin reaching for the stars. I worked
hard and recently obtained employment that I find very rewarding. I
don’t think I would be so successful in my current position without the
skills I have been taught in all of my PATHS classes.
St. Vincent’s has given me the opportunity to participate in the Child
Abuse Prevention Council and to be a guest speaker at the St. Vincent’s
Golf Classic and at a St. Vincent’s luncheon. At each of these events, I
was able to hold my head high and reach my hand out in greeting as I
introduced myself. I was genuinely proud of myself and I was without
shame, where before shame had been an ever present force telling me I
wasn’t worthy.
As I look back, I have been able to accomplish some of my original goals
and I am grateful for the PATHS program. My first year I was settling in
and just trying to figure out how many times a day my children should be
brushing their teeth. I also began making positive changes in my own
life – a solid recovery program, family relationships, career movement,
and healing from past hurts. I still have legal issues to resolve in
order to be able to advance in my career and secure permanent housing
for my family. I also feel I am ready to file for divorce and sever the
final connection to my children’s absent father. I look forward to
receiving continued therapy; I think this is a truly amazing aspect of
the program and I am finally getting to those serious issues with which
I so desperately want to have peace and closure.
I want to thank you for the wonderful opportunity my family has had
being a part of St. Vincent’s. By participating I have been able to see
myself become accountable, reliable, strong, assertive and most of all,
a wonderful mom (all traits I thought I was born without). I have been
able to break the vicious cycle of violence and drug abuse. My children
do not have to grow up the way I did; I know I have the power within me
to love and care for them. They have been allowed to be children; they
laugh today and they know that they are loved by me and the wonderful
community of St. Vincent’s.
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