By Christine, a successful survivor
It was a pleasure to have Christine in our program. While we are sad to see her go, we are so excited for her to take the next step in her professional development. Christine is a survivor of domestic abuse, and joined our program in August of 2020. Her take on her experience is below:
“I don’t even know where to begin. Okay, so when I came to WIN (Women’s Initiative Network Wichita), I was living in a shelter with three out of five of my kids. Here’s some background. I am a survivor of sexual, physical, and mental abuse from the age of two and on from there. I dropped out of school at 16 and tried getting a job. I jumped from job to job and guy to guy until I got pregnant with my oldest (now 15). I was a single mom, working to take care of my baby and me.
Almost two years later, I ran into an old friend I had not seen in years (my abuser). We started dating and shortly after, we moved in together. The first year was great. Then, everything changed.
I made excuses for his behavior every time. This went on for years before I gave in and starting using with him. I started fighting back, and I lost everything. I lost my kids, my self-worth, my home, everything. Fast forward to 2020, I was living at the Salvation Army shelter. One of the girls told me about WIN.
I applied and WIN accepted me into the program. I started at the end of August 2020. I don’t know where I would be without WIN and all the support from everyone there. Jeff from Credit Counseling, the girls from Mid-American, our nutrition girls, Malissa for teaching us to sew, the list goes on.
I now have my own place. I have found full-time employment. I have computer skills that I never had before. I could go on and on about this amazing program. The leaders here, the friends made, the life lessons and growth.
I will leave you with this: Make the best of every day. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. And here’s a quote: “Find a positive in every negative. Turn the music up and dance.”
Editor’s Note: This tribute to Christine’s success first appeared in the June e-newsletter of WIN, or Women’s Initiative Network Wichita, a nonprofit that the Adorers founded and have sponsored for years.