Ruth’s Story

Ruth called Friendship Home after a particularly traumatic and violent episode in her home. She wanted to leave but the size of her family was of great concern. She had five children and was worried Friendship Home couldn’t help her.

Large families are not unusual for Friendship Home and we made sure to erase her anxiety. We had one large single-family shelter about to be vacated. We problem solved and safety planned strategically with her for several days and then cautiously moved her and her children into that apartment.

Ruth said it was a “Godsend!” She laughed and shared with us she could “even hear herself think sometimes.” After only a couple of weeks her kids were much calmer and she relished the peace and privacy.

One of her children had a disability and her batterer would not allow her to take the child to the doctor, so our Health Care Navigator mad sure the entire family had access to a trusted family physician to ensure all of her children had access to the resources they needed now and would need after they left Friendship Home’s care.