When Lauren* left her abuser after 15 years of marriage, she was unsure if she could do it on her own.
The mom of three fled from California to stay with a friend in Clarksville before finding her way to Sanctuary, Inc.
“Sanctuary helped me beyond what I imagined,” she said.
The shelter provided a free place for her and the kids to lay their heads. A warm meal. Art classes to decompress, and the support she needed to figure out her next steps.
“Getting accepted into Sanctuary was a big step because at that time I didn’t know what the direction of my life was. With my marriage, he was the sole provider and a very good provider, so it was always a big scare for me to do it on my own.”
By working with her case manager Ashley, Lauren was able to secure housing and a job in administration. She now lives in a three-bedroom home that she loves.
“Ashley never made me feel like I was alone in anything,” Lauren said. “She always told me it was going to be OK. Even when things would be going good and then something would happen, she would tell me, ‘We’re going to work through this together.’ I’m genuinely from the bottom of my heart so grateful for her.”
Lauren said a lot of women escaping domestic abuse could benefit from just having someone there to cheer them on.
She hopes by telling her story that others will be empowered to leave their abuser.
“I still have a lot of growing to do,” she said, “but here at Sanctuary, they gave me the space and the room to grow. If I’m the plant, they were the soil. They were completely there for me.”
*Name changed to maintain confidentiality.