We are so grateful for the opportunity to restart our life. After fleeing a DV situation and losing my job I wasn’t sure how to put all the pieces together. I felt so hopeless and degraded. But then we were referred to Lydia Place. I got into a retraining program that allowed me to go back to school and I was able to get the degree I needed to go after my dream job. Lydia Place helped us to get into our own apartment, which after two years of family of 5 sharing one small bedroom was a huge blessing. Our Lydia Place case worker not only helped us find resources for furniture and school supplies, but she also helped us find hope again. I completed my two-year degree, did an internship, and then got hired on in a full time position. Going to school and working full time while being a newly single mother of four children has been extremely challenging and at times the road has seemed long and overwhelming. But the encouragement of my caseworker has helped me to see the success I have had and to stay the course as I persevere through each new trial. There is still a long way to go until we are stable and I’m fully able to support my family on my own. But I know I can do it now. I feel the support of the Lydia Place staff and other community service agencies has given me the hand up that I needed to put our lives back together again.