Fidela’s Story:

“In February of 2014 I was really sick, alone, and scared, and I didn’t know what to do. I had experienced domestic violence, both physically and emotionally. I was sleeping in my car and suffered through the heat and the cold and the hunger until I called the YWCA.

They quickly answered my call and told me to come in and I remember that they greeted me like family; they gave me a room and a bed. I had a bathroom and I could shower. We had a big living room with a television and a big yard. All of the case managers and staff were so nice to me, they gave me classes and therapy.

They have supported me with my case and I am very grateful. The support that they gave me helped me get into another shelter. When I got there I felt scared because it was very different from the shelter here, but I trusted my case managers and my lawyer and I had a lot of faith in myself.

Thanks to everyone here now I have a beautiful apartment with a really pretty bed, a big living room, a bathroom where I can shower and a kitchen where I can cook. Now my next goal is to study so that I can pass the test for my American citizenship. I owe all of this to the support of the staff who have helped me and shown that we are not alone.”