Emma

Thanks to Mainstay, I like who I am. I no longer feel like an intimidated , isolated child.

In 2009, Emma was in a verbally abusive relationship which had worsened and extended toward her son when she came to Mainstay. Emma has mental and emotional problems which resulted in her being in and out of hospitals. She was not able to function in or out of the home. She had not worked in a few years so she did not have an income upon entering the shelter.

Since coming to Mainstay, Emma says that she learned how to be a strong person by the example of the Mainstay staff. Mainstay assisted her by providing structure and a safe environment where she was able to learn how to interact positively with others. Emma also learned to put things into perspective, set priorities, forgive and not to have an automatic negative response. She participated in the Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) classes offered by Mainstay where she learned to self-sooth and to take care of herself until she could get assistance.

Emma feels as she has grown since coming to Mainstay. She does not feel intimidated anymore where before she always felt like a child. She says that this has helped her to avoid being used and abused. She has learned to set boundaries and how to recognize red flags. Emma has learned how to express her thoughts and feelings.

Emma continues to set new goals for herself in order to become self-sustaining. She was able to start work through Vocational Solutions and has moved out of the shelter into a duplex with the Housing Authority. She is working and seeking permanent employment, working toward finding a better source of transportation, improving communication skills between herself and her son, teaching her son about responsibility and how to be safe, to interact more with friends and not be so isolated. She eventually hopes to re-locate.

Emma expressed a tremendous gratitude for the Mainstay staff being so patient throughout her long stay. Without this time to accomplish her goals she would not be where she is today.

Emma said that this time was the hardest time in her life but it was also her greatest lesson learned and said "We Survived". She says that everything worth having is hard work and she has learned about endurance. Emma now likes who she is and does not need someone else to make her feel that way. She is not afraid to say that someone or something is not healthy for her and her son.