Cynthia, Mental Health & Housing Client

Before coming to The Whole Child my biggest challenge as a single mother was being unable to provide a home for my children.  I have no family in this country with a limited support system around me.  My kids and I became homeless when I fled an abusive partner who was my children’s father.  As a result, my children and I were experiencing some big emotions that we didn’t know what do to with at the time.  I felt worthless, powerless and stuck in our situation.  My biggest fear was to have to beg my children’s father to take me back in order to provide for my kids.  My daughter was isolating, crying uncontrollably and having outbursts that I wasn’t sure how to address.  I thought a lot about how I justified staying in an unhealthy relationship in order for my children to have a home.  When I came to The Whole Child I had no income, transportation or a safe place for my children to sleep.  I went through multiple temp jobs to try to stabilize our life but none of my attempts seemed to work.  I finally called 211 and was connected to The Whole Child.

The Whole Child helped us secure housing and my daughter and I focus on our emotional wellness.  I never imagined, even with the aid of public assistance, that I would be able to rent an apartment for my children or maintain expenses.  It has all been a process, in which our emotional wellness began to improve when we secured a place to call home.  Participating in my daughter’s therapy helped me realize the need to address my own mental health needs and I have been seeing a therapist, too.  Since receiving help, I have had more of myself to invest in my children and improve their quality of life.

Since coming to The Whole Child my daughter has improved her ability to self-regulate her irritability and improved in being more assertive.  Overall, our life changed with receiving a safe place to live.  I have hopes and feel good about our future.  I work constantly to make sure our housing is secure.  We have achieve what I thought was impossible.  We can do it and we did it!