Like so many women, I found myself alone after an abusive marriage ended. I knew I needed to make a lot of decisions in order to care for myself and my two daughters, but I was emotionally overwhelmed and had nowhere to go. My mental state was so fragile, I nearly committed suicide. I had lost all faith in myself. I knew I needed counseling, but I also had so many other needs, as I was starting over on my own for the first time. As I was working on my mental health with a counselor at HopeNet, she recommended getting some coaching at HopeNet as well. I had never had coaching, but I felt so much love and care from the HopeNet staff, I knew they wanted the best for me.
As I was on my own for the first time, I needed help navigating through the complicated systems of Section 8 housing and finding insurance. I had never done any that before and it would have taken me twice as long to do it on my own. Having someone walk with me, who knew who to talk to and what to expect was so helpful. I am afraid I would have given up if I had to do it on my own.
I also worked with a coach to take the next steps as I had to start over on my own. She helped me set simple goals like de-cluttering my things. Many of these things had bad memories from my life with my ex and I didn’t need the stuff or the memories. We would set a goal and then plan out steps to complete that goal. I knew my coach would ask me about if I had completed the steps we marked out. It was so helpful to be accountable to someone for those steps and to have someone be compassion and caring when I bit off more than I could handle. Even reaching a small goal helped me feel better about where I was and where I could go.
I am now living in an apartment on my own for the first time in a long time. I started a new job and I am so hopeful about the future. Now that I am working, I know I will need help setting up a budget for my income. I am so glad I know who to come to help me understand how to use my money well and make sure I am wise with how I spend and save.
