Christy and her children came to Hillcrest Hope to find stability and support. They had been living separately so as not to exhaust the people in their life willing to help. At Hillcrest Hope they found a safe, stable home where they could grow together as a family. It was here that they were able to build on the foundation Christy had begun long ago. Family is not just a provision but a blessing.
“At a young age, I had 3 kids with a man who was very abusive. I was able to finally get away from him but every relationship after that made me question my worth. I gave up my hopes and dreams because my only focus became to make sure that my kids were healthy and safe. My entire support system consisted of my mom and my brother.
In a tragic accident, I lost my brother and two of his children. I fell into a deep depression and my mom began struggling severely as well. The support system that I had carried me through had disappeared. They never paid my bills or took part in my responsibilities but they had been there for me emotionally. They encouraged me, reminding me that I was doing a good job as a single mom of three now-teenagers.
I had been working two jobs for a long time, never really being at home with my kids and never having a day off. I got to the point that I finally felt like giving in. I was offered the opportunity to move to Wyoming to live with my children’s dad’s family. As I thought through this “chance for a new start,” as I had viewed it, I realized that I wouldn’t be teaching my kids what I wanted them to learn. Someone else would be taking care of us. It would be a free ride, though I admit, for a brief moment seemed like a relief. Yet, it was not the environment for us. This extended family had always desired for our family to be united, turning a blind eye to the way my children’s father had treated me. I did not want to seem ungrateful but I determined to hold out and look for another way. It was then that I reached out to Hillcrest Hope.
When we were accepted into Hillcrest Hope, my three teens were kind of upset because it was transitional housing and they were embarrassed. It took a little bit but they began to see the whole picture. I learned so much during our stay and from the different pieces of the program. Hillcrest Hope is there for a family every step of the way.
While there, I learned a lot about myself. I learned that it is easy to save money, to be able to make the best out of any situation, to be able to make a reasonable budget for my family that still allows us to enjoy time together and, finally, I learned that I am SOMEBODY.
Hillcrest Hope will do all they can to help you reach your goals but it is you that has to do the work. I was broken, hurting, excited, frustrated, and so much more through each step and, in each step, I was cared for. They showed me who I was and helped me become the person that they saw in me. I was proud the day that I graduated and still am today.
Since leaving the program I have used every tool that they gave me. I have been able to successfully stay in one place and to pay my bills and keep caught up with finances. I was able to walk away from a relationship that I needed to leave without the fear of losing everything. I have not been nor will be financially dependent on someone else to get by.
My kids are happy and healthy. They know how hard I work and appreciate what I do for them. I have taught them that if you work hard you can achieve anything. They are now working to get the extra things that I can’t give them without breaking my own budget. Please hear that I am not saying things don’t get hard from time to time. It is that I know now how to get through them without fear or overwhelming worry.
Hillcrest Hope taught me to be the STRONG INDEPENDENT WOMAN that was hiding inside of me. I hope that one day that I will be able to repay all the people at Hillcrest Hope that helped me and my family become who we are today.”