STORIES OF EMPOWERMENT: Ashley's Story
A traumatic car accident literally turned 34-year-old Ashley’s life upside down. “I had everything. My kids were thriving, my job was fulfilling, and my life was full of possibilities.” The accident robbed Ashley of all she worked so hard to achieve. “After my physical injuries healed, the fear and anxiety of the experience basically left me paralyzed”. Ashley’s PTSD kept her from being able to work and mounting medical bills drained her savings. She came to the realization that the only way she would be able to continue taking care of her children is if she moved in with her mother. “I felt terrible putting this strain on my mother. She took care of me when I was recovering from my injuries, and she just couldn’t financially support me and my children.”
Ashley knew she needed to step outside of her comfort zone to be the mother she wanted to be for her children and support them in the way they deserve. She had no idea where to start, it all seemed so overwhelming. The first thing Ashley did was call The Salvation Army.
Ashley was connected with Maimee, a Pathway of Hope Case Manager. Maimee has extensive experience working with individuals who are working through trauma. She knew that she was going to need to find the perfect balance of compassionate encouragement and firm persistence to pull Ashley from the fear, shame and self-doubt that kept her from moving forward and putting the accident in her past.
“Maimee was the coach and mentor I needed to get me through this. She helped me reclaim my courage, strength, and dignity.” Pathway of Hope provides wraparound services to help families overcome their unique challenges and place them on a path toward stability and self-sufficiency. Ashley was provided coordinated care, budgeting, emergency financial assistance, food support, and encouragement along the way. After just a few short months, Ashley and her two children moved into their new home.
Last week, Ashley shared that she experienced an overwhelming sense of pride as she sent her two children off to summer camp at The Salvation Army’s Camp Keystone. “My kids experienced some real grownup issues and worry when I got into my accident. I love that they can make new friends and just be kids.”
Together with Maimee, Ashley continues to strengthen her financial stability and is making strides in reaching her goals of going to school to become certified in therapeutic massage therapy and, one day, owning her own business to help others on their journey towards wellness.
Transitioning a family from homelessness takes time. Families are typically in Pathway of Hope for up to two years. For Ashley, small manageable steps made transforming her life seem possible.
What I’ve learned through Ashley’s story is that life's greatest lessons about courage, strength, and dignity aren't learned when we are comfortable, but taught in the midst of life's greatest discomfort and adversities, by circumstances that none of us would call fair, but which, in the end, are the circumstances that shape and define who we are.