When she was 18 years old, Alexandra made the long, terrifying trip from Honduras to the United States with her 16 year old sister and her uncle. Her parents had come to the United States a few years prior, leaving Alexandra and her younger sister completely alone. Because they had very little money, their journey was extremely difficult, but the thought of the United States, which they considered a dreamland, kept them going.
Years later, Alexandra was talking to her daughter about the importance education when her daughter asked why she had to study if her mother did not finish school. Alexandra took up her daughter’s challenge and began attending English classes at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Center. The classes were tough, and it was difficult to learn a new language, but Alexandra refused to give up. She was determined to show her daughter what it took to succeed, and to make her understand the importance of education.
One day, Alexandra hopes to get her GED and attend college so that she can get a better job and support her family independently. Her goal is to build a life for her family here, and to watch her children grow up in a society that will allow them to truly succeed.
Jane was forced to flee her home, due to domestic violence. She found her way to Portsmouth, with the hope of starting a new life, but she soon discovered that basic, everyday, activities were difficult without a second income. But Jane refused to give up. She was unable to afford a car, but this did not stop her from striving to create a better life for her children. Each day, she walked two miles with her children so that they would not miss school.
During their first Christmas in Portsmouth, Jane had nothing extra for her children, and no money to make Christmas special. Through a referral to Catholic Social Services, volunteers were alerted to Jane’s situation, and a few days before Chrsitmas, they delivered gifts and a food basket to the family. The children, usually shy around strangers, catapulted themselves into the volunteers’ arms at the sight of the gifts. Jane told the volunteers that this was the first time she felt they were truly going to have a Christmas, and she hugged each volunteer for making it such a special holiday for her family.
Although Jane and her family received a true Christmas blessing, they were not the only ones to receive gifts this past Christmas. The volunteers at the St. Francis Center were able to share in this family’s joy, and it renewed and strengthened their faith in the work of the St. Francis Center.
When Lauren had an abortion during her sophomore year of college, the only two people she told were her college roommate and her boyfriend. After the procedure, she felt relieved and was able to return her to normal college routine, and in the years that followed, she never spoke about her abortion.
Eight years later, Lauren was married and the mother of a young daughter. She loved her family, but felt something was missing from her life. Her moods were increasingly characterized by episodes of sadness, ‘breakthrough anxiety,’ and guilt. She had a vague sense that she didn’t deserve the life she was living, and she suspected that these feelings were linked to the abortion she had so long ago.
One day, Lauren saw an ad for Project Rachel in her church bulletin. After several weeks of contemplation, she called Project Rachel. She learned that services included referrals to specially trained priests, or the opportunity to meet with a professional counselor. Lauren opted to schedule a session with the counselor, and for the first time, spoke openly about her abortion. She felt heard and accepted as she shared her story, and she and the counselor met several more times. At her last session, Lauren expressed gratitude for Project Rachel, and the opportunity it had provided for her to face her abortion and finally heal.
Sue became involved in the counseling program due to severe postpartum depression. She was referred by her OGBYN for counseling after the birth of her second child. By the time Sue began counseling, her symptoms of depression were so severe that she was physically unable to leave her home. The first several counseling sessions had to be conducted in her house. The depression that Sue experienced was consuming, and she struggled with caring for herself, bonding with her child, isolation, and negative thoughts about herself.
After several sessions, Sue finally began to open up to her counselor and began to practice mindfulness, self-care, and other coping skills, such as journaling. Her counselor was also able to introduce Sue to some bonding activities, such as baby massage, to help her feel more connected to her child. After several months of counseling, Sue saw a drastic decrease in her depressive symptoms and began to truly enjoy motherhood – something she had hoped for from the beginning.
One Sunday morning, Jackie was sitting in her home drinking tea when someone knocked on the door. Her daughter went to answer it and, when she returned, told her mother, “We have ten minutes to be out of the house.”
This was the first shocking revelation Jackie received in what turned out to be the longest day of her life. By the end of the day, she had lost everything she had worked her whole life for.
Jackie is a retired nurse who had always had a good income and was able to retire comfortably. When she had a stroke that made it difficult for her to walk, her daughter moved in with her to help her manage her life, including her finances. It wasn’t until the morning Jackie was kicked out of her home that she realized her daughter had been taking her money to buy drugs.
Jackie’s daughter did more than steal Jackie’s hard-earned income. She also sold Jackie’s pain pills, replacing them with similar-looking pills to fool Jackie. She pretended to lose Jackie’s cell phone, isolating her from the outside world with only her dogs for company.
Upon her daughter’s pronouncement that she had to be out of the house in ten minutes, Jackie, completely taken off guard, had a panic attack so severe she had to be transported to the hospital. By the time she was released from the hospital, her daughter had taken all her money and personal belongings. Jackie found herself alone, without her beloved dogs, holding her few possessions in a garbage bag. In Jackie’s words, “51 years I was a nurse, and I came out with a little garbage bag of stuff.”
Starting over was an uphill battle for Jackie. She faced what she calls the “virtual endless circle” of bureaucracy, which was exacerbated by having lost all her personal documents, as she tried to reclaim her Social Security check. She had closed her bank account so her daughter couldn’t keep stealing, so she needed an ID to get her check. Her daughter had taken all her possessions, including her ID. She could get a new ID by showing her birth certificate or Social Security card—but of course, she didn’t have those, either.
On top of all this, the compounded stressors were taking a serious toll on Jackie’s mental health. She said, “At that point I was broken down and didn’t know what to do—I was ready to commit suicide.” It was while she was in this desperate state that Jackie’s doctor referred her to Catholic Social Services’ Payee Program for help.
Jackie’s Payee Specialist, Ann Marie, set a goal that Jackie would be settled in a new apartment within two months—something Jackie didn’t think was possible. But Ann Marie gently guided Jackie to make decisions, and they met the goal.
Now, Jackie is settled into her new home and is thriving. Through the Payee Program, CSS uses Jackie’s money to pay her necessary bills, then gives her the remaining money. This takes the responsibility—and stress—off of Jackie’s shoulders. Jackie has built up over $2,500 in savings, and lives comfortably. She is active in her community and tells anyone who will listen what CSS has done for her. She says, “CSS helped me remain independent by managing my money so I have money in the bank to make choices for myself; I don’t have to have other people make the choices for me.”
She acknowledges that most people can’t imagine giving over control of their money to anyone else, but says that, “People could use this program if they understood it. You get peace of mind, and can relax and smile.”
Jane was forced to flee her home, due to domestic violence. She found her way to Portsmouth, with the hope of starting a new life, but she soon discovered that basic, everyday, activities were difficult without a second income. But Jane refused to give up. She was unable to afford a car, but this did not stop her from striving to create a better life for her children. Each day, she walked two miles with her children so that they would not miss school.
During their first Christmas in Portsmouth, Jane had nothing extra for her children, and no money to make Christmas special. Through a referral to Catholic Social Services, volunteers were alerted to Jane’s situation, and a few days before Chrsitmas, they delivered gifts and a food basket to the family. The children, usually shy around strangers, catapulted themselves into the volunteers’ arms at the sight of the gifts. Jane told the volunteers that this was the first time she felt they were truly going to have a Christmas, and she hugged each volunteer for making it such a special holiday for her family.
Although Jane and her family received a true Christmas blessing, they were not the only ones to receive gifts this past Christmas. The volunteers at the St. Francis Center were able to share in this family’s joy, and it renewed and strengthened their faith in the work of the St. Francis Center.
