"I am thankful for the support and courage to go on and that there was somewhere I could go that enabled me to get back on my feet,"

For years Barbara lived with an abusive husband who repeatedly beat her. Sometimes their two children would witness his violent episodes, which were often triggered by his habitual drug usage.

After a frightening scene when her husband ripped a door off its hinges, Barbara borrowed a friend's van, loaded her possessions and fled with their children. It was just one of many violent episodes she had witnessed for years.

For several months they lived at House of Hope. Barbara's self-sufficiency plan included finding a stable job and childcare, getting her daughter into school, and accessing government assistance.

Three weeks after arriving at House of Hope, Barbara was hired as a dispatcher for a tow truck company. She now lives with her children in their own home. She has held a steady job and received a promotion. She hopes to become a bookkeeper for a hospital so that she can provide health-care benefits for her family.

"I am thankful for the support and courage to go on and that there was somewhere I could go that enabled me to get back on my feet," she said.