A few nights later, our staff helped the family move into our Safehouse. Sam and Max found joy in the playroom, while Melany cooked their favorite: spaghetti and meatballs. After dinner, they took a walk together around the neighborhood with Cookie. That night, they read a new book for bedtime in their own room.

Weeks later, the twins started at a new school, a fresh beginning for this family. Sam got an all pink and sparkles Barbie backpack; Max got a Pokémon one with his favorite characters. They were skipping on their way to the bus stop. Moments like this are possible because of you.

“I am so grateful for Doorways,” Melany said. “They have been there for me at my lowest and have celebrated my accomplishments – even the small ones. They’ve helped my kids and I so much. If it wasn’t for Doorways, I don’t know where or what I’d be doing right now.”

“Months ago, I wasn’t sure if I would make it out of my domestic violence situation alive, but because of Doorways, my family and I are now in a safe place.”

By working with the Children’s Counselor at the Safehouse, Paula learned calm, positive ways to communicate with Daniel and redirect the behaviors he had learned while witnessing violence. When the time came for the family to transition from the Safehouse to the HomeStart Supportive Housing Program, the Children’s Counselor worked with Paula, Antonio and Daniel to help with the transition.

As they transitioned to HomeStart, the Children’s Counselor met with the family on a weekly basis to work on the challenges of adapting to a different life in their new apartment. Paula was able to focus on her boys in a new way, with the social and developmental support they needed. The Children’s Counselor helped Paula feel empowered to be an authority figure in the house and to understand the school system despite language and cultural barriers. Through modeling, the Children’s Counselor showed Paula how to engage in positive discipline, talk to Daniel and Antonio about difficult themes and tune into their needs. The counselor provided the children art therapy and play exercises to help develop the self-esteem and self-worth needed to be happy and successful after the trauma they had experienced.

Paula shared with the Children’s Counselor that she was particularly concerned about Daniel because of his anxiety and difficulty with transitions. She wanted him to be able to attend and enjoy summer camp, but new places and people made Daniel nervous. To help with his anxiety, during one in-home session, Daniel worked with the counselor to create a book about a rocket ship that would take him around the universe for adventures. Then the whole family worked together to make Daniel’s rocket ship a reality by building it with a big cardboard box as a therapeutic activity. The rocket ship had words of encouragement inside that would make Daniel and Antonio feel safe during their journey toward new places. Using play therapy and metaphors, the boys got in the rocket ship together, and their mother and the Children’s Counselor guided them as they explored unknown planets and experiences.

When they got to an unknown place for the first time, Daniel got so scared about interacting with these pretend new places that he ran, wide-eyed, to his room and didn’t want to come out. The Children’s Counselor spoke with Paula about the importance of addressing the challenges that are faced outside of their home by talking and practicing appropriate ways to deal with difficult emotions. Soon after, with their support, Daniel came out from his room and said, “I’m ready to try again!” and so they did. This time, Paula gave Daniel his teddy bear, and his brother hugged him during the whole ride to the planet where he would interact with new people and things. Together, they arrived safely.

Daniel knew he would have to interact with new people and things at camp and when school started again. In partnership with the Children’s Program, Paula developed self-sufficiency skills as a parent and was empowered to remain in touch with her children’s needs when they graduated from Doorways. Thanks to all of the practicing they did at home, Paula reported that even though Daniel became a little emotional, she was able to help him through the anxiety that he was feeling by engaging in the same exercises they had done with the Children’s Counselor. With this support from his mom, Daniel was able to begin a grand new adventure at school.

Soon after arriving at our Domestic Violence Safehouse, during one of Juan’s sessions with his children’s counselor, he showed her a large drawing he made of a volcano erupting. Seeing how heavy and chaotic the lines were in this and other drawings, the counselor worked with Juan to use art to express his emotions.

After a few months of working with the team at Doorways, Juan and his family moved from shelter into their very own home. Meanwhile, Juan earned praise at school for being one of the brightest and friendliest kids in his class.

Juan’s children’s counselor was delighted to the positive transformation in Juan. He was thriving in his new stable, calm, and violence-free home. His counselor continued visits with him at his home, where he was showing improvement in coping with his sense of responsibility for his family.

In one session with his counselor, Juan chose to express himself through art again, but this time, he drew something different. He drew a big colorful home with a beautiful landscape of fountains, birds, and trees. There was structure and order to his work, and a calmness to its colors. When he was finished he looked up at his counselor and proudly said,

“That’s my new home.”