Stories: Amelia's Story

Before Amelia came to My Sister's Home, she lived in
a world of confusion and terror. Her partner James often tortured her by depriving her of sleep.

He accused Amelia of having affairs with other men, then told her that no one would ever want to be with her. When this emotional and psychological abuse escalated to physical violence, Amelia decided she would rather live on the street than stay with James.

Fortunately, Amelia called the EDVP crisis line and found shelter at My Sister's Home.

When she first arrived, Amelia was emotionally and physically exhausted. She slept for long periods at a time, giving her body and mind the time needed to heal from illnesses brought on by the stress and turmoil of life with her abusive partner. When she regained her strength, Amelia began to take more steps to change her life. Shelter advocates helped her understand the dynamics of domestic violence and offered emotional support as she looked at her past and gained hope for the future. She learned about legal, educational and housing resources she could access.

Copyright CORBIS Each day, Amelia shared a new discovery with the advocates, often accompanied by a laugh of amazement and shake of her head. She'd say, "I guess this is what I needed to learn to move on with my life," or "Someone up there is sure watching over me now and all I need to do is listen," or "I need to change this pattern." With the help of her community advocate, Amelia found a place to live through a transitional housing program. She continues to participate in support groups and plans to eventually have her own home, finish her college classes and work with the homeless.