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Stories

Stories

Ying and Yang by Katrina

One Mother's story...

My name is Katrina and I have 2 kids. My son Tommy is 11. He is out going and loves to make people laugh. My daughter Amanda is turning 10 on Sunday. She is smart, artistic, and has a great imagination. My kids are my world. There is nothing that I wouldn’t do for them.

A little over a year ago I was in Oregon, had lost my home and was living in my car. I had no place to keep my kids and did not want them sleeping in the car. I let them stay with my ex (their father) for a night. The next day he said I was not allowed to see the kids anymore and he was going to tell a judge that I abandoned them. He said he would shoot me if I fought for custody. The thought of losing my kids made my chest hurt. He had been abusive for so long and finally I wasn’t going to put up with it anymore. I went to the court house, filed for divorce and custody, picked the kids up from school, and left for Bellingham. My family lives here, but I had no idea where I was going to stay. I didn’t want him to find us.

After a few days, my mom got us into Women Care. The kids and I stayed in three different shelters before we got into Lydia Place. Compared to some of the places we had been, Lydia Place was so nice. It felt stable and we needed that. But our journey wasn’t over. The court hearings for my divorce started and my stress level was through the roof. The hearings were in Oregon and I lived in Washington. My ex had a lawyer and I couldn’t get legal aid in Washington or Oregon. God knows I tried. I had the help of my mom and my best friend, but in court I stood alone. There were five hearings and the last one took 2 days. With each hearing I became stronger and more sure of myself. With everything his lawyer threw at me, I stood my ground and didn’t back down. It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, but my kids are so worth it. At the end, the judge said my ex was an abuser. She then granted me custody, child support, and the right to continue living in Washington. I cannot tell you the feeling I had coming out of that court house. I could finally breathe. I finally felt like everything was going to be ok.

After five months of living at Lydia Place, I was accepted into the supportive services program and moved into my own apartment. We continued going to in-house group even though we moved out early. My family had so many changes in the last year that I wanted to make their adjustment as smooth as possible. Now, I am still in my apartment, which I absolutely love. My kids each have their own room and are so happy. In December, I got my GED and I’m going to school to make a better life for my kids. Lydia Place was so supportive and helped me achieve so much. I appreciate everything they have done. I want to thank all of you for supporting Lydia Place. And Lydia Place staff, thank you. You helped change my life.

(The artwork above was created by Jean while she lived at Lydia Place; at the time her vision for her future was to be a Ballerina)

**The following is an interview with one of our former kids here at Lydia Place. This child spoke at our Spring Dinner in 2011 and was interviewed by the Family Services Coordinator (underlined). We hope it gives you a glimpse into what it’s like to be a kid at Lydia Place.

Tell me about you:
My name is Jean and I’m 10 yrs old. There are three people in my family- my mom, me and my brother who is older than me.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I like to climb trees, swing and hang upside down. I spend most of my time in the air. I like to ride bikes, but I don’t have one. I like it when my brother chases me and makes me laugh.
What are some of your favorite things?
I like PE and sports. I’m very strong, flexible and fast. I also like reading- usually two books at the same time and sometimes more. My favorite genres are mystery/adventure and fiction.
When you grow up what do you want to be?
I would want to be a healer who works with plants and I would be an animal expert (a zoologist).
What are your top three favorite animal sounds ?
1) Cow 2)Cat 3) Puppy
What was it like living at Lydia Place?
I was 8 yrs old when I came to live at Lydia Place with my mom and brother. Lydia Place was the fourth shelter I lived at, all in one year. When I came here another friend of mine that I met at a former shelter was living here too. Lydia Place was fun. It is a wonderful place to be. I miss it a lot.
What did you like about living at Lydia Place?
I enjoyed the group meetings almost every day and playing outside, riding bikes and planting things in the garden. I liked playing in the playground and making up my own “Café”. I liked making apple cider from the apples that grew in the garden.
What did you learn while living at Lydia Place?
I learned new songs and activities that I taught to my friends at school. (such as the peanut song). I also learned how to ride a bike.
What was hard about living at Lydia Place?
While I lived there I knew that one day I would have to leave, so I started to prepare myself for leaving even before I had to go. It was really hard to leave because I didn’t want to. I was going to miss all my friends at Lydia Place and the group meetings.
What is life like for you now?
It’s fun! Now I live in an apartment that has 4 floors. I have my own room for the first time ever, although my brother still comes in and takes my stuff or tries to sleep with me sometimes. I have a pet now a hamster named Lilly. Now I can have friends come over and stay the night.
Do you have any advice for folks that don’t know much about our program?
If you’re going to live at Lydia Place for awhile, don’t worry about what is going to happen- enjoy the moment and the time you have here.

Mission

Lydia Place provides a multifaceted program that supports women and their children in transition from homelessness to independence

Stories

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