Patricia describes the position she was in before coming to Calvary like being in a tornado. Her life had been derailed by domestic violence, and she plunged into depression. “Going through that put me in a dark place,” she said. “I needed stability and needed to feel safe and trust again.”

Fast-forward one year and Patricia is weeks away from moving into an apartment that is all hers. When Patricia was approved to receive a housing choice voucher that will help cover some of her expenses, she was ecstatic. She said she dreamed about the small comforts of home that she misses most – candles, bubble baths and cooking her favorite meals.

That excitement changed to frustration as she applied for housing and was rejected several times. The money she had saved for application fees and other costs was adding up. Fortunately, Patricia was able to deal with overwhelming disappointment in a healthy way by talking with the therapist at Calvary. She also received encouragement and support from program managers who even recommended apartment complexes for her to look at.

Eventually her application was approved, and now Patricia is just waiting for the final inspection of her apartment to be completed. She says that she feels cautious but happy and “truly, truly thankful for Calvary.”

Over the last year Patricia kept a list of priorities and goals that she learned how to set and achieve. Here are just some of the items on her personal “to do” list:

• Take medication
• Get up early
• Don’t complain
• Participate and share
• Don’t shut down
• Don’t procrastinate
• Breathe and meditate every day

Another priority for Patricia is looking forward while still remembering to “play back the tape.” She does not want to forget her past or forget how far she has come.

“The time I spent at Calvary enabled me to reinvent myself,” she said.