“Good Shepherd Shelter saved my life. It saved my son’s life. Now, I want to give back.”
In January of 2020, Marina H. and her son escaped an abusive household and found safety at Good Shepherd Shelter (GSS), a program of Catholic Charities since 2019. During their time at GSS, Marina worked hard to heal from the trauma, save money, and rebuild her and her son’s futures.
She enrolled her son into the GSS onsite elementary school at the fourth-grade level. Due to the trauma he had experienced, Marina’s son was below grade level in both reading and math.
Thanks to the individualized attention available to him in the school, as well as the support of his mom with homework, he not only rose to grade level but surpassed it in reading.
Marina remained focused and successfully completed all the required classes in the GSS Adult Learning Center, which included domestic violence and parenting.
After a ten-month stay in the shelter’s program, they moved into a nice apartment and Marina’s son received a scholarship to attend a local Catholic school. They always stayed in touch with GSS and attended a variety of events there.
In July of 2022, Marina began to volunteer at the shelter in the Child Watch program. She stated, “Good Shepherd Shelter saved my life. It saved my son’s life. Now, I want to give back.”
Marina’s dedication to the shelter was clear and, in December 2022, she was hired by GSS as a part-time Child Watch aide. Through happy tears she said, “I am so grateful for this full circle moment.”
