Our Success Stories

• Beatrice is a 50-year-old woman from Hamilton who left an abusive relationship after a long-term marriage. “Now that my family is grown and on their own, I need to take care of me”. In the five weeks she was with us, we helped her file a PPO, consult with West Michigan Legal Services about a divorce, find a job (she hadn’t been employed for years), and move into her own subsidized apartment.

• Brooklyn came to us with her 4 year old son fleeing from another state due to the extreme lethality of her domestic violence situation. The horror of her abuse left her scarred not only emotionally but physically. Brooklyn had tolerated the abuse for years until the abuser progressed into the degradation of her children. During her stay at Sylvia’s Place, Brooklyn began seeing the Adult Therapist and was soon able to find full time employment and transportation. Brooklyn successfully relocated and was able to reunite with her oldest son and will be starting his first year of college in a home free of domestic violence.

• Darla is a 25-year-old Allegan County woman who left the father of her three-year-old daughter after the abusive behavior began escalating. She was at shelter for 34 days during which she earned a promotion at her established job. We referred her to a program at Work First called the Work Force Investment Act, sponsored by the Michigan Department of Career Development. She is interested in pursuing an RN degree and this program will provide her the opportunity to do this. We referred her to Allegan Crisis Center, CWIT, Project Hope and ACRDC for supportive services because DHS was unable to provide much help because she makes too much money to qualify for help, but not enough to make it on her own. She has since been able to get a place of her own, get her daughter enrolled in head start and gone back to school herself. Both her job and school work are going well.

• Amanda is a 27 year old mother of 2 who was repeatedly beaten by her husband of 5 years. After realizing the toll her lifestyle was taking on her small children, she reached out to Sylvia's Place for help. She came to our shelter with no money, clothing, or dignity. After a few weeks of case management, counseling, and dedication, she was back on her feet. Through our services, she obtained housing, a part time job, and gained self worth. Although she was scared to walk through our doors, she left a totally different person. The transformation we witnessed in such a small amount of time was amazing...it makes us feel blessed to have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of many!

• Lucy is an Allegan County resident who had many challenging circumstances, primarily because she is not a US citizen and will not qualify to apply for citizenship for another 3 years. Besides language, cultural barriers and isolation, she faced legal difficulties. She was abused by the family she married into and was forced to work for them without pay. She was befriended by a neighbor who helped her and her four-year-old daughter come to Sylvia’s Place. When her husband realized what had happened, he accused her of embezzlement and she was arrested. She would like to move out of state and live near her family; legal issues prevent this. One of her biggest challenges is that she does not qualify for any social services because of her lack of citizenship. She stayed at the shelter much past the typical 30 days because she had no other options. After she began receiving child support, we were able to help her find affordable housing. Lucy and her daughter are currently thriving in their new home and are very happy and healthy. One year and one month after leaving our safe house, Lucy has informed us that she has prevailed in her legal battles against her ex-husband, with the help of an attorney that we helped her find, and she is now able to move to the state where she chooses to live and be near her family who will provide support for her.