By Lisa Marshall | Communications Manager
Every year as the holidays approach, I start thinking back over the past year. We see so many people come and go – nearly 100 families live at Raphael House each year – but it seems like there’s always one story that stands out. This year, that story is Gina’s.
Gina arrived at Raphael House seven months pregnant. She had a 3-year-old daughter, and she was fleeing an extremely dangerous relationship in another state. At first, her arrival brought tension to the shelter. Her daughter was high energy and needed more care than her pregnant mother could offer, causing conflict with some other moms. When Gina went into labor, exhausted and overwhelmed, she had no family or friends around her.
But before Gina gave birth, three of the other women living at Raphael House arrived at the hospital unannounced. They supported her through her delivery. They were in the room when the baby was born. And then they came back to Raphael House and threw a huge party to welcome the new baby.
I’ve never seen such a change in a person. Gina went from looking utterly alone and overwhelmed before the birth, to radiant and glowing with love afterwards. For days after, the shelter was full of hugs and laughter and celebration. Watching our community come together to support that new life was an experience I will never forget.
In just a few days, Gina and her two beautiful children will be stopping by our Holiday Program to pick out gifts for each other. This year they’ll celebrate the holidays in their very own apartment, hundreds of miles away from Gina’s abuser and safe from violence.
Gina’s story has the kind of happy ending that makes me truly believe. I believe that every family deserves a happy ending. I believe that by working together, we can end violence for good. Thank you for all your past support of our life-changing programs. This year, as you celebrate the season with family and friends, please consider demonstrating your belief by making a gift to Raphael House. No gift is too small to make a difference to the families we serve. Your support is vitally important to people like Gina.
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