If you ever met Karen, you'd never guess what she had to deal with; her positive attitude and desire to succeed helps her cope with the emotional, practical and financial hurdles that come with escaping domestic violence. But her outlook wasn’t always so positive …not too long ago, she felt trapped, desperate to protect her two sons but unsure of how to leave an impossible situation. Without Children's Home Society of Florida (CHS), she doesn’t know what she would have done. 

 

It certainly wasn’t easy, but with the help of CHS, Karen created a safety plan, found community resources and began taking steps toward safety. During a planning session, however, Karen broke into tears when her CHS caseworker asked if she could run to a neighbor’s house if necessary. At that moment, her caseworker realized Karen didn’t own a single pair of shoes. Excusing herself, she walked to her car and returned with her workout sneakers. The two wore the same size shoes – and Karen now had a pair for herself.

 

Later that evening, Karen’s caseworker drove to CHS’ Tot Spot thrift store. She knew Karen and her sons were living without a lot of essentials and, as a CHS client, Karen may receive items from the Tot Spot for free. Her caseworker gathered warm clothes for Karen's sons, hygiene products and, of course, shoes for the family of three.      

When the caseworker presented the family with the items, Karen’s children couldn’t believe their eyes! One asked his mother, "Why are they giving us such nice things and not asking for anything in return?" Karen smiled and responded, "There are good people out there … people who want to help us."

  

Before the caseworker left, she asked Karen how she would remember to avoid abusive situations. When Karen struggled to answer, her caseworker began telling her the story of the pearl … pearls are formed as an oyster's defense mechanism against threatening objects, such as sand. The oyster creates a pearl sac to seal off irritation. The caseworker told Karen to protect herself like the oyster does, to create a safe environment for her family that "seals off" any unsafe intruders. She then gave Karen a faux pearl bracelet from the Tot Spot and asked her to wear it as a reminder of her strength and dignity. To this day, Karen wears that bracelet and has been successful in keeping her family safe.