Client Spotlight
Becky's Story
When Becky left her home in Botswana to study travel and tourism in Rhode Island, she was excited for the future. She quickly settled into her new life as a student, making new friends along the way, including her now ex-partner.
“He was on a motorcycle and kept beeping the horn at me. We ended up exchanging contacts and started speaking from there,” she remembers.
They dated for a few years and eventually moved in together. Shortly thereafter, Becky gave birth to their daughter. She stayed at home to take care of the baby while her partner worked to support their family. Life was good until Becky became pregnant for a second time.
“After that, things just weren’t the same. Our relationship became toxic,” she recalled. “Things were getting worse by the day. There was domestic violence, a lot of bickering, a lot of sadness.”
After a particularly bad fight, Becky’s neighbors called the police. Concerned for her safety, the responding officer slipped Becky some domestic violence resource information and urged her to seek help. Determined to protect her children, Becky knew she had to make a change. “I had to get them out of that,” she remembered. “I wasn’t going to go one more day looking at my kids’ sad faces.”
Summoning all her strength, Becky called a friend for help, waited for her partner to go to work, and escaped to a domestic violence shelter with her children and the few items she could pack in one bag.
“As I called the taxi, I was looking all around to make sure he wasn’t coming,” she stated.
Although it wasn’t glamorous, the shelter soon became a haven for her and her children. “I felt so free,” she remembered. “There was so much weight off my shoulders.”
Becky’s children also started flourishing again.
“My son cried every day at home,” she stated. “He felt the tension. He didn't want to be there. When we left, he never cried again."
While staying in shelter Becky’s case manager helped her apply for housing at Crossroads' Kingstown Crossings in North Kingstown. When a three-bedroom apartment became available, she and her young children moved in.
“It was so liberating to have my own space,” she stated. “Being homeless was the hardest thing, but escaping was the best thing. My kids are happy. I am alive. It's the best decision I ever made.”
Today, Becky’s life is filled with freedom and optimism. Thanks to the supportive Crossroads community, her young family is thriving and with an eye to the future, she is starting her own cleaning service. Inspired by her own journey, Becky is also actively advocating for others.
“I encourage people to not be afraid to ask for help, someone will be there for you. Don’t worry about what others will think, your friends, your neighbors. Worry about you and your family’s wellbeing,” she cautioned. “I am glad I am here today to talk about it. It’s my life’s purpose to be able to do this."