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One of volunteers came to me with tears in her eyes. “She was abducted!” she whispered. The woman she referred to was visibly shaken and raw.
“Can I hug you?” I asked. The woman nodded, melted into my arms, and sobbed. She shared that she would be starting a dog-walking job and needed a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.
“We’re going to give you far more than that,” I assured her. I took her to a rounder filled with extra small tops and encouraged her to select what she liked. While she tried on tops and jeans, I selected more items and delivered them to her dressing room. With each new outfit, her tension eased, and her smile broadened.
We asked no questions about who or how long or any other details of her ordeal, but information trickled out as she shopped. He would choke her, push her into the garage in the alley with her beloved St Bernard, and lock her in. Sometimes she blacked out. The last time she passed out after being choked and locked in the garage, her dog barked incessantly. Police driving through the alley heard the dog barking. They stopped to investigate. She was saved by her own St. Bernard and diligent officers!
Crisis Center North, one of our strong partner agencies, arranged housing and sent her to our House to restore the clothing that was destroyed by her abductor. I held up an LBD (Little Black Dress) when she came out of the dressing room.
“I love that! I used to wear sundresses all the time!” she exclaimed. We added sundresses – long and short – to her pile, and she beamed.
“I feel so normal,” she stated. My heart ached and purred at the same time…hurt that she endured such evil and grateful we could be part of her restoration.
That’s what you make possible through your support of our mission! That’s women supporting women!
Saved by Saints!
