Sue’s Story: A Better Life

One day, our 24-hour Crisis Line received a desperate call from a woman in a neighboring state. The terrified caller exclaimed, “I have nowhere to go, but if I don’t leave today, I will lose my sanity.”

Sue suffered years of verbal abuse during her marriage, which escalated to severe physical violence. Sue arrived in Chicago by bus and found her way to Family Rescue with only the clothes on her back. Although Sue could only cry at first, she defiantly said, “I am ready to begin a new life.”

Without knowing the city, she took trains and buses to follow up on every job lead provided. After ten days, Sue found a job! Next, Sue began submitting applications to dozens of housing programs and was soon offered a space at a newly developed housing program for single women. Sue became an independent woman. A year later, Sue contacted Family Rescue staff to report her promotion. She said, “Despite some sad days, my life is better than I ever thought possible. Thank you.”