Abigail and her 1-month-old daughter Arianah entered the Good Counsel Riverside home in the summer of July 2017.  Abandoned by her abusive husband, Abigal was left to fend for herself and her baby girl with no money, no shelter, and no hope for the future. When she was welcomed into the home, Abigal expressed that she was especially grateful for a room of her own.  A space for herself and Arianah made her feel safe and cared for after the horrors she had faced with her husband.

Determined to rebuild what was broken, Abigail attended weekly domestic violence counseling and therapy. She enrolled in English as a Second Language ("ESL") classes and began to look for work. After earning her ESL certificate, Abby found a job as a beautician in a local hair shop. Her professionalism and friendly nature provided her with a plethora of clients and yielded a stable income which allowed her to save money.

With Good Counsel's assistance, Abigail retained an attorney who succeeded in getting her request for monthly spousal support approved. She was also able to obtain new copies of all her identification documents as the originals were being held captive by her husband. With her paperwork and official identification documents in hand, Abigail began to look for additional work. She landed an interview with Burlington Coat Factory’s warehouse, was hired and has been working there steadily for over a year. Working with her case manager and participating in the life skills budgeting course, Abby was able to save enough money to plan her transition out of Good Counsel.

In March of 2019, Abigal began moving into her brand new space with Arianah, now two years old! Fortunately, Abigal's new place is just a few minutes from her support system here at Good Counsel.  As with every mom who transitions out of the program, Abigail will remain a part of Good Counsel as an Exodus mom. Many of our Exodus moms keep in touch with their house managers, case managers, other staff, and fellow residents, long after leaving the program.  Some check in from time to time; others return for additional help or guidance.

Because she lives nearby, Abigal will be able to utilize our childcare as she continues her employment at Burlington Coat Factory warehouse. Abigal is a testament to what faith, perseverance, and a strong and loving support system can yield at Good Counsel.

The programs Good Counsel offers and Life Skills classes were an essential part of Abigal's success.  Please click here to learn more about our programs and how you can help another mom like Abigal find a room of her own.