Sarita has a sense of freedom for the first time in her life.
 

“I’m completely on my own and it feels amazing,” Sarita said. “I took over my apartment lease. At first, it was terrifying, but I know now that I can do it.”
 

At 37-years-old, Sarita is self-sufficient. She is able to take care of her family’s basic needs like rent and food. She was a client in our Domestic Violence Program for a year until Oct. 2025.
 

“St. Vincent de Paul found me at a really hard time. I learned how to love myself again. I’m a better mother to my kids, a better daughter to my parents, and a better employee to my daycare babies. I am becoming the person God intended me to be. I’m still a work in progress, but I wouldn’t be here without St. Vincent.”
 

The mother of four children, Sarita lives with her youngest son, Israel, and her other three are with her parents. She has a great relationship with her family.
 

She says her two teenage daughters, Maliyah and Anela, have improved their school grades and behavior. When they’re together at home, they can be vulnerable to each other without judgement.
 

“I’ve been able to create a safe place for my kids,” she said.
 

It wasn’t always that way.
 

Sarita celebrated nine years of sobriety, but it was an uphill climb.
 

“Before I was at St. Vincent, I wasn’t coping with all the loved ones who passed away in my life. I had relationship problems. I had issues with my kids. Life was hard,” Sarita said. “I was hopping from place to place.”
 

Sarita got to the point where she was suicidal. She had been in a five-year long domestic violence relationship—she was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. When she was at the end of herself, God stepped in.
 

“One morning I woke up and asked God, ‘I’m tired. What do I do? How can I get out of this?’” Sarita added. “God heard my cries.”
 

Sarita went to the library and met Elle, who pointed her to the Women's Healing Place, which is an overnight shelter for those struggling with substance use. Then, she was connected to our domestic violence staff, and within a couple of days, entered our transitional shelter with Israel.
 

The stability gave Sarita the time to reflect not only on herself, but her future. She attended our Mental Health & Sub­stance Use Program's group counseling.
 

“When I become stressed, I know how to catch or stop myself and to recognize not to go back down that path again. This place taught me who I was. It taught me to push myself. That I’m worth breathing on this earth. That I’m a human being.”
 

Sarita started with her identity—how she saw herself—and it has overflowed to her relationships and career aspirations. She is pursuing her Bachelor’s in Business Management and a minor in Early Childhood Education. She only has two semesters remaining. Currently, she teaches three- to five-year-olds.
 

Sarita has learned that life is hard, but you can do hard things.
 

“All of this is because of St. Vincent,” Sarita said. “I’m grateful for you all. I wanted to give up on myself and had no other options.”
 

Sarita dreams of owning a facility to serve families with autistic children.