Mavis* came to Covenant House Vancouver after fleeing an abusive relationship. Although fleeing the abuse was liberating, it brought some new challenges—Mavis was now homeless and jobless in a new city.
Mavis had tried several times to leave the abuse, but her partner always convinced her to come back. But this time she was done. Done with the name calling, done with feeling like she didn’t matter, and done with being locked out of her own home and forced to sleep out in the cold.
In addition to her own challenges, Mavis had recently reconnected with an old friend who was dealing with her own trauma and was leaning on Mavis as her support.
Despite everything that was going on in her life, Mavis was very frank about her situation. She made no excuses, and she never complained. She was determined to be free from her former partner and take control of her life.
Mavis impressed her CHV youth worker by consistently pushing herself to meet all the goals that she set for herself. Inspired by her determination and fortitude, her youth worker told Mavis that it’s okay to let her guard down and be vulnerable sometimes. It was then that Mavis confided to her youth worker about her friend and how that was impacting her. The youth worker was able to connect Mavis’s friend to the resources that she needed, and this was a great relief for Mavis who could now focus on herself.
Youth workers supported Mavis on her resumes, applications, and apartment search. They were impressed with her steadfast resolve as she was met with many rejections. Mavis pushed forward and eventually was offered both a job and an apartment.
Mavis told us, “I didn’t know what I would have done without Covenant House!” She said that she’d probably still be living with her ex or would have repeated the cycle of leaving and then returning to him.
Sometimes, even those who are resilient need a little help. CHV’s support meant everything to Mavis. Working from a safe and supportive environment, she blossomed and achieved her dream of independence.
*Youth name changed for privacy reasons