*Elena arrived from El Salvador in 2010 after the father of her daughter died while her daughter was still a toddler. Their story is one of remembering hope and learning how to trust again. Elena had to come to the United States to work to provide for her daughter. She left her child with her grandmother and planned to bring her here once she had the money saved to do so. They were reunited eleven years later here in the US but the years in between had not been easy.
While working to establish a life in the United States, Elena became trapped in a violent relationship with the father of her second daughter, a citizen born here in 2012. During her intake with Just Neighbors, she shared the terrifying experience of fleeing her apartment in the middle of the night in 2017 with nothing but her young daughter in her arms. She escaped a violent assault that she knew was coming. His behavior had been spiraling out of control since her daughter was born and she knew that staying would put both her and her child in danger. Years later with her youngest daughter being 12 years old and her oldest daughter reunited with them; Elena called into our intake to inquire if her oldest daughter may be eligible for SIJ (Special Immigrant Juvenile) status.
For years, Elena focused on survival. She worked hard to care for her children while carrying the emotional weight of domestic violence and trauma she had endured both in her home country and in the United States. Although she had long recognized the need for legal services and mental health support, she lacked health insurance and could not afford either.
Her Just Neighbors attorney identified a potential pathway through a U Visa application and connected her with mental health services funded through Just Neighbors’ domestic violence grant program. She was so relieved because she had never had access to the support she needed. Her attorney worked with her to apply for a U Visa for herself and her oldest daughter. Her application is pending and she continues to receive mental health support to work through the trauma that she has survived. Through counseling services and compassionate legal representation, Elena began rebuilding her life and also her ability to trust others. Her goal was to let go of her past and find someone she could believe in.
What stands out most in Elena’s story is not only her resilience, but the trust she has rediscovered along the way. She now knows that she and her daughters are not alone. Through the support of Just Neighbors, she has found caring professionals who believe in her, advocate for her, and walk alongside her family. She believes in the staff and mental health providers from Just Neighbors and she knows that there are good people she can count on to support her and her daughters as they move forward.
*Name has been changed to protect client confidentiality.