Meet Bebe: Victim No More

Bebe's Story
By the time Bebe enrolled in classes at Bard College, she was already a world traveler.

Her father worked with the United Nations and his job took his family to faraway places like Japan, Thailand and Singapore. Bebe even spent her high school years in Indonesia before coming back to the United States for college.

Bebe had the best of everything: a loving family, a good education and worldly experiences that left her excited for what was sure to be a bright future.

After studying journalism at Bard, Bebe decided to pursue her real passion: cosmetology. She enrolled in a training program and spent the next eleven years working as a cosmetologist. She absolutely loved it.

Unfortunately, that all came crashing down when the man she was dating began abusing her.

Bebe lost her once very high self-esteem and began falling apart.

I just gave up. I wasn’t confident in myself anymore. He made me feel worthless.

Bebe was embarrassed by her situation and eventually stopped going to work—she just couldn’t face the stares and questions she was bound to get from her coworkers.

After months of not working, Bebe became homeless.

Getting Back on Her Feet
She knew she had to get out of her current situation though and came to Miriam’s Kitchen for help. Our first order of business: finding a local domestic violence shelter that would take her in and keep her safe.

She stayed at the shelter for three months, during which time she started to put her life back together.

She continued to work with our case managers who helped support her as she determined her goals and transitioned back to the life she had once loved.

The case managers and security guards made sure I was protected. They took care of me.

Accomplishing Her Goals
After a few months of hard work, Bebe accomplished the two goals she had set when she first came to Miriam’s Kitchen: reunite with her family and find a job.

Our case managers helped Bebe make contact with her parents—family she was too embarrassed to reach out to when she was homeless—and told them she wanted to come home.

They accepted her with open arms and asked her to move in with them until she got back on her feet.

Our case managers also worked with Bebe on her resume, which eventually led to her fulfilling her final goal: becoming a cosmetologist again.

Bebe Today
When Bebe stopped by Miriam’s Kitchen for a visit last week, she shared even better news with us: she now lives in her very own apartment (and still loves her job).

She’s moved on to a better place in life and is proud to say she’s no longer a victim. She’s a survivor.

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