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Beth Can

Then Beth came to stay at the Heartland Family Service Sanctuary House during the summer, she was shocked to receive a welcome basket upon arrival, as well as a safe room to call her own. This was a far cry from the treatment she had fled in her home, where she reported feeling like she was fighting for her life every day. When she was younger, unbeknownst to Beth, her husband had been running a sex trafficking ring out of their home – and she was eventually entangled as a trafficking victim as well.

Getting help and feeling safe from this unsettling situation that had taken over her life, was Beth’s number one priority. She called the Human Trafficking Hotline. Shortly after the call, she Heartland Family Service Sanctuary House – a concealed emergency shelter where she could get the help and safety she desperately needed. Beth spent her early days just unwinding and getting used to finally having the feeling of safety. While some agencies and services she had worked with prior had scaled back their offerings (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), Beth found the support he needed at the Sanctuary House. They were able to offer new clothing, slippers, bedding, and many other needed essentials. With these necessities and supplies, along with the welcoming atmosphere, Beth really feel started to feel at home.

Once Beth settled in, she quickly started participating in regular therapy sessions and receiving medication to help keep her anxiety and depression under control. Her involvement in several therapy groups, including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Seeking Safety, and survivor-led peer support groups, also gave her support.

She attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings regularly and practiced the coping skills she had been learning in therapy. With help from a variety of Heartland Family Service groups and service advocates, Beth was able to achieve and maintain sobriety.

Beth and her case manager successfully worked in collaboration with Magdalene Omaha, Salvation Army, and Douglas County Intensive Outpatient Treatment, which led to her smooth transition to safety and stability. Now Beth was on the path to a safe and healthy lifestyle. She worked to make amends with broken personal family relationships, and eventually was able to successfully reunite and bond with her (now adult) children.

Beth desperately wanted to have her own place to call home. To make this happen, she worked diligently with her assigned case manager/advocate. Together they applied for Supplemental Security Income and Beth was successfully awarded general assistance so she could have her own apartment and Beth is now happy and safely living on her own.

In a true testament to how far she has come, Beth even began leading her own Alcoholics Anonymous group with peers and learned to help others find safe and healthy housing, the way she had been helped when she was in need. She continues to meet with her case manager/advocate to maintain medication compliance and attend therapy sessions. Beth continues to thrive in her new independent life. With the support from the staff at the Heartland Family Service Sanctuary Housing Sanctuary, she is ready to start a new journey in life, Beth Can.

Watch Beth’s Video Story

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While Heartland Family Service aims for this community of opportunity, using it to guide our plans and actions, we know that there will always be someone in need, and those needs are always evolving.

Our work, both on the individual and systemic level, is never done.

That’s why we are inviting our entire community to share this vision — because a world where everyone can needs everyone’s unflinching support. Our client base is not lacking. Our staff is skilled and ready. Now, you can help us expand possibilities.

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So everyone can.