We don’t have to look any further than here in the Cariboo to find a story of overcoming a less than ideal situation during Victims and Survivors of Crime week across Canada.
Teresa suffered decades of abuse from a man out in Nazko and when she finally got out of there, that was just the beginning of her struggle.
“As of 3 years ago I had everything. I had a home, I had vehicles, I had everything. I no longer had that. I was sleeping in my truck, and it was winter so I wasn’t the warmest. I had a cat and dog with me so I went to the Seasons House and stayed there for 5 days and I left there due to circumstances.”
With nowhere to go she says she ended up at the Amata Transition House and it changed her life.
“The first two days, I really don’t remember being at the Amata House. I was in a lot of trauma and they let me just be me and we started talking. The women there are just so easy to talk to. They were just there for me, even a year later I just got into my own place finally and they helped every step of the way.”
Teresa says it wasn’t easy though.
“It’s really hard because everybody has pride. You’re thinking look at me I have nothing, you don’t know where to go, you’re confused and you’re scared, and it was the scared part where the Amata steps in to help. You’re scared because you don’t know what the future holds. You don’t know what’s going to happen, you don’t know anything, it is the scariest time for anyone who has been abused or a victim of crime, but the Amata House helps you through all that. The girls there are there to, it’s going to be OK, lets start with this point and then we go to the next point. They have brought me from being nothing to living out of my truck to where I have a nice little apartment, I’m happy.”
Teresa says she is now helping others that are in the situation that she was once in.
“What I try to do is help people advocate for themselves. Going on-line and going to different places, talking to the Amata House and helping women that have been in abuse or they’re just scared and don’t want to tell anybody. Tell somebody because you don’t know what that person who is abusing you will do. Women, men too, just go to somebody to tell them what’s going on so they can get help.”
She says she also provides food for those that need help.
“There is a thing on Facebook. It’s called Quesnel matching needs with help. I was just reading and asked a few people and I see people that they are struggling. It’s elders. I saw an elderly lady in there (Amata Transition House) that I knew from before and she was struggling. I got some food, packed it up, and banged on her door.”
Teresa says anyone can find themselves in a bad situation with nowhere to go, adding that she never thought she would ever be homeless.