Before CATCH
One night, after a meeting with a friend, Brittany made a choice that would change the course of her life. With nothing but the clothes on her back and her one-year-old son in her arms, she fled a domestic violence situation and left her home state behind.
“I had nothing, nothing at all, just me and my son, and it was kinda a scary situation,” Brittany shared. “I wouldn’t even leave the house, because it was that bad.”
Her friend had seen enough. “He saw the situation I was in and he was like, ‘Just come back with me. Anything is better than what you are going through right now.'” So she went. With nothing.
With all she knew in the rearview window, Brittany ended up in Idaho. That same friend offered her shelter for a time, but, eventually, circumstances pushed her out of his home and into true homelessness. For the first time in her life, she was completely on her own.
But even in that moment, Brittany found something unexpected.
“The only thing in my mind that I felt like I had going for me was that I didn’t know anybody. It was a complete, 100% fresh start. There were no issues that I was going through, it was my next step forward.”
Brittany connected with the Women and Children’s Alliance and found respite in their shelter. Within three weeks of arriving, she was connected to CATCH.
During CATCH
Brittany walked into her first case manager’s office and broke.
“I was just very emotionally broken and just kind of lost my whole way of life completely. It was rough.”
But something shifted. For the first time since leaving my previous home, it felt like someone was paying attention.
“It felt like people cared. They really did. Like especially, I’m not from here, I was fleeing from a pretty ugly situation, and it took three weeks and it was like, we had a chance. And that’s what turned my mindset around on everything. It’s like, I actually have a chance to get myself somewhere. Starting at the bottom with a one-year-old son, that was scary.”
Over the course of her time with CATCH, Brittany worked with three different case managers. Each one met her where she was.
“All of them are awesome,” she reflected. “Through each one, it was like a different developing stage for me.”
Her first case manager helped her navigate her mental health, connecting her to therapy and medication she had never had access to before. Her second helped her secure stable housing and showed up in ways Brittany did not expect. When Brittany moved into her first apartment, her case manager went and found a table for her family, then carried it upstairs by herself because Brittany was pregnant at the time.
“They were always very involved with me, with me and the kids. Each of the case managers, if there was anything I needed, or any help I needed, or resources that I needed. They’re very nice people, very helpful.”
Her third case manager, Chris, focused on building Brittany’s financial security, helping her create the kind of stability that lasts beyond the program.
After CATCH
Brittany, who once fled her home with nothing but her son in her arms, now has an apartment of her own. She works in restaurant management, where she has received two promotions and a significant pay increase. Her son is enrolled in daycare and thriving.
When asked if she is proud of the progress she made with CATCH, Brittany said, “All of the time! Even now, I think about it. I keep on getting better and better news. I got a huge pay increase at work, and it’s going great and there are big plans for the future. Every day when I am looking at myself, I think: ‘Man, I did that!'”
Her son, once a one-year-old carried out of a dangerous home in the middle of the night, is now a breakdancing enthusiast enrolled in a daycare dance class. He gets to enjoy being a kid without the weight that hung over his earliest years.
Brittany is also helping her employer grow their community presence in the Treasure Valley, building connections in a place that was once completely unfamiliar to her. The woman who arrived in Idaho knowing no one is now helping shape the community she landed in.
When asked what CATCH meant to her, Brittany did not hesitate.
“Without CATCH, I don’t think I would have ever stood a chance. To have the courage to feel like I could get myself self-sufficient. When you’re in the world and it’s ugly and you find yourself with absolutely nothing… how do you tell yourself to put your foot forward? That’s what CATCH did for me. It got me my confidence back and showed me that I could be something.”
From the CATCH Team
“Brittany is the epitome of true resilience and her ability to overcome adversity is nothing but inspiring.” – Chris CATCH Case Manager
“It has been an absolute honor and pleasure to have had the opportunity to witness your growth and resilience.” – Chris CATCH Case Manager
This story was shared with Brittany’s full knowledge and consent.