Stepping Stones 24/7/365 advocacy services provide support, including safe shelter, for local families seeking a place to heal and grow. Linda* is a single mother of one and has experienced so many hardships in her life. After leaving an abusive relationship, she didn’t know where she and her son would sleep, find food, and stay safe. That’s when Linda found Stepping Stones and began the hard work to become free from all forms of victimization and an opportunity to gain her independence back. She and her son were going to have a chance to move from surviving to thriving.

After she began working with advocates, one of Linda’s goals was to gain transportation in order to get to her job each day. She knew paying for taxis and walking her five mile route was not sustainable long term. Thanks to one of our generous donors, Linda received an electric bicycle with a special bike stroller attachment for her son. This bicycle was life changing for Linda – it provided her the freedom of mobility.

For months, Linda has been working hard to save money in order to purchase a vehicle, but before she was able to begin her research, Stepping Stones received a vehicle from an amazing donor for someone in our program. Because of this awesome donation, Linda now has a safe vehicle for her and her son and no longer needs to ride her electric bike.

With each step forward, Linda is seeing the changes happening in her life, building her confidence and independence in order to create the best future possible for her and her child. When a new family moved into the shelter, Linda understood the challenges the mom was facing and remembered her own hardships when she walked through those doors. This inspired Linda to take action by donating her electric bike back to a shelter family in need of transportation. Recognizing how much her life has changed because of her hard work and dedication, Linda wants to show other residents that they can gain their independence back, too!

A special thank you to our amazingly supportive community who make it possible for people in our community like Linda to escape abuse and find independence again!

*Names changed