Kristy grew up in a world that often felt unsafe. Her father’s dependence on alcohol meant constant chaos – but she found refuge in creativity. As a child, she filled notebooks with drawings, collages, and handmade cards, building little universes where she could breathe.

As an adult, she turned that talent into a career in design. She longed for stability, for love, for a future she could count on. But a relationship that began with promise slowly turned violent, pulling her into addiction and eroding the life she’d worked so hard to build.

Before long, Kristy and her partner were living in the woods outside Abbotsford. They packed and unpacked their camp constantly to avoid being noticed. She battled failing eyesight, declining health, and the deep loneliness that comes from believing there’s no way out.

And then one day, hope arrived – quietly, without judgment – in the form of UGM’s Fraser Valley Mobile Mission Van. Outreach Workers offered warm food, clean clothing, and something she hadn’t felt in a long time: compassion. They saw her. And they reminded her she deserved better.

Kristy found the strength to take one brave step: she climbed into the van and asked for help. That single moment changed everything.

With support, she stabilized and later moved into UGM’s Women & Families Centre, a place made possible in part through Streetohome donors who believe women deserve safety and a chance to start fresh. At The Sanctuary Transitional Housing, she received medical care, rest, encouragement – and the simple dignity of a door she could close and feel safe behind.

As her body healed, something else awakened: her creativity. The spark she’d carried since childhood began to return. She started imagining a future again – one where she updates her design training, reconnects with her talent, and rebuilds a life shaped not by fear, but by possibility.

And recently, Kristy took another courageous step: she began interning at the Women & Families Centre, giving back to the very community that helped her regain her footing. With compassion, insight, and growing confidence, she now supports other women beginning their own journeys toward safety and hope.

Today, Kristy is safe. She is healing. She is hopeful. And she is free – because she had the courage to reach out, UGM was there to respond, and donors like you made sure there was a place waiting for her when she was ready.

Thank you for helping women like Kristy reclaim their lives and rediscover their future.