As Transitional Housing Program manager, Jennifer Tibbetts, shared at the 19th Annual Catherine’s Tea:

“The women of Catherine McAuley Center’s Transitional Housing Program come from all walks of life, yet there are many common threads of experience among those entering the program. One of the most common is that of being a survivor of trauma. Trauma can take many forms including abuse, neglect, and instability. The experience of trauma has been shown to effect mental health, physical health, and emotional well-being. Here at CMC we seek to provide a safe and nurturing place to heal and grow. One of the first steps in this process is to learn that no one is alone.”

Each woman entering the program completes the Adverse Childhood Experience survey, which measures traumatic experiences and identifies the risk for barriers later in life, including an increase for substance abuse, chronic mental health issues, suicide, and diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. In the following video taken during the Transitional Housing Program group testimony at Catherine’s Tea, women step forward and backward to demonstrate the percentage of CMC residents who have experienced traumatic situations that are included on the survey.

The Catherine McAuley Center exists to offer hope and opportunity to women who have experienced this kind of trauma, and provides tools for them to build a better future for themselves. To learn more about the Transitional Housing Program, click here. Many thanks to our volunteers who took the stage at Catherine’s Tea to present this group testimony!