With a good job and a stable relationship, Meredith never thought she would find herself in a shelter.
Meredith’s story began with an increasingly abusive landlord. Then her father, with whom she was extremely close, passed away. Worn out from a lack of support from her partner, her fibromyalgia also returned and the ensuing pain and mental fatigue forced her to go on sick leave. Sadly, she lost her job because her employer couldn’t afford to wait for her to recover.
As time went on, the daily stress of living in an increasingly toxic and violent environment caused Meredith’s overall condition to worsen to the point where she was hospitalized. It was then that she knew she could not go back home.
It was also at that point that she received a call from Logifem telling her a space was available. This was in fact the second call she had received. She wasn’t ready the first time, but now she knew she had to make a choice.
Meredith arrived at Logifem on December 12th, 2020. “It was my first Christmas on my own – yet I was not feeling down, I was surrounded by people who were there to support me.”
Together with her intervention worker Anne Marie, Meredith worked on an action plan to reclaim her life and regain her autonomy. Day by day, Meredith’s time at Logifem is gradually allowing her to rebuild. She has a safe place, with an intervention worker and occupational therapist to help her through this important transition.
“I’ve lost everything: material things, my partner, my cat, my career, my father”, says Meredith, “but I see this as a great opportunity that life is offering me. Everything is possible. Each ordeal presents a possibility to grow and become a better human being. This is one of the reasons we are on this earth.”
When she was at a crossroads, Meredith had the choice to reach out for help and start healing, or to remain isolated and sink deeper into despair. Meredith made a choice to change her life around. We admire her strength and thank her for sharing her story.