As a young woman, Almaze felt full of hope and possibility. Growing up in Ethiopia as the oldest daughter of seven girls, Almaze was constantly surrounded by family — sisters, cousins, aunts, and uncles. When it was time for Almaze’s parents to arrange her marriage, a man who spent time in the military seemed like a good choice. The match was made. And shortly after, Almaze and her new husband moved to the U.S. as refugees.
Yet Almaze’s hopes and dreams for her new marriage quickly shattered. Almaze came to learn that her husband was controlling and abusive. As the relationship gradually crumbled, Almaze began to fear for herself and for her two children. “I couldn’t take it and ended up running with my two kids to the greater Seattle area,” Almaze reveals.
When Almaze arrived in the greater Seattle area all alone, she was terrified. “I had nothing,” she recalls. “I didn’t speak English. I couldn’t read or write.” Almaze knew her children needed stability, so she rallied and found a small apartment and a cleaning job at a local hotel.
STABILITY LOST
Over the course of time, Almaze’s heart began to open to a new relationship with a man she’d met. But when Almaze found out about a surprise pregnancy and revealed it to the child’s father, he wasn’t interested in sticking around.
Simultaneously, the stability Almaze had worked so hard to build for her kids came crashing down. She lost her job. And then her housing. Without close connections in her life, Almaze had nowhere to turn to for help. That’s when she showed up at the doors of Hope Place, the Mission’s Women’s Recovery Program, scared and pregnant. Her two older kids were not with her.
CHRISTMAS AT THE MISSION
“I knocked on the doors of Hope Place, and they didn’t know me or owe me anything, but they helped me. God bless them. I so appreciate what they did for me.” Through weekly counseling, classes, and Bible studies with other women, Almaze was able to heal from her past and build a family of support. “I met amazing women at Hope Place,” says Almaze. “They showed me and my children so much love and care.”
GIVING BACK
With the restoration and fresh start Almaze’s received, she has dreams of giving back. “I’d like to mentor young mothers and give advice from my own experience,” she shares. Although Almaze’s path hasn’t been easy, the greatest lesson she’s learned is that you can’t do life alone. You need support. You need community. That’s what her family has found at Hope Place and what she hopes to impart to others.
