Nathalie’s Story

“We went from being a really happy family to a little broken when their daddy left,” said Nathalie. “We went from one hotel to another. I didn’t know what to do. I just knew I had to keep me and my children together.” 

My Family was not very welcoming to me and my kids, not everyone is as open to or willing to take that extra step to help someone without wanting something in return. When Nathanlie needed her friends and family most she was met with them all saying, “ I wish I could help…but I can’t.” 

When all hope had seemed lost, Nathalie stumbled upon information about GBCH&FM’s Family Care Program that provided a temporary place to call home and a chance to start over for her and her children. 

When Nathalie initially contacted GBCH&FM, there wasn’t a space large enough to accommodate a family of her size but the decision was made to place them in the only space available, which was a 2 bedroom apartment with plans to move them into larger accommodations as soon as something was available. Six months later, the family was able to move from that tiny apartment to a larger cottage on campus. 

“I knew that if we didn’t do something, things would only get much worse due to the pending birth of her twins,” said Mrs. Lucille Anderson, Family Care Program Coordinator on our Palmetto Campus. “Thank God we were able to place Nathalie and her children in March 2020 because within weeks the COVID Pandemic began and now this mother could not go to work to house or provide for her family. “

In 2014, our Family Care Program was established to serve families like Nathalie’s who find themselves in need of a helping hand. Most of the women and families who come to us have suffered extreme trauma from domestic violence. In addition to temporary housing, families receive food, clothing, counseling, spiritual guidance and a specific plan of care to help them start a new life. 

“I was nervous about the program and coming here,” Nathalie said. “Literally, if it wasn’t for this place, my children would have been taken away from me and scattered through the foster system everywhere.” 

“I didn’t know much about GBCH&FM or what to expect. I was embarrassed, I had never been in a situation where one day things were fine and then the next day I didn’t have anything,” Nathalie explained. “This program has been very gifting to me and my nine children.”

Now, the family has plenty of room to thrive, tons of safe outdoor areas to play in, and with the help of individual and group counseling, they are beginning to feel like a normal family again and moving forward in a positive direction. 

“As a parent, the hardest thing is that the children see the situation and go through it with you,” Nathalie says. “Starting over is frustrating but it gives you the opportunity to sit back –take a deep breath and decide what you need help with. I don’t want to waste or squander the time I have here procrastinating. I want to stabilize my family. I don’t feel like I’m by myself here.” 

“The staff is amazing,” Nathalie goes on to say. “They always tell me not to be embarrassed to ask for help. I feel safe here and appreciated. This is truly the place to get your life back together.”



Your support makes stories like Nathalie's possible. Thank you for giving children and families a place to call home. You can learn more about our Family Care program at www.GeorgiaChildren.org/family-care