Zaneta’s story

"I'll never forget the moment I gathered my children and fled from domestic violence. My heart was racing with fear, my mind consumed by one terrifying question: How would we survive? Where could we find safety? Those first days were a blur of uncertainty and desperation.

Then we found Mary's Place.”

As we look back over the last 25 years, we are inspired by stories like Zaneta’s.

Zaneta and her young boys spent three weeks at Mary’s Place before finding housing. “From the moment we walked through the doors fourteen years ago, everything changed. The staff didn't just offer us a place to stay – they offered us hope. They wrapped their arms around my family with such compassion that I felt, for the first time in so long, that we weren't alone. They provided more than just a roof over our heads. They gave us meals, job assistance, and – most importantly – a chance to heal and rebuild,” shares Zaneta.

Once settled in her new home, Zaneta wanted to help other moms who faced the same hardships. “I remember filling out housing applications, and it felt so overwhelming. I had no idea where to start, and I was trying to make sure my children were okay. Being homeless in itself is a full-time job,” she shares, “so I really wanted to help others through that.”

“Two weeks into what I believed was just going to be a volunteer position helping women fill out housing applications, HR approached me and said, ‘Hey Zaneta, you forgot to give us your paperwork for direct deposit,’ and I said, ‘What? You hired me? You mean I can continue to help other women as a career?’” she laughs, “and that’s how I ended up starting the housing program at Mary’s Place!” In her time with Mary’s Place, Zaneta laid the foundation for our thriving housing program and served as a Site Director at our Women’s Day Center and several family shelters.

“Today, I look at my children, and my heart overflows with joy. They're back in school, laughing, learning, and dreaming about their futures. The fear that once consumed us has been replaced by hope and possibility. And I've found a new purpose in supporting other families walking the same difficult path I once walked,” shares Zaneta. “My favorite thing about being part of Mary’s Place was watching families get their lives back – we’re loving people back to life!”

Thank you to King 5 New’s Jake Whittenberg for telling Zaneta’s story so beautifully in a recent piece. Check out the full story here!