{"id":1620,"date":"2022-10-27T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-27T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bowery.org\/updates\/?p=1620"},"modified":"2026-01-21T21:53:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T21:53:21","slug":"monas-hope-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bowery.org\/updates\/2022\/10\/monas-hope-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Mona\u2019s hope story: \u201cGod made a way\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Friends like you are a big reason why Mona can celebrate this season.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOver the course of my life, I\u2019ve dealt with different abuse situations,\u201d Mona says. \u201cIt made me feel very unworthy and unloved. It brought me to a deep, dark place.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For decades, Mona made life work and continued to grow her career. But behind the scenes, her life was falling apart. She battled against low self-esteem \u2014 frequently resorting to destructive habits of her own. Eventually, this had an impact on her closest relationships, especially with her children. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the pandemic hit, the emotional toll of loneliness pushed Mona even deeper into unhealthy ways of trying to deal with her pain. \u201cIsolation is hard. You sit there in your house for weeks and weeks, and you start getting in your head,\u201d she remembers. \u201cIt led me to have suicidal thoughts.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thankfully, she recognized it was time to reach out for help. \u201cI prayed and prayed, and God made a way,\u201d Mona says. First, she entered a Christian program for women struggling with life-controlling issues. When it was time for her to take the next step, she was referred to The Bowery Mission. Mona entered our short-term Residential Program for women in January. When she first came to the Red Doors, her eye was drawn to the words of Proverbs 31:25 on the wall:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cShe is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The verse brought Mona comfort and peace that she was in the right place to move forward in her journey of healing. \u201cMy goal was to be able to find a job, save money and find a place to live, and the staff here helped me with that,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While at The Bowery Mission, Mona found work as a bookkeeper. After just two months on the job, she was given full bookkeeping responsibility for three different companies! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Mona<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Mona<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Mona graduated from The Bowery Mission Women\u2019s Center this past April. \u201cI can\u2019t speak highly enough of the opportunity,\u201d she says. \u201cIt was a gift for me to be able to come here and be able to work on those things with no pressure.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Mona\u2019s relationships with her children \u2014 and now grandchildren \u2014 have been restored, and she couldn\u2019t be happier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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