After growing up in a large family in Ethiopia, Almaze moved to the U.S. as a refugee with her new husband soon after her parents arranged their marriage.
Almaze’s hopes for her new marriage quickly shattered when she learned 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.
“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.”
With the restoration and fresh start Almaze 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.
