This is one woman's story of hardship and how she overcame domestic violence and homelessness, with the support of the YWCA of Greater Atlanta's Women In Transition program.

After surviving a vicious domestic violence incident, Ariel Terry knew that she needed help. Gainfully employed and the proud mother of three extraordinary children, Ariel searched for a domestic violence shelter. It took months to get into a shelter – and during this time Ariel and her children lived in fear because her attacker had not been detained…and he knew where they were.

Ariel was determined to continue her job and keep her children in school but the cloak of fear in which they lived drove her to continue the search for a safe haven. After hearing about the YWCA Cascade House, Ariel applied, interviewed and was accepted into the program. She and her children began a 10-month program of healing which enabled Ariel to gain the strength to, once again, live independently. While at Cascade House, Ariel continued to work nights and take her children to school and activities every day. She also participated in specialized programming offered by the YWCA, including classes on parenting skills and financial management.

Today, Ariel continues to work, her children are excelling in school and, while there is still fear that her attacker will be released from prison, she continues to grow and plan for the future. She is now studying criminal justice at Georgia Perimeter College and would like to become a crime scene/forensic investigator. She feels an obligation to speak out about her experience so that other victims of domestic violence will break their silence and seek the help and support that she was able to receive at the YWCA’s Cascade House.

Pictured here (center) with Justine Boyd, CEO of the YWCA of Greater Atlanta, and Belk Southern Chairman Dave Penrod.