Finding strength in support: Claudia’s story
A devoted mother and caregiver discovers relief, resources, and renewed hope through The Sharing Center
The weight of doing it all
Claudia has always been the one to care for everyone else. As a single mother to twin boys with autism, a daughter, a sister, and a full-time provider, her days are filled with responsibility. From preparing breakfast and managing therapies to maintaining a household that includes her mother and brother, Claudia rarely takes a moment to think about herself.
“I always have been the caregiver,” she said. “Since I was six years old, I took care of my mother, my three brothers, went to school, and went to work. It’s always been me.”
But being the strong one doesn’t mean the weight isn’t heavy.
Asking for help, finding hope
Initially, Claudia came to The Sharing Center for food assistance. “I was getting low on food and couldn’t make it all the way to access services,” she shared. “So I came here.”
Each time she visited, she noticed the mental health services listed on the intake form. She never checked the box. “I was kind of embarrassed and afraid,” she said. “I always just looked at it and thought about it.”
Eventually, she did check the box, and that decision changed everything.
“I started probably about a month and a half or two ago. I feel better. I know it’s a long way. It’s baby steps, but it’s helping me.”
The struggle behind the smile
Before finding help, Claudia faced years of isolation and hardship. Her marriage had limited her freedom. “It was like they put me in a cage. I couldn’t go out, I couldn’t work. And I struggled,” she said. “I just wanted to go out and provide for my kids.”
Even after gaining independence, she carried the trauma of her past and the pressure of the present. “You don’t have a chance to break down. You just have to do it,” Claudia explained. “And I pushed myself through it. Probably too much. But it had to be done.”
She found the courage to say she needed help—something she had never done before.
A moment of compassion that changed everything
Claudia vividly remembers the day she was referred to mental health services.
“I was afraid,” she said. “When they called my name, I went in, and the lady who assisted me was so kind. She asked me how I was doing, how my family was. I couldn’t even answer. Then she looked at me and said, ‘You are okay. You’re going to be okay’.”
That moment marked a shift.
“She said, ‘We’re here to help. Don’t worry.’ And here I am. The Sharing Center helped me, and I’m very, very thankful—for me, for my boys, for my family.”
Proud of her journey, proud of her boys
Claudia’s love for her sons is the center of her world. “They were diagnosed when they were a year and a half old. Now they’re 27,” she shared. “It was hard—four hours of therapy, twice a week—but they can dress themselves, feed themselves, and they graduated from high school. I’m very proud of my boys.”
She continues to teach them how to be safe and as independent as possible, always putting their needs first.
“My childhood was very, very bad. I’ve been abused, lived through things a child should never experience. That’s why I’m so protective. I just want them to be safe and happy.”
A place without judgment
“If it weren’t for The Sharing Center, I’d probably still be struggling,” Claudia said. “You come here and feel hope. They’re kind, they don’t judge you. It’s like family—more than a family.”
She also shared her gratitude for the donors and volunteers who make these services possible. “Please help The Sharing Center so they can help us and make a difference,” she said. “We can’t do it alone. We need the help, and I’m very thankful and blessed that they provide it.”
A future filled with possibility
For Claudia, mental health care is not just therapy—it’s a way to breathe again.
“You feel like now you can breathe freely without that struggle that was holding you. It feels better.”
Thanks to The Sharing Center, Claudia is rediscovering her own strength, with renewed hope for her family and herself.
Real stories, real impact
Watch how The Sharing Center is helping families and individuals like Claudia’s
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