{"id":1286,"date":"2017-12-01T09:00:54","date_gmt":"2017-12-01T14:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=1286"},"modified":"2017-11-28T15:22:14","modified_gmt":"2017-11-28T20:22:14","slug":"ashley-trahan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=1286","title":{"rendered":"Ashley Trahan"},"content":{"rendered":"

Creating a Healthy Exodus<\/h1>\n

By Samantha Leader | Photography by Alexis Emm<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

When meeting Ashley Trahan for the first time, you would likely not realize she\u2019s a survivor of multiple abusive relationships and had long experienced anxiety and depression. She now has a full- time job and custody of her sister\u2019s child, along with her own three children.<\/p>\n

She has some simple advice for anyone struggling through a situation similar to what she overcame.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust keep trucking. It is only temporary,\u201d Ashley said. \u201cKeep your head up and make sure people who love you are close. Don\u2019t give up or it will be your biggest mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Ashley was 10 years old, her stepfather \u2014 a man with alcohol and drug addiction problems \u2014 left the family. Ashley was left with a blurred perception of a healthy relationship. At 17, she moved out of her family\u2019s home to live on her own, starting on a journey marked by unhealthy relationships.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was attracted to the same kind of men with alcohol, heroin and drug addictions,\u201d Ashley said.<\/p>\n

Eventually, a woman who worked with Ashley at JGB Enterprises told her about Joseph\u2019s House for Women, an organization that provides a safe home and family environment for homeless mothers and children.<\/p>\n

The man she was dating at the time was aggressive toward her son.<\/p>\n

\u201cI called [Joseph\u2019s House for Women founder] Kitty Spinelli, who called me back a minute later, and talked to me about the next step to get into the program,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The process for entering the program starts with an interview. Ashley met with the trained staff to discuss options upon admission. The staff\u2019s goal is to match each mother with her interests, abilities and need for employment.<\/p>\n

When she entered the program, Ashley was pregnant with her third child. To keep space between her family and the past unhealthy relationships, she didn\u2019t tell anyone about her plans to move and changed her phone number.<\/p>\n

Joseph\u2019s House for Women was a completely new world for Ashley, who\u2019d been on her own since age 17. On weekdays, there was a 6 p.m. curfew, followed by a communal dinner\u00a0with other residents, a life skills class at 7 p.m. and then an 8 p.m. bedtime.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are many pros and cons to the rules,\u201d Ashley said. \u201cAnd for the first two weeks, I was secluded from everyone. I was very shy and didn\u2019t want to talk to people.\u201d<\/p>\n

That eventually faded, as she began the process aimed at helping mothers overcome difficult emotions and learn to do things like cook, make bottles and budget money.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest thing to remember in this program is to let your pride go,\u201d Ashley said.<\/p>\n

When she first joined the program at Joseph\u2019s House for Women, Ashley never saw herself enjoying life in a place with so many people and rules. After a year, though, she couldn\u2019t see herself leaving.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou form bonds and lifelong friendships,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Ashley moved out of the house in March 2017, after three months of searching for an apartment. Joseph\u2019s House for Women\u2019s Exodus Program was a great help. The program aims to help mothers through the transition of being a part of the program to moving back out on their own.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey give you a counselor who works with you to make sure you\u2019re OK after moving, and helps you find the apartment,\u201d Ashley explained.<\/p>\n

With the help of the Exodus Program, Ashley found her own apartment. She now works full time as a customer service representative, making enough money to support herself and her children, with benefits and paid time off. If she ever finds herself in a bind, Ashley knows she can count on the Exodus Program for backup in the form of diapers, clothing, childcare and more.<\/p>\n

Finding her footing independently hasn\u2019t been easy, but she\u2019s confident she\u2019s on the right path. She credits the program for help in that direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cSupport from Joseph\u2019s House has helped the transition be smooth,\u201d Ashley said. SWM <\/em><\/p>\n

Do you want to help Joseph\u2019s House for Women? Find a list of needed items and more information at jhfw.org<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Creating a Healthy Exodus By Samantha Leader | Photography by Alexis Emm\u00a0 When meeting Ashley Trahan for the first time, you would likely not realize she\u2019s a survivor of multiple abusive relationships and had long experienced anxiety and depression. She now has a full- time job and custody of her sister\u2019s child, along with her…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1325,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[156,469,443,471,470,262,444],"class_list":["post-1286","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","tag-alexis-emm","tag-ashley-trahan","tag-december-2017","tag-josephs-house-for-women","tag-samantha-leader","tag-syracuse-woman-magazine","tag-the-holiday-edition"],"gutentor_comment":0,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/AEP-SWM-DEC-2017-4-3.jpg?fit=5200%2C3477&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1554,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=1554","url_meta":{"origin":1286,"position":0},"title":"Jean Phillips","author":"Staff","date":"February 1, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Keeping Your Health in Mind\u00a0 By Samantha Leader | Photography by Alexis Emm\u00a0 Jean Phillips, a retired Syracuse City School District educator and administrator, was familiar with the impact of heart disease. 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Some people don\u2019t recover at all. But those who look for help when they need it most are taking steps in the right direction. At Prevention Network in Syracuse, Jessica Mozo and Ashley Dailey use their own experiences with addiction\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Features"","block_context":{"text":"Features","link":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?cat=101"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/web.jpg?fit=432%2C288&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":703,"url":"https:\/\/www.syracusewomanmag.com\/?p=703","url_meta":{"origin":1286,"position":3},"title":"Queen of Arts: Selma Selman","author":"Staff","date":"April 29, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Finding a Voice in Art By Samantha Mendoza | Photography by Alexis Emm In a small art studio at Syracuse University, Selma Selman is surrounded by powerful women. 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A successful account executive, marathon runner and weekend mountain climber, she was at her peak physical and mental performance. 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