Content note: This story includes discussions of emotional abuse, coercive control and trauma.
When June left her country with her two children to escape an abusive marriage, she left behind everything familiar. Her decision to find safety for her family ultimately led to an opportunity to rebuild her life.
As a teenager, June became estranged from her parents. “I never felt like I was enough for them,” she recalled.
That search for approval stayed with her into adulthood. After marrying and having two children, June gave up her own successful career to work for her husband's business. “I devoted my life to my husband, so I did this for him. I always wanted to please the people around me, to feel that I was enough.”
But she held onto one piece of her own identity. An artist since her teenage years, June continued painting whenever time permitted. Her talent quickly gained attention. “I got a chance to have an exhibition and all my paintings sold out. A major company sponsored me and I had an opportunity to have future as a successful woman on my own terms.”
Threatened by her success, her husband gave her an ultimatum: choose her marriage or her art. His emotional abuse and controlling behaviour made June realize she could no longer raise her children in that environment. “I started looking at different countries. I couldn't move somewhere that didn't speak English. I thought of Canada. I didn't have any choice, so I made the move.”
Finding Community, Support and Stability
When she first arrived in Vancouver, June and her children rented a room in a shared house. The accommodation wasn’t ideal, but her next priority was finding support. She began researching supports for single mothers and discovered YWCA Single Mothers’ Support Services. It would prove to be a vital foundation.
Less than three weeks after arriving in Canada, June joined the Single Mothers' Support Group. “They helped me begin healing. Before, my reality was surviving by myself. No one gave me compliments. No one told me, ‘You're doing great.’ These women lifted me up. I started to feel confident and think, ‘Am I really a good mom? Am I really strong?’ They helped me see that I am.”
The support group gave June something she had never experienced before: a community of women who understood what she had been through. As difficult memories resurfaced, facilitators encouraged her to try counselling for the first time. “In my country, counselling is still somewhat taboo. Learning that it was normal here made me want to try it. It feels like my journey really started here.”
Her children also began healing through the YWCA PEACE Program, which supports children and youth who have experienced or witnessed abuse.
As her confidence grew, June started thinking about her future. She applied for YWCA housing, but the wait was long. “I was told there wasn't any room and that I would have to wait. I said, ‘OK, I'll wait.’”
She was also encouraged by the women in the group and slowly found her way back to art. “Art had become my trauma. It felt like the reason for my divorce and what hurt my kids. But the women in the group told me how good my art was, and I started to believe them.”
With support from YWCA BC, June received a bursary to attend art school. She earned a diploma in visual design and gained experience in the film industry.
June and her children were finally offered a three-bedroom apartment in one of YWCA BC’s housing communities. “The kids love it! There's so much space for them.”
Today, June is focused on rebuilding not just her career, but the life she once thought was out of reach. “Now I have a great community, great friends. I always felt like a victim, but I don't want to feel that way. I want to be happy. I want to be grateful for what I have. Now I'm no longer afraid to pursue the art I love. I'm pursuing my goal and trying to find a way forward.”
She plans to join the YWCA MicroEnterprise Collective to explore turning her artwork into a small business and remains close with the women she met through the Single Mothers' Support Group, including one of her closest friends, who now lives in the same building.
“I felt so much love from them. I felt loved and supported. I truly feel like I couldn't be here without YWCA BC's support.”
Inspired by this story? YWCA Single Mothers' Support Services is one of several support programs offered by YWCA BC. Make a donation today to help more people access life-changing opportunities.
