Two young sisters rebound from torture
Two young, and frail, sisters, Erika, 5, and Ashley, 3, experienced abuse at home that NO child should ever witness and go through.
Child Protective Services (CPS) brought both girls to The Salvation Army’s Sally’s House - only emergency foster care house in Spokane County for children, ages 2-12 - with cigarette burns all over their bodies. Erika even had burns on her tongue. Their parents had been using this as a form of discipline for the girls.
Needless to say, the two girls were extremely timid and fearful of people. For the most part, they only trusted each other; practically exhibiting an ‘us against the world’ mentality. Erika and Ashley had a very difficult time being out of sight from one another.
Upon arriving to Sally’s House, Erika displayed extreme tantrums, destroyed property and assaulted staff. Ashley was very shy and talked very little, but always needed to be next to a staff member or be held. During meals, Ashley screamed for help and hid under the table for the entire meal.
Staff members were patient with both girls, as they held and comforted the two sisters and read bedtime stories to them. Ericka and Ashley initially struggled to fall asleep due to the nightmarish reality they had escaped from a short time earlier.
With time, both girls began to trust the staff. With Ashley, it took a while for her to begin eating with her peers at the table, but she began feeling safe enough to explore her surroundings. Erika eventually accepted praise and even requested side-hugs and high-fives from the staff.
The girls stayed at Sally’s House until their social worker secured a long-term placement that would accept both girls. Their counselor told the staff that she believed the girls’ saving grace was living at Sally’s House on an interim basis, as they remained together in a positive and loving environment after being removed from so much trauma.
Sally’s House is often the first safe place children ever experience. Members of the staff work tirelessly to provide the children with warm food, clean clothes, educational assistance, life skills lessons and more. What the staff sees and hears daily is heart-breaking. And, it’s because of what they see and hear that they come back every day because they believe in what they do and WHO they do it for.
It’s also because of supportive friends that The Salvation Army has a Sally’s House for children in difficult situations. Contributions to Sally’s House help children like Ericka and Ashley live a happy life. Please come alongside us with a tax-deductible gift to keep Sally's House viable.