A New Life for Tania Cabral

Resilience is the ability to recover from misfortune or change. For Tania Cabral, it is a way of life.

Resilience has helped her recover from drug addiction, gain custody of her baby boy as well as balance the demands of motherhood and employment. The 34-year-old is determined to live a life different from her past. Through hard work and help from Amos House, Tania is on her way.

She came to Amos House early last year, six months pregnant and fresh from a detox program. It was there she heard about our agency’s 90-Day Transitional Program. She applied and was accepted. This became a key step in her new life of sobriety.

“It gave me the incentive to stay clean even with having a lot  of down time,” Tania recalled. “If I hadn’t been in the program, I probably would have gotten high again.”

Tania pressed through our structured day program, which helps homeless persons recover from addiction. She graduated and looked forward to the birth of her child. At the same time, she knew that she could lose him due to her history of addiction. Several years before, she lost custody of her 5-year-old daughter for that reason. But resilience gave her a hope that was not in vain.

Tania’s case worker told her that Amos House was about to launch a new program, a Mother-Child Reunification Center. The program was for homeless women who had been separated from their children due to previous substance abuse or incarceration. Tania quickly secured a spot for her unborn child and herself and moved into the Center, a beautifully restored Victorian former bed & breakfast. With access to its array of services including counseling, parenting classes, medical assistance and support groups, she and her baby could have a fresh start. Weeks later he was born.

“Because I was at Amos House, I was able to take my baby home from the hospital. This program is helping me get on my feet,” Tania explained.

Today she and her 6 1/2 month old son are thriving. Tania has also landed a job. The resilient mother works five days a week waitressing at our Friendship Café. Her goal is to succeed at home as well as at work.

“I’m independent. That’s important,” said Tania. “I’m taking care of myself and my child. It’s a whole new life.”