Twenty years of tending bruises, drying tears and somehow finding hope in the midst of fear and emotional, physical and spiritual trauma. Arlene Peterson, assistant to the Executive Director of The Salvation Army’s Kate Booth House in Vancouver, has a job few of us would take, but you can’t take her away from it.

Peterson is a central figure in the lives of beaten and broken women as they finally stage their great escape. Sometimes these hurting women flee for their lives; sometimes they just can’t take another thrashing. Whatever the cause, escaping home, often with children as fellow escapees, is tough and Peterson helps ensure these vulnerable people are tended to as best as possible. “Time and time again I’ve seen women come here feeling hopeless, scared and trapped,” says Peterson, who will not allow use of her photo because staff have been threatened in the past by abandoned spouses. “But after 30 days, seeing the women leave with a smile, relaxed and confident… that’s the reward.”

In the small, family atmosphere of Kate Booth House, Peterson and other staff build relationships that help women and child recover from the initial trauma. Then they start planning a new life, one with less fear and hurt. Staff give women the tools and support they need to take control and feel empowered.

Sometimes the tears aren’t just in the eyes of the clients. Peterson bitterly remembers that two women who had sought refuge at Kate Booth House were subsequently murdered after they left. But it’s the stories of hope that keep alive the passion to help. Recently Peterson was on a public commuter train in Vancouver and recognized a well-dressed businesswoman standing nearby. She was a former client of Kate Booth House. The woman gave Peterson a big hug and said: “You should know what a difference you’ve made in my life.” This professional was a complete change from the desperate woman who had collapsed in Peterson’s arms 15 years earlier, escaping an abusive home and not seeing any real hope in her future.

Peterson believes working with victims of family violence is what she – and The Salvation Army – should be doing. “They have nowhere else to turn and that’s the Army’s mandate – to help those in need.”