“Thank you for persuading me to stay!” Thank you for guiding me and listening all along, for encouraging me and believing I am worthy of love. Thank you, Director, for your calm warmth and gentle advice, for connecting me with abundant resources, and for all the activities that let me clear my mind. Thank you for so often noticing when I was feeling low, for checking in and empathizing with me, you really are my sweet little “bun.” I hope one day you’ll become the “Seaweed-Fist Queen,” and I’ll come have you prove it…

This is a thank-you letter written by Tangtang’s mom to the Good Shepherd team after leaving the shelter. The shelter director recalled how she was when she first arrived: “She came to the shelter with baby Tangtang, just three or four months old. Not even an hour had passed before she kept saying she wanted to leave, because she didn’t know how the other party would react and she worried her parents would scold her…”

Tangtang’s mom had a tough childhood. Under her parents’ strict, coercive control, she tiptoed through life, always afraid of being scolded. After meeting the other party (the abuser), she thought she’d found a lifeline, but it turned out to be the start of another cycle of violence. When she came to the shelter, the other party eventually agreed to a divorce, but that sent her into a tailspin, making her feel like a complete failure. The Good Shepherd team patiently helped her understand that “a single person’s worth outweighs the whole world,” and showed the women that coming to a shelter isn’t running away, it’s a choice: a dignified choice to hope for a better future.

The shelter’s social workers run a variety of empowerment programs designed to awaken each woman’s inner resilience and help her recognize her own worth. Take Tang-Tang’s mom as an example. When Tang-Tang fell ill and had to be hospitalized, her mother had no one to turn to and struggled alone at her child’s bedside. Seeing this, the social workers arranged on-call nanny support so she could finally take a real shower, get some sleep, and simply breathe. That simple kindness felt like the warmth of a loving family and strengthened her sense of self-value.

Once Tang-Tang left the hospital, her mom began joining the shelter’s activities. Her horizons widened; she slowly realized she was capable and that her life still held many choices. The shelter director reflects:During her six months here, we watched her rediscover her self-worth and learn the importance of setting boundaries. That’s exactly what we aim for, to help women stand tall and face the future with confidence.”