In 1983, I married a man named David Rittur, had to two kids, Christopher and Kylie. He divorced me in 2003. I fell apart. I lived in bars to two years. My sister, Janice, who lives in Ocala, found out I wasn’t myself and asked me to come to live with her. Still, I was unable to pull myself together; it caused problems and she asked me to move out.
Being on disability and not knowing anyone at all, I located the only place in Ocala that would take me and that was the Abuse Center for Women and Children. When I received my next check, I found a place that rented on a weekly basis. I met a girl named Bonnie having dinner at the Salvation Army. I moved her in for company and that is how I met B. Six months later, we got a place together. We struggled and lived on one income. He eventually found work. We both worked hard and saved money. We bought a car together, got a house together and a third roommate. Things went well for a bit. B. got laid off and our third roommate moved somewhere else. Well, when the time came to leave our house, someone had tampered with our car and it took all our income to get it on the road. Well, it seemed like every time we got ahead, something would come up.
We were now staying at the Salvation Army. Within a month, B. found a job. That was good news. Bad news, we had to move to Crystal River. Well, we thought a change would be good; so we packed up. On our way to Crystal River, our car broke down and had to be towed. Someone in Ocala gave us the number for the Salvation Army in Crystal River. It was Labor Day weekend. I left a message; a young lady called me back and she said I wanted the number to The Mission in Citrus. B. called The Head Master, Jim “Bull Dog” Sleighter, says come on…
We’ve been at The Mission for almost 90 days now. B. works for the Crystal River High School and because of these fine people with big caring hearts took us in and took me out of my depression. 90 days later, we’re ready to start looking for our own place and should be moving out within 30 days. I couldn’t be in a better place; these people are better than my family has been to me and I love them all very much…