Surviving Abuse

I am thrilled to read positive stories and to quiet the deafening noise of the violence that seems to be around us at all times. I love hearing how people have survived violence and have embraced life and are moving on.

That seems to be exactly what Michelle Knight who was held captive for 11 years in Ohio by Ariel Castro had done. She is now free and moving on with her life. She has changed her name and now goes by Lilly and recognizes the trauma she endured for such a long time impacted her, but it doesn’t define who she is now. I love her spirit and her strength. She is a true hero in my book. She has not only survived but she is thriving. I am happy for her. I hope that others who have been through horror can find strength in her and hope for their own recovery.

Recovery is possible. It can be a long and arduous journey, but there is hope for those who have been traumatized by violence. I am excited for Lilly and her future and for all of those that we work with everyday who have lived through horrific abuse and survive and then thrive. 

Looking back: Accomplishments

The new therapy building on the Independence campus.

As we start a new year, I would like to take this opportunity to look at our 2011 fiscal year that ended September 30^th and share with you all that we accomplished.

One of our biggest accomplishments is the completion of the capital campaign and the construction on the Independence campus. The transformation has been truly amazing. The buildings are beautiful and have really helped us in providing services to our clients. It is truly a healing space for great work to be accomplished.

In fiscal year 2010-2011 (October 1, 2010 – September 30, 2011) we were able to provide the following services:

• 1,243 women and children were served in our two emergency shelters
• 39,470 bednights were provided
• 29 people were served in our transitional living program
• 8,595 people were served through our court advocacy program
• 455 people were assisted by our two contract attorneys
• 108 people were assisted through the hospital advocacy program
• 81 families received services through our safe visitation program

It is so uplifting to see the numbers of clients we were able to assist this past year through our programming. It is somewhat overwhelming at the same time knowing that we turned away 999 from our shelters and continue to have waiting lists for our outreach programs. 

We will continue to do all that we can to serve those who are in need and continue our mission of breaking the cycle of domestic violence.