When you look at this photo, imagine what kind of story you might tell about this beautiful

 woman.  Maybe in your story, she marries the handsome man standing next to her; they buy a lovely home; raise their dark haired, blue eyed, gorgeous children; attend church on Sundays and are now grandparents doting over their houseful of grandchildren.  That is certainly the Cinderella life we all dream about and imagine for ourselves and for our children.   Now let me tell you the true story of this attractive, intelligent woman.

She didn’t marry the man in the photo, but she did marry a dashingly handsome man from a good Christian family…..an altar boy in fact.  They had their first daughter soon after marrying and this would be where the fairytale ends and a very earthly type of hell begins.  Over the next 25 years this woman and her 6 children were beaten and abused, both physically and emotionally, in the most violent and unthinkable ways.  Every day of those 25 years she struggled to deal with an alcoholic, unemployed and horrifically violent man, while at the same time trying to protect her children, keep a roof over their heads and food on the table.  Family and neighbors, teachers, doctors and hospital staff all new the truth about the violence, but could not or would not do anything to intervene.  Food often came from food banks and food stamps, and moving from one house to another, one school to another, because she couldn’t pay the rent was a frequent occurrence  This woman had no options, she had only choices.  Every day she chose to get out of bed and fight another day to protect her children in the only way that she knew how.  Every time she was beaten bloody with pieces of broken furniture, she stood up, cleaned up and went on taking care of her children the best that she possibly could.  

Eventually, once most of the children were raised and out of the house, she got a job and divorced, but the scars of abuse never really go away, and the cycle of violence from domestic abuse only seems to perpetuate itself.  Young boys often grow up to become abusers and young girls often grow up to marry a man just like their father…..an abuser. 

You see, I know this amazing woman’s story, because I am one of her daughters.   It is true that I learned and lived the cycle of domestic violence from my Mother. But, I also learned from her, to keep on fighting… to always, always get back up.  And I did.  I am now a professional businesswoman, own my own home, make smart and healthy choices in my relationships, and feel moved to tell my story, so that other families will not feel that they have to live a life of domestic violence and carry on a cycle of abuse and defeat.

Today women and children who find themselves in violent and abusive situations do have options available to them to get the help that they so desperately need. Peace Place is one of these options.  Since opening their doors in June of 2000, Peace Place has offered refuge to over 1400 women and children from Barrow, Banks and Jackson counties.  Here at Peace Place women and children of domestic violence are offered a safe haven; a place where they can live in confidentiality, while at the same time being offered counseling, employment assistance, legal advocacy and most importantly, hope.  Hope that they can turn away from the destructive and devastating effects of violence and abuse; hope that they can stand up as strong and confident women prepared to raise strong and confident children.  Hope that there can and will be an end to the devastating effects of domestic violence.

But in order to continue to provide this hope, we need your help and your assistance to raise the funds necessary to keep Peace Place operating as a sanctuary to these women and their children, who so desperately need a place of hope. Please give what you can.

I write this letter in loving memory of my Mother, Marion, and for all of the victims of domestic violence.

Sincerely,

D.S.