I was very touched by a recent visit with a wonderful donor and supporter of Human Options.  A successful community and corporate leader in his 70’s, he is interested in creating a video telling his family’s story. He said, “this will be a legacy he to leaves as a gift to my mother.”  Like many women before the advent of domestic violence programs in the l970s, his mother was a longtime victim of domestic violence with no options for help. As a young boy growing up he had no power to change that. Now he wants to tell his story as a way of creating change to help community members understand the tremendous personal and social costs of domestic violence.

His commitment made me think of the many successful adults I meet in my work who share with me the stories of their mothers’ isolation and fear. I hear their words and voices saying “There was no one to help my mother. I used to run upstairs and hide in the closet; I will never forget my mother’s tears.”

Today as leaders in the domestic violence prevention and treatment programs we speak for these women who have no voice and for their children who live in fear. And we create the promise of freedom from fear and abuse for this next generation.

If you have a story you would like to share I invite you to join our community leaders who speak of past hurt and hope for the future and begin a dialogue.