Storm, First I must say I admire you for taking a step,and getting involved.I agree this is a much bigger problem than anyone wants to admit to or just plain open there eyes too.I was one of those that survived against all odds.After a extremly abusive relationship of 9 yrs,I got into another one that was even worse.I Finnally broke the cycle after 5 years ,after waking up from being unconcious,and bruised and bloody.I had finnally had enough.I had no friends left,had been cut off from all communication with the outside world -physically and emotionally raped repeately.I was told when to eat,what to wear,Bolt-locked in the house,no acsess to the phone-.I got out left everything including my car.I called my best friend whom I had not spoke to for 3 years and Then I left the State.I suffer from post tramatic stress disorder depression,severe anxiety disorder,Bi-polar,and I have a Broken vertabre,a crushed vertabre,3 slipped disc all due to being thrown out of a car,but I Have MY LIFE.A New life and a safe life I am in the first true healthy relationship ever!I I just want women to know That ther is hope! There is people out there that do care and if you can get out when it is safe,and don't go back.I moved to ky.with the clothes on my back and My best friend help me get on my feet just by giving me a safe place to stay.I Still go to thearpy alot,but that's not all I have to talk about anymore.I Have a life with bills and kids and laundry and I thank god and all the people that helped me get this far.I did have to take the first major step and that was to leave.I left before they came back and realized the job was not finished.HOPE There is Hope and LOVE.I want women to know That they have a voice,and a soul and that they are smart and strong,Once you leave and break that cycle.A huge weight is lifted off you and you will be able to breathe again ,and after time goes by you will quit apolizing for things that you shouldn't be apologizing for in the first place.You can be safe and learn to love and trust again.One day at a time I focus more and more about today and tommorrow and not the past.I am one of the lucky ones  I still have fears and nightmares but I don't wake up screaming as much as I used too. I just hope if some one in in a abusive relationship that this helps in some way.It is so good to wake up and not worry "if this is it? Will i live through today? The cycle can be broken if you get out in time.For the women that think it will stop or that they will change---They won't .It justs gets worse and worse.There might be small periods where they convince you things are fine but,they are not and it will start again until one day you either walk away(escape)or you die. thank you for giving me the opprutunity to share a small part of me.It really helps me to refkect that today might not have been the best but I was here alive and safe . good luck with all your fund raising The world needs more people like you.    Lisa___36

These are the words that were engraved into a headstone of a woman who is buried in a local graveyard here in Fayetteville. The woman died 33 years ago, but just now has a headstone to mark her gravesite. Her daughter, never knew that her mother never had one until recently. October 1st, 2007 the first day of Domestic Violence Awareness Month she held a memorial service for her mother, and unveiled the  headstone.  Such truer words have never been spoken. Domestic Violence  kills.

When will people understand this? When will people understand that this is something that we can stop? We can educate people better than we are doing now. Yes, things are being done, yes things are a great deal better than they were years ago. But it still not enough, there are still times when women are turned away from a shelter because the people working there are not educated enough to know that just because the woman is not sporting a bruise on her face, it does not mean she is not a victim of domestic violence.

There are still people out there, that believe all their job entails is to show up for work, and collect their paycheck at the end of the week as long as all the paper work is done. No I am not saying everyone is like this, but I am saying there are still a great many people out there still like this. There is so much work to be done, and unfortunately at times this is a very thankless job. Even the victims at times can be the ones who fight us in the efforts we try to put forth to help them.

 It can be frustrating, but when I look at the one who got help, the one who was able to get away from the abuser, the one who survives against all odds, then I have to keep going forward. When I look at the ones who come forward and say, This is unacceptable, and want to join in the fight to stop it, I have to keep going forward.

Tomorrow, I am going to see my first charity event that I put together take action. We had no sponsors because I was not aware that I had to contact people months in advance. But at the last moment we had two sponsors out of the blue donate things to us. What a blessing. Half of the volunteers that said they would be there, are not going to be there, but that is ok, because we still have plenty more. I do not have half of my packets even organized and instead of working on them right now, I am sitting here typing this, because I saw I could make a group on here, and felt it was important to get a group of people together to speak about such an important issue. Heck I still have 6 hours in the day left. Plenty of time for me to make packets yet, and banners, and , and , and....

Good thing I have such a loving family to help me out...

Thank you for joining this group... I hope we have some strong conversations...

I wrote an article for the newspaper here. My partner (Angel) thinks I should share it. I will take a vote here. If in favor, then I will share it.

Storm