Testimonials
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20 Days in 2020!
During these extraordinary times we are all faced with the challenges of social distancing and home confinement. These are the measure we are taking to remain safe during this period. But what if the threat you face is in your home? What if your confinement imprisons you with a spouse or partner who expresses his/her frustration with hostility and violence against you. Victims of domestic abuse are living with this reality, and DVSN is offering a lifeline of hope. Please support us in our efforts. Now more than ever, your help is needed.
As the Community Services Coordinator for the Towns of Concord and Carlisle, I rely on DVSN to educate, empower, and comfort the clients I refer to them who are experiencing any form of domestic coercion or violence. I see DVSN as part of the “toolkit” I use to help those who come to me in need. When I pass along the DVSN contact information to my clients, I am confident that they will receive excellent support in a confidential, professional, and caring manner. During this ongoing COVID-19 pandemic I know that DVSN continues to provide assistance to those individuals caught in difficult situations at home. “Hope” means, to me, a world where each and every person is treated with dignity and respect by others.
Support for DVSN is vital because DVSN provides safe, confidential support for victims of domestic violence and allows them to feel heard, valued, and validated. There is no more important time than right now to support community-based domestic violence organizations. The impact of COVID-19 on those suffering abuse in their homes is likely immeasurable. We can, however, continue to be there for those who need us right now and in the future. To me, hope means knowing that there is always an option, a choice, a way through challenging times, and a path forward to a more peaceful and happy life.
It is so sad and frightening that the programs and services of DVSN are even needed. I am thankful to DVSN for giving me the opportunity to be part of the support network for our clients. It is so rewarding to hear from a client who has told their story, assessed their own risk and developed a safety plan for themselves and their family that they appreciate our being there when they most need it. Even in the most complex situation, I hear what I would consider hope. I hear optimism and an expectation of a positive outcome. This reinforces my resolve that we must end domestic violence.
In religious sectors Faith, Hope and Love are usually conjoined. Faith – that there is a power greater than ourselves. Hope – that there is a future better and more secure than what we currently experience. And Love – often reckoned the greatest – the force and energy that keeps us going in good times and bad. When I hope for a better future I am trusting that a Higher Power along with loving and supportive family members, friends, colleagues will help me and others find and sustain a more secure and safe future. We cannot do that alone but with support from others we can keep going in that direction.
I volunteer as an advocate because it’s the very least I can do to support women, men, and children who might not have anyone else to turn to. Helping people one at a time by providing an empathetic ear and practical resources is an immediate and effective way to help the community as a whole. I feel grateful that DVSN has given me the opportunity to make a positive impact on someone else’s life in such a direct, personal, and meaningful way. To me, hope means sending the message to victims that things CAN change for the better. By demonstrating that the community cares about victims of domestic violence; by educating victims about resources available to them; by relating stories of survivors who have turned their lives around; and by instilling confidence in victims that they deserve a violence-free life and that they have the tools and ability to build that life for themselves. They need not be victims forever.