The following reflection comes from Joanna, a survivor: I saw my abuser for the first time since ending the relationship two years after our final break-up. I had moved across the country, and was back in town visiting family. The two years I had spent away had allowed me time to heal, to process, to recognize how much the abuse had impacted me. From a distance,…
Over the past few days, it has finally started to feel like spring. After a dark and harsh winter, the beginning of April has brought us warmer weather and abundant sunshine; we see the buds of flowers poking through the dirt and we begin to feel a sense of hope that winter might be finally over. As some of you may know, April is Sexual Assault…
Following an in-depth article by Eric Moskowitz in the Boston Globe early this week, there has been a lot of conversation in the media and in the community about domestic violence. Columnists like Yvonne Abraham and legislators like Speaker DeLeo have used this opportunity to educate the public that, while horrifying, the leniency that Jared Remy experienced in the courtroom is not a rare occurrence. For…
On Thursday, REACH will join colleagues from other domestic violence agencies across the Commonwealth and head to Beacon Hill for the annual Jane Doe Inc. Legislative Advocacy Day. We’ll be focusing our conversations around three important pieces of legislation, as well as some budget priorities. First, the legislation: S1897: An Act to Establish Employment Leave and Safety Remedies to Victims of Domestic Violence, Stalking, and Sexual…
I grew up outside of Chicago and as part of a family of six I don’t remember having many moments of quiet in my life. There were neighborhood kids over frequently, we had a foreign exchange student one year, and often had extended family over for dinners and holidays. My parents made everyone feel welcome. One night, my mom called on her way home from work…
I begin most mornings in our Waltham outreach office and check the local news and Twitter to catch up on what is happening around the city. It is helpful to know what residents are talking about, what their concerns are, and how that ties into domestic violence prevention. Sometimes there are stories that require our immediate attention like an incident of domestic violence. Today in my…
Just when you feel like it’s the dead of winter and there’s nothing to look forward to, you realize: next week is Say Hi to Your Neighbors week in Waltham! For the uninitiated, Say Hi to Your Neighbors Week, now in its 3rd year, is comprised of events across our home city of Waltham encouraging community members to meet new neighbors and build relationships with those…
Several years ago, I was invited to speak to a group of nurses and physicians about Teen Dating Violence. During the presentation an audience member asked this question, “How serious can teen dating violence really be? Since teens’ relationships aren’t that serious to begin with, and they know their relationships aren’t really going to last, how could a teen relationship even become abusive?” I paused, and…
As often as possible, we try to use this blog space to feature pieces written by domestic violence survivors. The following poem was written by Molly (not her real name) to describe how she felt when struggling with domestic violence and substance use. Today Molly is living on her own, has regained custody of her kids, and has been sober for over a year. We share…
This week we want to introduce you to one of our volunteers, Cris Perro, who helps out at our Shelter and in various other ways around the organization. Tell us a little about yourself: I grew up in Massachusetts and love all the seasons we experience. Yes, even the winters! I’ve worked in Human Resources for most of my career. I’ve always been the kind of…
