by Melinda*, REACH Survivor Speakers Bureau Recently I heard myself laugh and I was shocked and amazed. I thought, “Who is this person? Wow I recognize her, I recognize that laugh!” You see, I was not allowed to laugh for years and it took me close to 3 years after I separated from my husband to allow myself to laugh. In my abusive relationship, my husband…
This week’s post is a guest post from Survivor M, a member of our Survivor Speakers Bureau. As a mom, one of my prouder moments is when someone tells me how polite my kids are. I am polite and like to think they learned from my example. My parents raised me to be polite and agreeable. They were Irish immigrants. They worked a lot and were…
One of the themes that comes up over and over again as we listen to survivors of domestic violence tell their stories is that of isolation. We are often asked why someone would stay in an abusive relationship. There are so many reasons someone might stay; what we have found is that isolation is one of the most powerful tactics abusers use to keep the survivor…
This week’s Halloween-themed blog post is from Survivor MC, a member of our Survivor Speakers Bureau. During Halloween season it’s fitting to speak about scary movies, spookiness and wearing masks. For Halloween you get one day to be someone else: a super hero, a funny character, stepping back in time or the future and choosing to wear a scary mask. There are several kinds of masks:…
The following words are adapted from a speech given by M, a participant in REACH’s Community Program and Survivor Speakers Bureau, at the 2016 Reach for the Stars Gala last Saturday. She brought a ballroom full of people to their feet with her courageous words, and we wanted to share them here for those who weren’t able to attend, or who wanted to read them more…
Next week, REACH will host its annual Holiday Gift Program, which provides gifts to more than 225 families that have stayed in our Shelter or worked with a Community Advocate. We wanted to share with you a special thank-you note we got a couple of years ago that illustrates the impact these gifts can have.
Survivor M (a participant in REACH’s Community Program) delivered these remarks at our 12th Annual Reach for the Stars Gala this past Saturday night. We are reposting them here for anyone who missed it, or wants to read her words for themselves.
Last night, we had a great conversation with members of our Survivor Speakers Bureau (SSB).
On October 18th, we held our annual Reach for the Stars Gala at the Renaissance Hotel in Boston. The event was a huge success and raised approximately $400,000 to benefit REACH’s programs and services. One of the highlights of the evening was hearing from a member of our Survivor Speakers’ Bureau who spoke powerfully about her experience of leaving an abusive relationship with help from a…
One of the survivors in REACH’s Survivor Speakers’ Bureau recently shared her experience with domestic violence and how it impacted her faith. Here is an excerpt from the story she shared. I want to share with you about my experience with domestic violence and how it has affected my faith in God. As a young adult, I moved to Boston to go to graduate school. I…
