Last night, we had a great conversation with members of our Survivor Speakers Bureau (SSB). We took the opportunity of our bimonthly gathering to revisit the purpose of SSB, and asked the Speakers for their input on why they have chosen to participate. Some members have been with us since the program began in 2007, and others are brand new. We thought you would appreciate hearing (and seeing!) their own words about why it is so important to them to be able to use their voice to speak about domestic violence. The following are their answers to the writing prompts we provided (in bold).
I use my voice because…
“…finally speaking up about what was happening in my home is how I saved my own life.”
“…I want people to know they are not alone.”
“…it helps me heal.”
My voice is different because…
“…it’s become so much stronger since I started coming to REACH.”
“…I have a voice.”
“…I’m assertive for my situation.”
“…it’s ok to stand up for myself and to demand respect.”
I use my voice to…
“…share my story and help educate others about domestic violence.”
“…educate and to help.”
“…advocate for my self-care.”
My voice is…
“…beautiful and powerful.”
“…my identity.”
