Domestic Violence Legal fees
UPDATE: Today, my friend won her case. Not only that, but the judge granted a protective order that she and her kids are safe from their abuser for a year.
I wish each and every one of you who donated to this cause could have been a fly on the wall in the courtroom. It was grueling. It was gut-wrenching. I wish I felt comfortable describing some of the acts of abuse this man did, but I don't. But the trauma effects are horrific, and this family's healing process will take a very long time.
The long and short of the results are, my friend can now go back to her homestate and continue to put her life back together. Her kids don't have to be afraid of their father for the time being. He still has supervised visitation rights, and they'll cross that bridge when they get to it.
Your monetary donations have helped with travel and impending legal fees, with food and lodging for their trip to Georgia. It will also help a little with the loss of the income she forfeited for taking off work to come here.
But it was really so much more than that. You have shown her that people care about her. You have improved the lives of her four children by showing support. And you can't put a price on that.
Thank you.
PREVIOUSLY POSTED
My name is Lauren Jones, and I am a domestic violence survivor, a fact I am not shy about. Years after surviving abuse at the hands of my ex-husband and going on my own journey of healing, I worked as a domestic violence advocate in my local shelter. Throughout the course of nearly two years, I served more women and children than I can count.
Along my journey as an advocate, I met another survivor through sheer kismet... I can only attribute our paths aligning to divine intervention. The strangest part was that her abuser was someone I knew. Not well, but well enough for me to immediately see that he was very dangerous.
My friend got out of her abusive marriage, which culminated in his almost killing one of their children. This happened years before we met, and we bonded over the mutual, unspoken horrors that all DV survivors bond over: the fact that we are alive, still standing and stronger than any of us ever knew.
Without going into too many details (for safety reasons) I will say that against many odds, my friend is doing well now. She has steady work and lives out of state. Her children who are of school age are in school, adjusting well and making friends. Their father is many many miles away, and they all feel safer for that.
However- my friend must make it to Georgia at the beginning of December - just a week from now - to attend a court date or her abuser will gain more rights to their children. This is something neither she nor her children want. They are not ready to open that door yet.
Though my friend works, she cannot afford the plane ticket to Georgia for her and her adult child who would like to testify.
That's where I need your help.
After I began this campaign, the local domestic violence shelter has agreed to help with partical funds to get her to Georgia. It's a HUGE blessing and a HUGE help. However, she'll be representing herself in court rather than using her lawyer, which she can't afford. By donating, you can help us help her to right for her rights as a survivor and a mother.
A dollar or two of your money could go a long way this holiday season. Help me to help my friend. I will kick in whatever else is needed to get her here, but I can't do it all by myself.
Please be a part of this success story. Please help maintain this beautiful, wonderful #safesurvivor.
Thank you.