October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and several local agencies have come together to shine a spotlight on the need to support those who survive, escape from and transition away from such traumatic experience.
Cindi Holder and the Kendall County Women’s Shelter have joined forces with the Kendall County District Attorney’s Victim Services Division, Hill Country Family Services and Transformation House to sponsor “Walk The Mile” on Oct. 4, to help raise awareness for survivors of domestic violence.
“There’s no discriminating when it comes to domestic violence. It can occur anywhere, to anyone,” Holder said. “More than half the time, we hear, ‘I never expected to be in this situation.’”
Walk The Mile begins at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 4 on the Kendall County Courthouse lawn. A number of vendors will have booths set up, distributing information and data about their organization’s interaction with the theme of the day.
A knowledgeable cast of speakers includes County Judge Shane Stolarczyk, County Sheriff Al Auxier, County District Attorney Nicole Bishop and Boerne Police Chief Steve Perez. All bring a unique perspective in dealing with domestic violence.
The Kendall County Women’s Shelter operates nine rooms with as many as 32 beds for women and their children, said Holder, shelter director -- adding that men are often domestic abuse victims as well.
“I take people straight off the street, straight from the police, straight from an abusive home. We take them in with bruises and scrapes,” Holder said. “They come to stay with us, kind of rebuild their lives. That’s what we want them to do.”
Charges may be filed, involving the sheriff ’s department or police office. Abuse will be handled in court by the DA’s office. HCFS will aid the shelter in getting the abused men, women and children what they need, as often they escape their situation with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
“They come in here (to the shelter) and they are traumatized. We’re all trained and we know they feel like that, so we have to support them through it,” Holder said. “Every day is different, and every day is better, with the support and therapy they are offered.”
Progress, she said, is up to the individual. “We start out with a 30-day stay; progress is not required,” she said. “We love for them to interact, love for them to be part of their recovery — it’s not required but always offered.”
She said when the abused person is ready to move on, they may be taken in by those operating Transformation House, established to provide transitional housing for women and children impacted by domestic violence.
“We’ve all known each other, have collaborated and done something together,” she said. “Glenda Wilkie and Liz Jimenez with the DA’s Victim Services Division came to us, talking about how to raise awareness” during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
“We just continue doing what we do; programming, and lots of therapy,” she said.
The Women’s Shelter hotline — 800-495-8078 — is open 24/7. “We’re always available to anyone who needs our services,” she added.
To find out more about the Women’s Shelter, HCFS, Transformation House or Domestic Violence Awareness Month, be at the courthouse at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 4 ... wearing a comfortable pair of walking shoes.
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