Shawna

Shawna sat in her car in the deserted parking lot, sobbing.

History was repeating itself.

Her partner—who had seemed so wonderful when they first met—had just thrown her computer out the window in a drunken rage, then savagely beat her. It the worst and last beating she would endure.

Managing to escape, she jumped into her car and fled for her life. She could hardly believe what was happening. A survivor of vicious beatings by her father, she had grown up determined never to be a victim again. She married, but her husband passed away, leaving her to raise their daughter alone. Then one day, Shawna met a great guy who seemed supportive. But it wasn’t long before his dark side emerged.

In the car, Shawna felt desperate. She had no money and no place to go, but her biggest fears were for her daughter, who was due home any minute. If Shawna couldn’t shield her from the violence, she’d be making the same mistake her mother did years before.

Just as despair was overwhelming her, a police officer approached Shawna’s car and asked if she needed help. 

With the police officer by her side, she picked up her daughter. Then she followed the officer to what looked like an ordinary house. It was a women’s shelter. A smiling woman welcomed Shawna and her daughter, giving them both a big hug. They were safe.

The shelter staff eventually helped Shawna to find an apartment she could afford on her own. Rebuilding her shattered self-esteem took longer. But with specialized group and individual counseling, she and her daughter learned to heal from the trauma and embrace a future free from abuse.

“I don’t know what I would have done without the shelter's guidance,” says Shawna. “They helped me navigate the system and they gave me their loving support.”

Shawna has left those terrible days far behind. She now has two degrees, a successful business and a mission—to educate others about domestic violence.

“My life has come full circle,” she says.