The stories in this section reflect the diverse range of experiences
voiced by women who have survived domestic violence. Their
experiences reflect the pain, fear, strength, and determination faced by
so many who live with this abuse on a daily basis. All too often, we read
about their lives in newspaper stories, following a terrible tragedy. But
those stories do not tell us enough about the inspiring lives of many
battered women who, against all odds, find ways to take a stand and
learn to survive and then to become empowered by their experiences. The SOS Project (Stories of Survivors) is a public awareness campaign designed to share, first hand, the struggles of women who want to tell their stories as a way to reach others and to offer them words of encouragement and strength.
The SOS Project is one of our initiatives for creating a “community of conscience” where abuse is no longer tolerated. Over the years, these stories have been featured in Casa Myrna Vazquez newsletters; many of these women are also members of the Casa Myrna Vazquez Speakers Bureau. Due to safety concerns we cannot list their names. However, we want to thank them again and again for their courage and their commitment to ending domestic violence.
I Was Always Wondering What I’d Done Wrong
I Knew There Was Hope and Wanted to Tell Others