Staff Continued
Text Box: Page # Text Box: Text Box: Domestic / Sexual Assault Outreach Center Text Box: Other Staff Happenings Penny has accepted the newly created position of Operations Manager. Penny joined D/SAOC in June of 2007 as the Volunteer Coordinator. Penny will assist in The Executive Director, Financial Manager, D/SAOC staff in an administrative capacity. Beth has completed her 2 year contract with AmeriCorps and is now employed with D/SAOC as a part-time House Manager. Maria H. has returned to D/SAOC as the Minority Outreach Coordinator! Text Box: SHELTER CLOSE UPS Betty Abrahamson, Shelter Manager

A SURVIVOR’S STORY
Text Box: The Key On Central - accepting fall clothing and volunteers Penny Lewis Text Box: Once again it’s time for A PAPER PRODUCT CHALLENGE! The race is on! We are in need of paper towels and toilet paper. This year, we are adding a new twist to the challenge-our two kitties, Dee and Socks. Dee and Socks came to our house as orphans 4 years ago when they Text Box: were just tiny little kittens. Clients in shelter at that time decided we needed something such as four legged or eight legged bundle of fur that bring warmth and happiness. Since then Dee and Socks have brought warmth and joy to both staff and clients. Although they Text Box: are spoiled by staff and clients equally, Meow...that is Dee and Socks way of telling us that They don’t want to be left out, please donate dry cat food and kitty litter for us. Thank you for your generosity!

For two and a half years I was abused, physically, mentally, financially and sexually by my husband...the man who promised to love and support me but instead preyed on my weaknesses by isolating me from family and friends and making me believe that family and friends were against me and that no one else would want me.  He brainwashed me into believing that I was lucky to have him because someone like me didn’t deserve someone like him.  I was a prisoner in my own home - put on "the clock" every time I went somewhere. My time and mileage had to be accounted for by writing down the mileage on my car when I went somewhere then he would follow the same route to make sure the mileage was correct and if it wasn’t correct down to the tenth of a mile I was accused of having affairs, and then beat because I "lied" to him.   Walking on eggshells was a term I quickly understood. I knew that I wasn’t being treated right but I naively thought that if I showed him all of my love then he would change and I would prove to everyone that he was a good man.  When that didn’t work I then thought it was my fault that I was treated so bad-if only I  would have "been home" 5 minutes sooner or said whatever it was that set him off in a "different tone of voice" or just not have "been so stupid" then he wouldn’t "have" to beat and degrade me all the time. I stayed because as he told me a million times, I "deserved it." I also felt that I had no one to turn to because I had alienated everyone and certainly no one would understand why I allowed myself to be treated that way...and most of all, the reason I stayed was because I knew deep down he would kill me if I tried to leave.  I had a child to protect who was put into this situation unjustly. It took me 6 or 7 times for good. Each time that I left I learned something new to stay alive. I sent my son to stay with a relative unknown to my husband. I came to the realization that my friends and family still loved me and were there for me and from them my son and the support I found at D/SAOC I became a survivor instead of a victim! - Becky