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Community Action Partnership’s monthly meeting on October 8 centered on Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

One of the speakers, Jessica Nicely, Founder and CEO of Winged Hope, has trained over 53,000 people across the state to counsel victims of abuse. She herself had overcome a history of domestic abuse having a father who abused her after her mother left. As “invisible victims,” she and her sister Shelia also witnessed her stepmom’s abuse at the hands of their father as well.

So many of our nonprofits serve this most vulnerable population of children and adults. Every 44 minutes, children in AZ witness an act of violence but Nicely offered hope to all victims that they could get out of their situation. Having an action plan that includes important documents, a charged cell phone, gas in your car, and money saved at a trusted friend’s home are all keys to safely leave the situation.

Mesa PD Officer Aaron Spicer with the domestic crimes division, and Shelly Ward with the Mesa Family Advocacy Center also shared that they see about 2,000 children each year who experience violence at home. “We should be outraged at these numbers, how people think it’s OK to put their hands on others this way,” Ward said. The Department helps victims leave their situations, and Ward charged everyone in the meeting to be a safe place for someone by leading them to help or being a shelter themselves.

All of these organizations will be at Mesa Domestic Violence Awareness Night 10/17 5:30, Plaza at Mesa City Center, 56 E Main St. shelly.ward@mesaaz.gov 408-644-2036 800-799-7233 (SAFE)

As “partnership” is a part of our name, we are inviting more corporate partners to share materials related to domestic abuse to their employees or customers, as you never know who may need this lifeline.

Next meeting will be in December, on managing your organizations or company’s community engagement.