Hope Alliance Brings Hope to Domestic Violence Victims, TX
Hope Alliance brings hope to domestic violence victims 05:54 PM CDT on Friday, October 27, 2006 By OLGA CAMPOS / KVUE News There is new hope for women facing domestic violence -- the Hope Alliance. Previously known as the Williamson County Crisis Center, it has a new name and a renewed mission to help victims of abuse. "Joanna" went to the Hope Alliance for help. "Joanna" is a domestic violence survivor who does not want her identity revealed for security reasons. She recalled her personal horror, "I had just escaped after being locked in a closet for almost three months." After being kept a prisoner in her own home by her husband, "Joanna" is still recovering from the trauma. Her ordeal brought her to the Hope Alliance in Williamson county. "They really made me feel like I was worth saving," she said. Patty Connor is the Chief Executive Officer of Hope Alliance. "We asked our clients what is the one thing, if you could point to one thing that we provided, that helped? And the common thread was hope," Conner said, explaining the reason why the center's name changed to Hope Alliance, after 22 years of being known as the Williamson County Crisis Center. The name is different but the mission is the same: helping adults and children leave abusive situations. In 2005, more than 650 women and their children stayed at the shelter. Staff members say 3,500 hundred calls came into the hotline and 600 people received help through outreach programs. But in any month, at least 10 families are turned away due to lack of space and resources. "We stay full. We place families in hotels when we are full and we still don't have enough money or space to fulfill the need," Conner said. "I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders", said "Joanna." Slowly she is healing. She's moved out of Hope Alliance and is putting her life back together, but staff members know each day brings another case of domestic violence and another family in search of hope. Last year, 226 Texans died in domestic violence incidents, including 45 abusers. A Harvest Concert and Family Festival will be held this Sunday, October 29th from 2 p.m. to 6pm at the Wolf Ranch Town Center in Georgetown. Proceeds from will benefit the Hope Alliance. It's one of 80 shelters in Texas. http://www.kvue.com/news/top/stories/102706kvueHopeAlliance-cb.7df253bf.html