Remember my Name

Yonnie Griffin, was only 16 years old when her boyfriend fatally shot her outside his home. Jewel Bass, was 74 when her husband shot her in their home. Yonnie and Jewel came from different backgrounds, traveled different journeys, dreamed different dreams, but tragically, they shared one thing in common – their lives were cut short by domestic violence. In 2011, 23 women in Harris County lost their lives to domestic violence. In honor of domestic violence awareness month, 23 cards with the words Remember my Name hang from the trees outside our building throughout October. On the back of each card are the individual names of the 23 women killed by domestic violence.Here in Houston, many women have stopped to look at the cards on our trees, and they’ve all said the same five words: “That could have been me.” And it could have. It could have been any of us.

The shocking truth is that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 10 men in the United States are affected by domestic violence in their lifetime.  It’s chilling to know that we live in a world in which so many people suffer at the hands of an abuser. The Houston Area Women’s Center offers many free and confidential services for men, women and children affected by domestic violence and sexual abuse. We have an emergency shelter, a 24-hour hotline and we provide counseling and advocacy. If you or anyone you know is experiencing domestic violence please don’t hesitate to call our hotline at 713-528-2121. There are advocates on call 24/7 to answer your questions and help you create a safety plan if you are in danger.

To learn more about how you can get involved with the Houston Area Women’s Center, visit here