I have been a victim from my first relationship at 16, I had been living with the boyfriend and was put in the hospital numerous times i even lost a baby at his hand at 16 .Someone called police and they took him for warrants the laws weren't like they are now,i was not very educated and started spotting blood ,no idea what to do and no one around i lay around trying to just sleep,meanwhile bleeding.I know that if the friend was not available to come by and pick me up to go and visit the abusive boyfriend i would of bled to death. But in this story i am not the real victim my unborn child was,due to my lack of education and knowledge of any support to someone in my situation i continued to feel trapped and afraid.I feel the more that domestic violence has affected many families and being a mother and having to live in a shelter myself,understand the mental and emotional trauma one feels, and the help and support of the shelter and the counseling i had was very important to me and who i am today,I have been through many abusive relationships,due to the lack of self worth and dependant on another making it easy to repeat the cycle.That is why i support this cause,so we can help the woman who need to have a place to feel safe and supported and given the education to become self sufficient.I am now 35 i have three children 16,6,and 4. My life is getting a new chance with housing assistance i waited 6 years to be given this opportunity to not feel i have to expose my children to danger and hope to become a environment of love and understanding.I just hope my story can share something with someone,my reason for choosing the particular one i did is because that was the beginning when i was still a child 16,and through out all the abusive situations i experienced,none as terrifying when there is a child involved and not being able to protect yourself or them is one of the worst feelings as a mother.So anything i could do to support this cause,i would.