Getting Help

Why is it so hard to get help?

I never knew just how hard it was to get any type of assistance until I was almost murdered. 

I really see why so many people stay in violent situations when they have low funds. When I was almost killed two years ago (actually it will be two years this May), I was living in North Carolina. I left North Carolina in fear of my life. This man had people calling me and saying that he was going to finish the job. The cops could not do anything. He only went to jail for one month. I was so sick with worry, having constant panic attacks and I kept getting sick with sinus infections and colds to where I could not breathe. I felt like I was dying. 

I left North Carolina. And I left with nothing, I could not afford to get movers at the time so I just picked up and put what I could in the car and left. When I left, I tried to get help from different agencies. I went to a domestic violence program and asked if there was any help that they could give me. They mentioned a shelter but that was it. I had a place to stay temporarily with my family. I needed to get my own place. 

I found out that they actually did have programs through domestic violence, but they never told me about it. They had something called “Annie's fund”. When I mentioned this to my counselor she yelled at me and said, “you're not going to call me a failure.” To make a long story short she said she would fill out an application for Annie's fund but I never heard back from them. I called them and they never called me back. I tried with social services and that wasn't much help either. 

I feel it's such a shame that it is so difficult to find help when you need it. It is sad all of the deaths that happen because of domestic violence. Everyone acts so upset when a death happens but no one does anything to prevent it.I mean the man that did this to me served only one month in jail, what does that tell people? The whole system is just a big let down all the way around. The court system does not care and neither does the government. They make requirements so hard to get assistance. This has been the hardest time of my life. I mean to be fearful of your attacker coming after you and trying to find a place to live and work. 

I received a call from this man last summer. It was so scary. It was right around the time my daughter's friend was murdered. I thought, “omg he found me, how?” I called the police and they said they would keep a lookout, but that is all they could do. I called this man's probation officer, but she said she believes this man that it was not him. He is great at lying and now has her fooled as well.

I really hope at some point the laws change! I hope they make stricter laws for acts of violence. I also hope that the law changes for victims of domestic violence. Something has to give. The government can't just sit there with blood on their hands and nothing. It is up to them to change the laws. Maybe then there will be less acts of violence!

KellyMaida