“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands — one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” -Audrey Hepburn
If you have been following my project or keeping up with these blog posts, you may be thinking “Wow this is a really important issue. I wonder what I can do to help?” Addressing this issue doesn’t mean you have to take on a year long project and commit hours of your week. There are a number or ways that you can help address the issue of relationship abuse in your community.
One thing you can do that not only benefits your community, but also probably makes you feel good, is volunteering. Many safe shelters and hotlines are run almost completely by volunteers, so reaching out to a local organization that addresses the issue of relationship abuse could be an easy and low commitment way to make a difference. Even volunteering just an hour or two of your time every week can make a huge impact. If you are looking for something a little more involved, you could reach out to a local safe shelter or similar organization and offer to create a website for them (if they don’t already have one) and/or run their social media. This may be more of a time commitment, but you will likely reach even more people as many experiencing relationship abuse look to online resources for help and information. If your schedule is full and you don’t have time to take on another volunteer position or design a website, there are still ways you can make a difference and help out in your community. A small and easy way is to simply chat with your friends about the issue of relationship abuse, share what you have learned from these blog posts, and have a discussion. By having these conversations, you are spreading information and opening the door if someone in your life is experiencing relationship abuse, but didn’t want to bring it up on their own.
Whether you want to volunteer your time at a local safe shelter, or simply want to chat with your friends, you can make an impact on your community. If everyone began having those conversations or volunteered even an hour of their time every week, we could shed a lot of light on the issue of relationship abuse, and more people would have the information they need to identify and understand abusive relationships both in their own lives, and in those of family and friends.
Until Next Time,
Lindsey