Domestic Violence Awareness Month

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October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, hear the story of a domestic violence survivor who was helped by the Chicanos Por La Causa De Colores shelter, the only shelter in the Phoenix area offering a bilingual and bicultural environment.

Jose Cardenas: October is domestic violence awareness month. Chicanos por la causa de colores is a safe home for women and children forced to leave their homes due to domestic violence. Nadine Arroyo Rodriguez spoke to one domestic violence survivor and how De Colores helped her put her life back together. [speaking spanish]

Nadine Arroyo Rodriguez: Suami Aguilar calls herself a two-year survivor of domestic abuse. She explains that she was scared when she made the decision to leave her abusive husband. She says after eight years of abuse, she decided she and the children needed to get out. She turned to the shelter. A nonprofit home for abused women and children.

Nadine Arroyo Rodriguez: She says at times she felt desperate and she believed she wasn't going to make it. But she says that during her 1½ years at the De Colores, the center gave her hope that she and the children could survive on their own. The shelter provides women and children with emergency safety service, counseling, legal assistance, support groups, and guidance to numerous resources. Even more, the center helps women set personal goals to help them believe they can achieve success. De Colores shelter is the only valley home that offers their services in Spanish, and the only place she says helped her gain her confidence. She says she knew her life had changed when she reached one of the goals she set for herself while in the shelter. To raise enough money to take the children to Disneyland. Aguilar says the children took part in accomplishing the goal. She assist says among the things they did was collect aluminum cans to make extra money. She said at times she felt embarrassed as passersby would watch the kids get excited when they would find and pick up a tossed aluminum can on the side of the road.

Nadine Arroyo Rodriguez: Aguilar says the Disneyland visit represents more than just a vacation. She calls it a moment of independence and hope.

Jose Cardenas: For more information on CPLC De Color, call 602-257-0700.

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