Not everyone will have a happy Christmas this year, in fact for some women and children it can be the most dangerous time of year.
When I received this email I just had to share it with you. Please help if you can, you truly could be saving lives.
“My mother and father were together for 13 years. From a young age I remember his violence towards her. He would yell at her for cooking dinner wrong, wearing too much make-up… You name it - if he could find an excuse to hit her, he would.
I remember walking into their bedroom, aged 7 or 8, and seeing her lying in a pool of blood on the bed. I didn’t know what to do. Afterwards, he would cry to me and say, “Your mum made me hit her. It’s her fault.”
Once, aged 9, I tried to intervene. I ended up getting hurt too.
We tried to escape a few times, but he always found out where we were.
Then one day my mum made a friend – a woman who lived across the road. She saw what was happening to us and she understood. She told us about Refuge.We had no idea there was such a thing as a refuge – somewhere safe we could stay while we rebuilt our lives away from my father. It sounded like something out of a dream.
It was the 22nd of December – three days before Christmas.
He wasn’t at home, so now was our chance. We packed a few belongings into a black bin liner, watching the clock all the time.
When we arrived at the refuge, my mum had broken ribs and other injuries. A group of friendly women invited us in and showed us to our room. They gave us something to eat and drink. The house was nearly full, and another family arrived the next night.
We realised we weren’t alone.
Gradually, my confidence came back. I started to enjoy all the things I should have been enjoying at that age – going to school and making friends. Nine months later, my mum and I had our own home and we started a new life - one where we could be safe and happy.
I’m 31 now, I run my own business and I am happily married. My mum is married now too, to a wonderful man. She’s doing really well. Every year around this time I remember the woman who changed our lives – my mum’s friend who had that phone number on a piece of paper, three days before Christmas, 20 years ago…”
At Refuge we hear stories like this every single day and whilst we’re so happy we were able to help women and children like Emma and her mum we still need your support to help us reach the thousands more that will come to us this Christmas and into the future.
Please donate today
You can also support us this Christmas at no cost to yourself. We are delighted to be teaming up with Emerald Street, the free daily email focusing on fashion, beauty, culture and careers. From now until 31st December Emerald Street will donate £1 to Refuge for every person who signs up with them, and until 23rdDecember Benefit is giving 100 readers a day the chance the receive a They’re real! Mascara!
Thank you and Merry Christmas from all the women, children and staff at Refuge
*This in not a sponsored post and I am not affiliated with Refuge in any way. I am passionate about this cause due to many years of working with victims of domestic abuse whilst working for my local police force.
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