For survivors of domestic violence, having the right support can be an important part of the healing process.
The Lexington nonprofit Rhema Word Foundation is expanding how it helps women and children impacted by domestic violence. The organization already provides a range of support, and now it's opening a safe place for women and children to stay.
For survivors of domestic violence, asking for help isn't as simple as picking up the phone. "A lot of times they don't have a voice so they don't know who they are so we teach them how to recognize the person that they were and who they're gonna be and put them on the right path," Executive Director Kivva Greenlee-Williams said.
That's where Rhema Word Foundation comes in.
"Rhema Word Foundation is an organization that provides resources and um support to the community of domestic violence," Greenlee-Williams said.
The foundation felt one more resource was needed a safe place to stay for women and children. "The ultimate goal was to be able to provide shelter for these women that have nowhere to go when they're put out in the middle of the night or they're running," Greenlee-Williams said.
The goal isn't just to give women a safe place to stay. It's to help them build a life after they leave.
"They can come and they can stay up to 2 years. So within those 2 years they're going through life skill training they're going, we're registering them into, um, schools and. Getting furthering their education, helping them with building resumes, you know, helping them reestablish who they are," Greenlee-Williams said.
For Greenlee-Williams, Rhema's mission started with her own loss. "So 2004 I had lost my little girl Aramah to domestic violence. Um, it was a guy that I was dating. Ultimately claimed her life through child abuse," Greenlee-Williams said.
Years later, that loss would turn into a mission to help other families.
"Aramah's father and I decided to reunite and we started a relationship, got married, and started Rhema Word Foundation in her honor," Greenlee-Williams said.
Now, she hopes other parents will trust their instincts when something doesn't feel right. "Listen to your women's intuition. Listen to that gut feeling," Greenlee-Williams said.
"If you do speculate it, just get an opinion. Take it, take your child to the pediatrician and just get a second opinion on what you may, may be feeling," Greenlee-Williams said.
Help is available for those who need it. "Help is readily available. We're here. Rhema Word Foundation is here to help," Greenlee-Williams said.
If you or someone you know needs help, or would like to volunteer, you can visit Rhema Word Foundation.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
