NWAWS board member Daniel Cruz talks about why the Shelter is important to him and to our community:
When I moved to Northwest Arkansas from Mexico City over 10 years ago, I felt the need to get involved in the community. Every board needs diversity in gender and origin. When I found the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter, I knew I had a unique perspective to offer. Coming from a Latin American country, I grew up in a culture that values family union. It was difficult for me to understand someone beating his wife, girlfriend, or kids. I joined the Shelter’s Board of Directors in 2001.
The Shelter is important to me because it gives women a safety net—an avenue for them to seek help and shelter. The Shelter helps women get away from an abuser, find a safe place, and identify and overcome the problems they face. We help them envision the future and a better environment for themselves and their children. This is important because most people associate with people like themselves, so many people who grow up in a violent environment get into relationships with people with similar values. They find themselves repeating the pattern of violence. We help women and children break that cycle.
In the decade that I have been with the Shelter, we have had many changes. We are now in our third location because we have expanded in response to the increase of domestic violence. What I am most proud of is that all the changes we’ve gone through have been seamless from our clients’ point of view. There has never been a break in the services we provide to victims of violence. We are now at the point where we are focusing on expanding our education and prevention. We are going into schools and speaking to kids about abusive relationships.
Domestic violence is a problem everywhere. It doesn’t matter where you come from—domestic violence goes across all socioeconomic levels and cultures. There are so many stigmas associated with domestic violence. Victims are held back from seeking help by all the “what ifs.” What if I lose friends? What if I am blamed for the abuse? Many people don’t want to deal with domestic violence in the community. They think it’s not their business and they don’t want to talk about it. I don’t know why not. I am with the Shelter because we need a lot of people to know about domestic violence, to be involved, and to volunteer their time. If it’s not your business, whose business is it going to be?
