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Seven years ago Georgeann Newman (left), shown with project director Vashti Bledsoe, called Lutheran Settlement House in Philadel- phia’s domestic abuse hotline. Today she is a trained domestic violence counselor.


professional with a master’s degree. “People turned a blind eye,” she said. “Teachers, our pediatrician, knew what was going on but didn’t want to get involved. … When I finally separated from him, the kids were 11 and 7.” Once during their separation he


JANETTE MCVEY


‘Love shouldn’t hurt’ G


Empowering domestic violence survivors By Elizabeth Hunter


eorgeann Newman was 19 when she met her hus- band. “He swept me off my feet,” she said. “His fam- ily came from money, and I lived in a not-so-great


neighborhood. Everything seemed fine in the beginning.” Te abuse began later.


Seven years ago Newman sought


help from the Bilingual Domestic Violence Project of Philadelphia- based Lutheran Settlement House. Many people have asked Newman why she didn’t leave sooner. “For me, a lot of it was my kids.


Others [may fear] losing jobs, pets or [endangering] a family member ...,” she said. “Philadelphia doesn’t have enough shelters, so do you go on the street with toddlers? “Women aren’t dumb. Tey’re


keeping themselves and their kids alive while dealing with the hor- rible monster of abuse. Tey’re very smart, but they don’t have the sup- port they need.”


28 www.thelutheran.org


Prince (C)harming “We’d argue,” Newman said of her marriage. “Ten he’d push and shove me and the psychological abuse started. Ten he became addicted to drugs and alcohol, and the abuse became more physical. But he went for counseling and things got a little better. I had my daughter. Ten we moved away from family and things got really bad.” He said she couldn’t protect their


two children if she leſt. She took the threat seriously. When her old- est child was 5, his dad threw him against the wall, bruising his arm. Newman felt isolated and alone. Her husband was a white-collar


came to pick up the kids and began to choke her. Police had to pull him off her. Newman went to file for emergency protection and saw the 24-hour bilingual (English and Spanish) domestic violence hotline number staffed by Lutheran Settle- ment House counselors. “I was all alone, beaten down


and on disability from three herni- ated discs,” she said. “I called that number.” And everything began to turn around. Newman found more than safety


at the Lutheran Settlement House. “I was able to find my voice, to advo- cate for myself and to be the strong person I needed to be for me and my kids,” she said. Today, Newman is a trained


domestic violence counselor, pro- viding what she once needed. She helps answer hotline calls and leads support groups. She trains medical professionals in how to tell people about resources. And she is a media spokesperson on domestic violence. “If not for the people at Lutheran [Settlement House], I don’t know where I’d be now,” she said.


Helping thousands Each year, the Lutheran project works with 3,800 people, helping them exit or avoid domestic vio- lence situations, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.


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