July 4, 2020
by Hilary Shaw
The truth is, every day is Independence Day at the Abbie Shelter. You can see it in our mission statement: To promote safety, independence and empowerment to survivors of domestic and sexual violence. You can see it in the action plans, goals, and progress of the brave people who seek our services. And you can see it in the spirit of our organization, working tirelessly to ensure we have all of the tools we need to provide the best services we can to the people who need us.
My grandfather came to this country from Poland as a refugee in 1948, and he taught me at an early age the words on the Statue of Liberty that greeted him upon his arrival to New York City: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
The Abbie Shelter doesn’t have a golden door. Nonetheless, our door is always open to the tired and the poor, and to the 1 in 4 women yearning to be free from domestic violence. We “lift our lamps” to shed light on the injustice and the pain caused by domestic violence in our valley. None of us who work here at the Abbie got into this work because we believe that only some people deserve safety in their relationships, but not all. Regardless of color or creed, affiliation or orientation, all are welcome at the
Abbie. We remain steadfast in our commitment that every person deserves the highest quality of care as they seek recovery and safety from domestic and sexual violence. It is “liberty and justice for ALL,” after all.