Jefferson Awards: Breaking The Cycle Of Domestic Abuse
OAKLAND (CBS 5) - This week's Jefferson Award winner helps lead Bay Area domestic violence victims down the long path to recovery from her small Oakland office.
"It actually took a lot for me to come here today," Aleah McWilliams told a group of victims. "I've been stabbed. I've been stalked. Everything in the world that you can think has been done to me. I've had to escape and get away, and that's big."
It was McWilliams' first domestic violence support group, led by Norma Ward.
"You are not being blamed for what happened to you," Ward told McWilliams. "It's not your fault."
Ward is the co-founder of Progressive Transitions, a nonprofit that helps women and families break free of domestic violence.
"You're saying, 'You know what, I don't want to do this anymore. I don't want to feel this way about myself. I don't want to be in danger,'" Ward explained.
Thanks to Ward, McWilliams has begun to heal. Outside the office, she smiled and said, "Feels like a big brick has been lifted off my chest. I'm going to walk away from today and I'm just going to feel really good."
For 30 years, Ward has been a social worker in Oakland. But throughout her career, she's noticed a troubling trend: "Seeing people on this constant turnstile of treatment, losing kids, having a baby. The child has to go into to foster care, I said, 'There's something going on.'"
Ward discovered the root of the problem while counseling women.
"The violence is the key," she said. "But people just don't talk about it because they grew up not talking about it."
So she co-founded Progressive Transitions in 2008. Its workshops, counseling, and support groups have helped 300 people shatter abusive relationships by examining how they got involved in the first place.
Cindy Quontamatteo said Norma helped save her marriage.
"In order to have change, you need to take a look at who you are and how you got there," Quontamatteo said.
Veronica Garcia White said, after three abusive relationships, Norma changed her life.
"She means the world to me," White said with a smile. "That's my Mom!"
Veronica now shares what Norma's taught her, replacing the cycle of abuse with a new cycle of freedom.
"You have to love yourself and love the Lord above," White added.
Said Ward, "That's the joy - that they don't have to live like this anymore. They've got the message: that they now know, you know what? 'I can do it. You can do it.'"
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