Domestic Violence Awareness Month #HopeLine

I am no stranger to domestic violence. When I was a teenager, my first love was abusive. He abused me physically and mentally, isolating me from family and friends. Although I was a very mature young woman, well aware of the cycle of abuse, I was unable to simply leave. You can read my story and gain insight into how an intelligent, extraordinarily independent young woman can get caught up in this type of relationship.  Domestic violence is not as cut and dry as many people believe. Abusers place you in a position that makes staying untenable but leaving could cost your life. The complicated nature of domestic violence is very difficult to understand if you have not worn those shoes and my heart goes out to women like Rihanna and Janay Palmer (wife of Ray Rice), whose very public abuse was scrutinized and they were subjected not only to abuse by their partners but criticism from the public eye. These woman are already in difficult situations and having their struggles on public display does not help the healing process, in fact, if can hinder it.

However, such cases do bring awareness to the issue of domestic violence and having this dialogue can help individuals who are not public figures find assistance. One in every 4 women will experience domestic violence during her lifetime and men are victims of nearly 3 million physical assaults in the United States. Since 2001, HopeLine® from Verizon has provided financial assistance to non-profit organizations and agencies that are committed to connecting victims to and survivors to vital resources. October is domestic violence awareness month, represented by my favorite color, purple. This month my hair is purple hued and I am proudly rocking my purple LG Tone Wireless Headset from Verizon. This is just one of many purple accessories that can be purchased from Verizon Stores  and online that benefit Verizon's HopeLine program. For every HopeLine purchase, Verizon will donate $1 to the Domestic Violence Hotline up to $100,000!

You can also take action against domestic violence by helping HopeLine reach its goal of 1 million phone donations by the end of 2015. Simply donate your old wireless phones, chargers and accessories, from any carrier, at a Verizon store and help support victims and survivors of domestic violence. You can find more detailed information on the HopeLine website. Please help victims and survivors this month by going purple and making a purchase from Verizon's HopeLine program and/or donate your old wireless phone and accessories at you nearest Verizon store. Having access to a cellphone can make a tremendous difference in the lives of individuals currently in a domestic violence situation or survivors that are recently free from one.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/HopeLine from Verizon. As usual all opinions are my own, this topic is one that is near and dear to me.