Transitioning Times

I know there is a saying about how love doesn’t hurt, but I disagree…let me explain. I am a witness and a survivor of domestic violence, so I am speaking from my heart, my experiences. When you love someone, it hurts to know that the person you love so much has hurt you. In a domestic capacity, it could be your spouse, sibling, parent or even your child. These are people you love deeply and are supposed to feel the same about you. I got married at age 18 because I had two children with the guy I had been dating for 3 years. The relationship was abuse in its rarest form; I was 15 and pregnant and he was 18 right out of high school. It hurt my family to see me in such a manipulative and emotionally abusive situation with the father of my unborn child because they loved me. After our child was born the abuse didn’t stop. I got pregnant again; sadly, we brought a second child into what was already a bad situation. As the children got older they started to see and unde...

In December 2014, the Comprehensive Human Trafficking bill (Act 105) was passed and signed into law.  Until that time, PA was ranked 49 th of our 50 states in its response to human trafficking in the Commonwealth. In January 2015, the individuals representing interested groups throughout PA met at the Capitol to plan Act 105's implementation.  Among the groups represented were a large contingent of Philadelphia groups that included Dawn’s Place, the Philadelphia Anti-trafficking Coalition, and Covenant House.  The PA Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) had been providing education and outreach for several years, and several of committed Victim Services Organizations were represented (Transitions of PA, YWCA of Greater Harrisburg, YWCA of York, and NOVA Bucks).  The PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) has responsibility to implement the law, but no funding was provided. At this meeting, Shea Rhodes, the new Director of Villanova University Law School’s Cente...