By Catherine Cuellar, KERA 90.1 Reporter
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-599516.mp3
Fort Worth, TX –
Justin Martin, All Things Considered Host: The 28-year-old Women's Center of Tarrant County has provided counseling to survivors of rape, education to prevent domestic violence, and referrals to appropriate social services. Last year, they helped 100,000 clients. Over the next year, the Women's Center will more than double its size. 90.1's Catherine Cuellar attended yesterday's groundbreaking in Fort Worth and talked to former clients about their hopes for the organization's future.
Cuellar: Kay Loftin had never heard of The Women's Center until she needed its services. She survived a sexual assault.
Kay Loftin, rape survivor: When you go to the hospital, the first person you're met by at the hospital is a volunteer from The Women's Center. They gave you the information that you needed. This is a very devastating event in your life and I knew that this was not something I could deal with on my own. So they set me up right away to get in with a counselor.
Cuellar: Last year The Women's Center of Tarrant County helped almost 400 clients like Loftin to cope with the crisis of rape. Each year, the Women's Center educates and counsels 100,000 women, children, and men to prevent domestic abuse and sexual assault. Betsy Cummings has been a client for more than two decades.
Betsy Cummings, rape survivor: I'm a rape survivor and I used their services the entire time I was going through counseling and healing up until the time I went to trial. Then a year ago as the parole process was coming up for the offender, he was about to possibly be released and they helped me again. So 21 years they've been serving me and many other women like me.
Cuellar: Cummings is open about her experiences in hopes other women get the help they need.
Cummings: I know for me it was a very devastating blow. We're not born knowing these kinds of coping skills and the people here gave me all of the resources and help I needed to continue on and lead a productive life and feel like a human being again.
Cuellar: The Women's Center's services have grown to include adult literacy and employment training for almost 900 clients last year. Billye Poston is a graduate of the Women's Center's free "Jobs Now" program.
Billye Poston, Jobs Now client: Five years ago, I was left homeless and I lost everything. I am in the process today of buying my own home. All of this is possible because of the strength and everything I have gotten not only from The Women's Center, but mainly 182 because I was able to get a job and hold a job and with their help grow in confidence.
Cuellar: Mayor Moncrief attended yesterday's groundbreaking and celebrated success stories like these.
Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief: You see Fort Worth taking ownership and responsibility for a problem we have here in our backyard. If I could offer a prayer to be answered :45 it would be to do away with domestic violence, to put us all out of business and not have to raise a dime to address this problem. But I'm also a realist and I know that this program is invaluable to trying to get people back into the mainstream. People who have been beat down physically, emotionally, mentally, and some of those scars can be deeper than shows on the surface.
Cuellar: The planned expansion will cost 8.5 million dollars, most of which has already been raised. The women's center will double in size and is scheduled to open in 2008.
For KERA 90.1, I'm Catherine Cuellar.