An elected official in Kaufman County is hoping her story of surviving domestic violence helps others seek help.
A year ago, Terrell City Council member Mayrani Velasquez left her abusive relationship and faced public retaliation from her former partner.
"It was very tough,” Velasquez said. “In the moment I wasn't sure how I was going to be supported by my community, the questions that were going to be asked, could I still walk into the grocery store and feel normal, feel at peace.”
She now wants to help women in her city and county with resources, where they may not be readily available. Through a mutual friend Velazquez was connected to Linda Reichart, founder of Sisters of Grace Ministry, a faith-based nonprofit that advocates for women experiencing domestic abuse.
Through a new partnership, they plan to reach women in rural areas in Kaufman County or smaller cities like Velazquez's hometown of Terrell.
“When[Velazquez]called me, I was just so thrilled that there was somebody outside of being in a ministry, that wanted to talk about domestic abuse in public,” Reichart said, “because it takes a lot of guts for a woman to do that."
Limited resources to services such as counseling and shelters, isolation due to geographic location or lack of transportation are factors that can affect women facing domestic violence in smaller communities.
According to a study conducted by the National Library of Medicine, rural areas reported the highest prevalence of intimate partner violence — 22.5% compared to 15.5% of women in larger cities.
“That's the biggest issue for a lot of women getting away is they don't have resources,” Reichart said.“ They don't know how are they going to leave this situation.”
She and Velazquez plan to “fill in the gaps by providing education about domestic violence in the city of Terrell and Kaufman County.
“That gap is educating young individuals on the difference between healthy behaviors and unhealthy behaviors when you're dating or when you're in a relationship," Velazquez said.
They’ll offer trainings on healthy relationships and how to recognize domestic abuse, as well as programs for women rebuilding their lives after abuse.
According to the Texas Advocacy Project, one in three people experienced domestic violence in Texas this year.
On a recent Tuesday evening Velasquez, Reichart and other members of Sisters of Grace gathered in Rockwall to train a group of women interested in volunteering.
“When we first started, the idea was to work with the clients one on one, meet them in a public space, a safe place,” Reichart told the group.“Then we found a lot of mommas that didn't have vehicles to get out."
She said much of the work can be done over the phone, which means women can get help where they are.
“They don't have to find a way to get gas money to put in their cars to get them where they need to go to meet us, or find themselves being tracked by someone,” she said.
Reichart told KERA there has been an increase in women without legal status reaching out to the group for services. She said many won’t contact law enforcement out of fear of being deported.
Velazquez and Reichart also hope to expand their resources beyond the group.
“We've been connecting with our community in different ways with our local chamber of commerce, with other organizations that do similar work,” Velazquez said.
They are hoping to find community partners such as businesses, hotels and other places that can help provide “a safe space for women that are needing a safe place to go to” across Kaufman County.
If you are experiencing intimate partner violence and need help, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE.
Priscilla Rice is KERA’s communities reporter. Got a tip? Email her at price@kera.org.
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