INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — SafeSpace saves lives. That was the simple but powerful message delivered to 240 guests at the Every Woman is My Sister dinner Saturday night at the Club at Pointe West.
Through facilities, programs and services, SafeSpace provides safety, support and guidance to domestic violence victims in Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties.
“Last year we had 439 domestic violence cases in Indian River County alone,” said SafeSpace board member Sheriff Deryl Loar.
“It crosses all socio-economic backgrounds; some of the exclusive areas are underreporting. In years gone by, they would just separate the two parties to talk and then send them back into the same situation. Now we give them guidance, and make sure they get the reinforcement they need. With a resource like SafeSpace, you can separate the parties and have a safe place for mom and kids to go.”
The event was co-chaired by Janet Kelly and Gerri Ripp, with a committee that included many of their fellow Orchid Island residents.
Their elegant décor featured symbols of SafeSpace’s Walk a Mile in Her Shoes fundraisers – dazzlingly red stiletto centerpieces, alongside sweet butterflies made by resident children carrying the quote: “Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.”
“I think it’s exciting to see so many people here who want to learn about SafeSpace, or who are already involved but want to know more,” said Kelly.
“Before they leave, they’re all going to learn more about the mission of SafeSpace.”
“We tried to figure out why we worked so well together and we decided it’s because I’m the organizer and she’s the gentle persuader,” said Ripp with a laugh.
“The thing that’s most amazing to me is the number of people who don’t realize we have a facility,” said board president Bob Schlitt.
“We’re more than just a shelter; we have all these services for victims. In every death in the tri-county area over the past 10 years, none of the women had stayed a night or met with outreach counselors.”
After thanking everyone involved in the event, SafeSpace CEO Jill Borowicz recognized the “purple tie guys” for manning up to stand with SafeSpace in fighting domestic violence.
“Four women died or will die today at the hands of their domestic partner every day,” said Borowicz, adding that every nine seconds a woman is beaten or assaulted, and that one in three women has been or are victims of domestic violence.
She went on to say that domestic violence is targeted violence against an intimate partner and has nothing to do with anger. It is about power and control over another individual; manifesting itself through psychological as well as physical abuse.
Remarking that there is no simple answer to the question, “Why not just leave?” she added, “We always say, why doesn’t HE leave?”
“You really are doing God’s work,” said guest speaker John Walsh, an internationally recognized victims’ advocate and host of America’s Most Wanted, commenting on the difficulty of raising public awareness for such a tough subject.
He credited Sheriff Loar for getting him involved with SafeSpace, when he asked him to show up and walk a mile in women’s high heels.
“I did and I met these ladies and some of the volunteers who are the life raft when a guy says he’s going to kill you in front of your children.”
Walsh said he was lucky to have had a great role model for a father, who often told him that evil prevails when good men do nothing.
He spoke of two famous cases he had worked on, including that of Ira Einhorn, who had beaten Holly Maddux to death after she broke off their relationship. He managed to elude conviction for 25 years by fleeing to Europe and Walsh says, “He was protected by the system.”
Thanks to tireless efforts by Walsh and others who never gave up, Einhorn was finally convicted and is serving a life sentence.
Remarking that restraining orders often do little to protect a woman, Walsh asked, “Why do sheriffs like Deryl have to wait till the woman is half dead before they can protect them? This is why places like SafeSpace are needed. Where else are they going to run to in the middle of the night with their kids? They can run to SafeSpace and won’t be sent back to be slaughtered.”
He reiterated that domestic violence is not a poverty driven problem saying “Don’t think it doesn’t happen in Vero Beach.”
In Indian River County, the 24-hour hotline is 772-569-7233. The nationwide hotline is 800-500-1119.